Chapter 4

Can you handle the consequences?

 

Cam groaned as he slowly woke up. Every part of his body hurt as well as almost all of his skin. He opened his eyes to see Chelry’s bearded face looking down at him with concern.

“Morning, beautiful. “ Cam grumbled, “What happened?”

“You almost died. And I dare say it wouldn’t have been a pleasant death.” Esma replied as she pulled Chelry back into the other chair, Cam could have sworn he heard amusement in her otherwise expressionless voice. Chelry sat down obediently but fidgeted in his seat.

“What do you mean?” Cam asked, his memory was fuzzy.

“When we found you, you were in pretty rough shape. Kailah was with you. What’s the last thing you remember?” Chelry asked concern making his voice deeper.

“Um…she and I left the bar and I started to walk her home. We were attacked and holding our own fairly well…..That b*****d body jumped me and made me attack her....” Cam bolted upright, “Where is she?!”

Right after asking that he wish he hadn’t moved, every part of him screamed in pain even more. He hurt in places he didn’t think possible, even his hair hurt.

“Calm down, Kailah is fine.” Chelry said soothingly trying to push Cam gently back down.

“She’s being detained.” Esma said in her cold matter of fact voice.

“Why? Don’t they know it was self-defense?” Cam asked trying to get up again, Chelry just pushed him gently back down with a sigh.

“The Council is looking into the matter. Kailah can handle herself. You, on the other hand, have to stay in bed to recover completely. It took Chelry the better part of a week to heal you. For a while we didn’t think you’d make it.”

Cam froze, “It’s been a week?”

Chelry nodded, “Yeah, you were pretty badly burnt. What I can’t figure is what made you that way? It was almost like you sat in a furnace.”

Cam said nothing as he thought back on the events past. He tried to recollect anything he had ever heard about element casters. He couldn’t remember any having turned out like Kailah. To say he was worried about Kailah was putting it mildly. The Council didn’t look kindly on Casters that broke the rules.

 

For the next week Cam had to suffer the poke and prods of healers who claimed he was recovering very well. Cam could do nothing but wait impatiently in his bed while he healed. He had no contact with Kailah the entire time. He could only get rumors from Chelry and Esma about her.

One rumor was she was to be locked up for life, another was that she had escaped the Council and gone to join the Chaos, while another was that she was acquitted completely. None were solidly backed up and Cam could only wait and pray, two things of which he had never done well separately let alone together.

One sunny afternoon while Cam was able to leave his room for the first time in two weeks he got an unexpected visitor in the form of Maltoris, one of the Council.

“Ah, Gantervez. Healing up nicely I see.” Maltoris said pleasantly, he was an older gentleman with his stark black hair just graying at the temples and his short beard beginning to pepper, but as the head of the Swords his skill was equaled by none. Of all the Council, Cam liked this guy the most. He was more like a distant uncle than a supreme ruler.

“Councilman Maltoris.” Cam greeted him saluting, “What brings you here?”

“Relax, Gantervez, I just came to check up on one of my favorite graduates.” Maltoris smiled gently as Cam sat back onto the bench. Maltoris sat next to him. Cam couldn’t help but smile slightly at Maltoris’s accent in the way he pronounced Cam’s last name. Even though Maltoris had lived away from his homeland for a number of years, his Northernland accent was still thick.

“I don’t mean to seem disrespectful but, my Caster-“ Cam began.

“Is fine, detained doesn’t mean the same thing as imprisoned. Kailah is one of our, ‘special’ cases, the Council wouldn’t lose one as powerful as her.” Maltoris interrupted placing a gentle hand on Cam’s shoulder, “But Gantervez, you need to be wary, there are many who fear such power as hers, especially some within the Council.”

Cam was silent while he thought on Maltoris’s words. He knew of the power struggle within the Council as did many other people. Long had the “game” of power been played using pawns such as himself and Kailah. Any of the Council would kill to get their hands on her power.

“I’m told that you will be released tomorrow. This is good.” Maltoris interrupted Cam’s brain storm. He smiled slightly as he watched the blossoms of the trees falling. He stood up slowly and stepped away from Cam.

“Wha-Oh yes, Chelry said I’m just about as good as before. My skin is still tender in places but not terrible.” Cam replied.

“Good, good.” Maltoris mused. Without any warning signs he turned suddenly and swung for Cam’s head. Cam’s reflexes took over and he shot off the bench and rolled into a fighting position facing Maltoris.

Maltoris laughed as he tossed Cam a branch he had picked up. Cam caught it and Maltoris attacked again with the same branch he had used before. Cam blocked the attack and countered.

“Good, your form is excellent as always.” Maltoris mused as he attacked and defended in turn, “You’re over-reaching though.”

He kicked out with his right foot and caught Cam’s front foot, pulling it forward and throwing Cam off balance. Cam fell to the ground with a curse and Maltoris attacked.

Cam blocked the attack while on his back. He did a sweep kick to Maltoris’s left leg which caused Maltoris to jump back to dodge giving Cam the chance to get back up.

Maltoris grinned then tucked the branch he had been using under his right arm. He slowly applauded as Cam smiled and shook his head.

“You have kept up well, Gantervez.” Maltoris commented nodding his head, “You’ll need all your strength with the Caster you’ve gotten yourself this time.”

Mirth was replaced by concern as Maltoris turned from Cam and headed back to the bench under the blooming trees. Cam exhaled the breath he had been holding in anticipation of more attacks from his former teacher. He followed Maltoris and sat down gingerly next to him. Cam’s body had begun to ache again.

“Shalia was a Phantom Castor, if I’m not mistaken?” Maltoris asked quietly almost like to himself.

“Yeah,” Cam chuckled, “She was pretty good at it too.”

“What do you know of Element Casters?” Maltoris asked turning his grey gaze onto Cam. Cam thought carefully before he answered. He had learned over the years that Maltoris would rather wait for a truthful answer than a quick reply.

“I know that they usually only cast one element. I’ve only heard of one other person besides Kailah that can cast all four and that was Councilman Garvoris forty years ago.” Cam answered.

“What happened when your Caster used her magic?” Maltoris asked, curiosity and something else stirred in his grey granite eyes. Cam could remember growing up under his tutelage that Maltoris could get the truth from anyone by staring at them with those hard grey eyes.

“I almost killed her, truthfully I thought I had. The ring leader Body Jumped me and made me choke her. She blacked out and the next thing I knew she…” Cam paused the horror of what he saw played through his mind again.

“Go on.” Maltoris said gently.

Cam took a deep breath, “She rose like a demon out of hell, she lit them on fire, burned them. And she laughed. She laughed, enjoying their screams.”

Maltoris sat silently as Cam continued, “She had the ring leader pinned and was toying with him. I don’t know what made me do it but I tackled her to the ground. I couldn’t stand seeing her like that, it wasn’t normal, not human.”

Maltoris nodded, “How did you get her back to her senses?”

At the memory of it Cam flushed deep red and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, “Um…I can’t…don’t remember.” Cam mumbled.

Maltoris chuckled which made Cam blush all the more. Somehow Maltoris knew, Cam was sure of it.

“Did you know that the Caster tends to have the same personality traits as the element they cast?” Maltoris asked changing subjects to spare Cam.

Cam thought for a bit, “Yeah, I think I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

“What have you heard exactly?” Maltoris asked as he pulled out a pipe from his robe.

“Um, there’s an Aqua Caster attached to Louis. Last I talked to Louis he said that when his Caster casts he becomes cold and distant like he has no feelings for a time afterward.” Cam replied after thinking about it.

“Yes, Fire Casters become passionate and aggressive, some in extreme cases become violent even to their Swords.” Maltoris paused to puff on his pipe for a minute.

“Like with what happened to Kailah.” Cam said, understanding of her personality shift coming to light.

“Precisely. On the other hand, Water Caster, or Aqua, become cold and emotionless, and extremely logical. They would kill their own Swords if it seemed the most logical course. Air Casters become sporadic and flippant. They can also be quick to agitate. Earth Casters become stubborn and unmoving. Once set on an idea they won’t budge. Especially if they think they are in the right.” Maltoris continued his explanation, occasionally puffing out a ring of smoke.

“And Kailah has all four?” Cam asked raising his eyebrows in disbelief.

Maltoris nodded, “Yes, but think of them as latent split personalities that will only surface when she uses them.”

“If they only come out when she uses them, then what was that the other night?” Cam asked still confused.

“I’m guessing it would be a defense mechanism that has been developed over the years to deal with her own, unique situation. She needed aggression to get out alive therefore her Fire personality came out when her dominant, Normal, one was inactive.” Maltoris said flicking a blossom off his shoulder, “It could also have been that she was angry when she passed out, therefore it surfaced.”

“So, the lesson we can all take from this is?” Cam asked looking at his old mentor puff on his pipe nonchalantly.

“Don’t wake up the sleeping beauty unless you’re darn well sure it’s her and not the beast.” Maltoris suggested looking at Cam with a smile.

At Cam’s even more confused look Maltoris sighed, “Basically, Gantervez, don’t let something like that happen again.”

With that Maltoris stood up still puffing on his pipe. He stretched causing his bones to pop.

“Oh, curse old age.” Maltoris grunted to himself, “Buck up, Gantervez. You’re gonna need to be on guard with that one.”

Maltoris patted Cam on the shoulder then strolled off down the path that led to the exit. Cam watched his old master leave noticing that he still hadn’t lost his lithe walk, like that of a stalking tiger.

Cam sat on the bench for awhile after Maltoris had left thinking on what had been said. Chelry found him there as the sun was beginning to set; blossoms had stayed undisturbed on Cam’s black hair like snow.

As Chelry approached Cam noticed his presence, “Hey, Chelry. What’s up?”

Cam stood up and walked toward Chelry closing the distance between them.

“You’ve been released. I’m here to take you back to the compound.” Chelry said cheerfully.

Cam stopped in his tracks, Chelry was way too cheerful, “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” Chelry asked starting to panic

“Chelry, you’re wringing your hands, again I ask you, what’s going on?” Cam asked his voice more forceful this time.

“I promised Esma I wouldn’t tell you, cause you just recovered and all, and you really do need peace of mind to get better an-“ Chelry babbled getting more nervous by the minute.

“What happened?” Cam cut him short.

“Oh, Cam, it’s the worst.” Chelry began but tears choked him.

“What?” Cam asked, apprehension was beginning to grip his heart.

Chelry took a deep breath, “Kailah’s been sentenced.”

Reviews

[Gosia]

It's good you used another font, the eyes don't hurt that much while reading.
Great that you explained more about the concept of Casters, now I feel like understand what exacly is going on in this world.
Nice touch with the cliffhanger at the end, I adore such endings. I knew something bad was going to happen once the Council was mentioned. All councils equal trouble in fantasy books. Anyway I'm officially captivated.

[Warlon]

Nothing like a good little "teacher making sure student is still in good shape after not seeing him for a while" stuff.