Five

A shorter chapter.

            A cold breeze caressed Alukas’s face and gently stirred him awake, only for him to find that his body was nearly frozen due to the icy rain that had fallen in the early hours. He blinked away the crust from his blurred vision and stared up at the pale morning sky, whose light was muffled by the thick clouds. Alukas took in a breath and pushed himself up from the ground. He looked around the campsite and saw Gerad walking towards him with the canteen hanging over his shoulder, his sleeves rolled up and his gray hair tied back. Alukas stood up warily, brushing off his cloak and pausing as he noticed a large rip in the stitching. He sighed and walked over to his companion, offering a thoughtful glance and a nod.

            “We are almost to the nearest village,” said Gerad, handing the boy his canteen with a small smile.

            “I fear that we may arouse trouble when we arrive,” Alukas inquired, taking a swig of water. “What will we say if someone asks about our coming?”

            “Merely say that you are traveling with your grandfather, who is looking for work in the far North.”

            “Are you sure that we could pass as mere peasants?” said the boy, his nose crumpling at the thought of living among the common people. “Our clothes will not support the idea.”

            Suddenly, Alukas’s cloak was ripped from his shoulders by the old man, as was his leather vest, which was laced shut over his loose-fitted cotton tunic. Gerad unbuttoned the top few buttons of the tunic.

            “Gerad, what are you doing?” Alukas stuttered, his ears burning. “I can’t just wear my underclothes!”

            The man bent down and ripped Alukas’s trousers off at the knee, turning them into cutoff shorts. “Now take off those lacy socks,” Gerad told the boy. “Those are considered quite feminine outside of royalty.”

            Alukas un-tucked his tunic from his belt, turning away so his friend wouldn’t see his cheeks turning pink. He took off his boots and removed the socks, shoving them into his rucksack. He took his cloak that lay in the dirt and tied it around his waist, then put his boots back on, which were caked with mud.

            “Let’s get going, Alukas,” said Gerad, his cloak ripped off into a small jacked that was tied over his white tunic. His pants were rolled up to his knees and his boots were removed of the leather decals. “We’re near enough for only a three hour walk.”

            Alukas nodded and followed his friend closely, shrugging his pack over his arm. His legs were aching badly and his throat was dry despite how many swigs of musty water that he drank. He was silent and let his thoughts roam into the deepest part of his mind, closing his eyes and letting his feet guide him blindly.

            Alukas let his inner being sink into the depths of his magic, comforted by the blackness of his sorcery and the dark, raging monster inside of him trapped within its boundaries. The beast slept but could be awoken by only one spell, a spell that was unknown even to Gerad. Alukas seldom even brought such a spell into his mind in fear that Gerad would catch it and bind it within an even deeper prison. Alukas was frightened of this monster in his magic, but he knew that if it were to be destroyed, he would lose a fragment of his own being. He kept it silenced within the strongest part of his soul: his heart.

            The boy let himself plunge deeper into the void, feeling the ebb and flow of great power around his inner body like the waves of the great seas. He felt the whispers of conquered death beckoning him further into its home, grabbing gently onto him and pulling him into its cold embrace. He remained still and let himself release, almost filled with a sweet pleasure at the thought of being one with his black magic…

 

            “Hai’ecl shm’kan shaa’mas!”

            Alukas was ripped from the grasp of his magic, being blinded by a piercing white light that burnt his eyes. The blackness dissolved from around his body and he was pulled back to his reality, falling onto his back with a thud. Sweat coated his forehead and his chest heaved painfully as he opened his eyes and saw Gerad standing above him, a hand being held out.

            “What were you thinking, boy?” Gerad demanded. “Why did you travel that far into your magic? You cannot be welcomed as easily as some. You know the source of your power, and you know that it will destroy you from the inside out. You would be trapped within the void forever if I had not used the spell that quickly!”

            “I don’t care,” hissed Alukas, his eyes blazing with fury. “At least I am wanted there. The void wants me, unlike this horrid reality that I am forced to call my life. I do not have importance here. You told me that I am needed in the world to do good with my magic, yet you scold me for trying to use my magic because of its source. What am I to believe?”

            “You have to learn to turn the negative source of your magic to a righteous cause of its use. It holds great capability of evil, but great capability of good as well if you learn how to balance your magic.”

            Alukas was silent as he stood and brushed off his trousers. He glanced at his friend with hardened eyes and nodded. “Let us go now,” he said. “We will discuss this when we find a place of rest in the village.”

Reviews

[Keevan]

I think the last section of the chapter was a bit rushed. Maybe add a few details of their surroundings here and there? Besides that, interesting concept, suddenly giving Alukas a "beast" inside of him. Nicely done.

[Alexis]

Alukas is pretty intelligent for a 12 year old boy. Interesting.
Good chapter, friend! I look forward to the next! You're doing a great job with this story. I can't wait to find out what happens next.