Call of Kythshire (Keepers of the Wellsprings Book 1) (20 page)

As Flit and I move deeper into the forest in search of Rian, I can’t help but be amazed by its strange beauty. Giant mushrooms of every shape and color sprinkle the forest floor. The trees are adorned with fluffy blossoms of every color. The morning dew sparkles in the golden sunlight that streams through the canopy. Flit glides along beside me, unusually quiet. My boots and trousers grow soaked with dew as I scan the grass for Rian’s path, but there’s no sign of anyone passing this way. Just when I begin to feel slightly panicked that I might not be able to find him in this vast forest, I realize I’ve been going about it the wrong way.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I ask Flit, laughing.

“I wanted to see how long it’d take you to figure it out! Go on, then.” she perches on my shoulder as I close my eyes and think of Rian.

The ground shifts beneath us and falls away, and then I feel Rian’s arms catch me. His laughter is drowned out by the rushing wind as we soar high above Kythshire. I cling to him and squeeze my eyes shut as we rise. The height invokes memories of Dacva and his gang dangling me over the cliff wall, and as we climb even higher I try hard not to imagine the sickening thud my body would make or the crack of my bones if I was to plummet to the ground so far below us.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” he asks, oblivious to the chatter of my teeth. I’m not sure whether I’m shaking from the chill wind or my own terror, but either way squeezing him tighter and burying my head into his chest seems to help.

“Where is it, Flit? I want to see...” Rian swoops even higher.

“You can’t,” Flit cries from somewhere beside us, “you shouldn’t!”

“Is that the ocean to the west?” Oblivious to her protests, Rian speeds our pace.

“It’s the ocean, watch out for the Guardian!” I turn my head and peek for just long enough to see the torso of an enormous man forming from the sands of the beach. It rises up, watching us, and Rian laughs as we swoop past.

“Amazing!” he cries.

“Please, Rian,” I’m ashamed by the pathetic whimper in my plea as I close my eyes again. My heart is racing so fast that I fear I might suffer an attack. I need to get down.

“Look, Azi, your favorite.” The grass brushes my feet as we speed along, and behind us we leave a trail of bright yellow roses in our wake. “Or would you rather pink?” As he says the words, the roses we leave change to pink. “It has to be close, I can feel it.” He rises up again and I can’t hold back my sob as I press my face against him again.

“Rian, please listen!” Flit cries again as our speed increases so that my skin feels as though it might be torn from my bones.

“There,” he whispers with awe, and we skid to a stop so quickly that my stomach lurches. I drop to my knees in the moss, immensely grateful to be back on the ground. As my fingers push into the spongy green I look out over the vast, quiet, perfectly round pool of glittering gold. The dazzling sparkle of the surface lures me. I have to touch it. Distantly I’m aware of Flit’s protests, but I don’t care. This is power. True power. With it I could have anything. Do anything. Rule anyone. I come to the very edge, reach my hand out, and then I feel Flit’s soft touch on my cheek and suddenly I’m sprawling away.

I land hard on the dewy grass of the forest. Above me the multi-colored tree puffs sway wistfully in the breeze as Flit’s stern scolding brings me back to my senses.

“Reckless Mage! You need to listen! It’s forbidden to go there, it’s too much for you! And poor Azi, you scared her nearly to death and you didn’t even care!” I push myself up and blink at Rian beside me, who seems to be going through the same awakening.

Immediately, he summons a journal and writing stick and begins to write feverishly, recording everything he’s seen, oblivious to Flit’s scolding. Slowly, I push my hand between his and the book.

“Rian, you can’t,” I whisper. “No one can know.” He pauses and looks down at the notes and his face goes pale.

“You’re right,” he says, crestfallen, “What was I thinking?” He grasps my hand and pulls me into his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers into my hair, “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was drunk with it, all of it. I never should have...” His voice trails off weakly and he shakes his head. “We can’t stay here,” he says as he pushes himself to his feet. “I can feel myself slipping all the time, Azi. I can do anything here. Anything at all. No incantations, no restrictions. It’s such a rush, it makes me feel amazing, like... like I could rule it all.” He pauses. “We have to leave.”

“Wait a moment,” Flit says, surprised, “You mean to tell me that you want to leave even after you’ve seen the Wellspring because there’s too much magic?”

“Right,” Rian pulls me to my feet and kisses the crown of my head, “I know it sounds mad, but I know I’m not supposed to be here. When I let myself think about the power, really think about it, I start to spiral out of control.  Think about it, Azi. Once you realize that you can have everything you want, forever, then what?”

“Isn’t that everyone’s dream?” I ask, still somewhat dazed, “To have what they want? To be happy?”

“If you could stay here,” he asks, “stay forever, and always have everything your heart desires, what would you do then?” I think of the way the Wellspring compelled me, how it made me feel.

“I don’t know. I’m afraid it would change me. And even if it didn’t, I’d at least want to share it. With you, with my family, with the guild.” I say, “I wouldn’t want to be alone.”

“And then,” he says, “They’d have their hearts’ desires, too, and they’d want to share. And then the people they bring would want the same. Eventually, one of them would let it get to them. One of them would spiral. At the very least, it wouldn’t be able to sustain us all. Everything has a balance. Our being here upsets it too much.” He pulls me close and gazes into my eyes, and the Wellspring’s draw becomes a distant memory. I know in my heart that all I really need is him.

“He’s right!” Flit claps, startling us both. “You’re both right! Oh, I’m so proud of you both, I really didn’t think you’d get it! And now, now, you’re finally ready to meet them.”

“Oh?” I say, reluctantly tearing my eyes from Rian’s, “Who are we meeting?”

“The Ring,” Flit says, her eyes wide, “but first, we have to do something about this.” she points to me, and then to Rian, and taps her lips thoughtfully.

“The Ring?” Rian asks as Flit circles around us, turning her head this way and that as though measuring us up.

“Really, you need to practice the game if you’re going to meet them. I never win when I play against them. You two have no hope at all. You can’t even get the order right. You ask a question, I answer. I ask a question, and then you answer. Then you, then me. Then you, then me.”

“I swear...” Rian murmurs, rubbing his forehead as I rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“You go first, Flit,” I offer, but she shakes her head.

“Nope, I don’t want to right now. Come with me.” She grabs a handful of each of our shirts, and we pop into her grotto again.

“A little warning next time?” Rian says, ankle-deep in the grotto’s pool.

“I said come with me. That was your warning.” she turns away from him to give me a secret, mischievous grin and I shake my head, trying hard not to laugh. As Rian trudges up out of the water, I wonder whether Flit will ever tire of tormenting him. I suppose after what he just put us through, he deserves it a little bit.

“Now, before we go,” she tips her head at us Rian sweeps his hand across his robes to dry them, “we need to do something about you both. First, smaller.” She nods at us and we begin to shrink.

“No way,” Rian says midway to her size. “Taller.” he stretches back up to his own height again. “You, too, Azi,” and the words have barely left his mouth before I’m back to my own height, too. “Tell us why, first.” Rian crosses his arms as I blink my eyes rapidly, trying to clear the odd lightheaded feeling that came along with the transformation.

“I’m taking you to meet the Ring. They’re a little bossy, but it’s okay, because they’re supposed to be. But you’re too big to get in, and they’d send you away if you tried to because you might step on someone. So you have to be small like, me. It’s all right though, I’d probably get into trouble bringing someone like you in, anyway, especially if they found out what you just tried to do. On second thought, you stay here. I’ll just take Azi.” She points at me and down I go again, shrinking toward the moss. I look up at Rian and feel a little dizzy at his enormity.

“I’m not going without Rian,” I say.

“I’m really sorry, Flit,” Rian says sincerely, “Honestly, I am.”

“Oh, fine, he can come,” says Flit. “Shrink yourself, then, Mage.” If it was odd to see Rian so much larger, it’s even stranger being eye to eye with Flit. The light that scatters from her wings is much more blinding at this scale, making me squint. Her many-colored ponytails are impossibly brilliant, and from this close up I can see that each strand of her hair shimmers with a light of its own. She stops in front of me and I blink rapidly.

“Could you be a little less...bright?” Rian says, shielding his eyes.

“What?” she scowls. “Oh, right. Sorry, I was thinking.” Her glow dims a little as she chews her lip. “Azi, you can’t go in that, it’s not very fine.” She points at the plain blue tunic and brown trousers which I chose for comfort and utility.

“Oh,” I say, thinking about the similar outfit in my bag. “Does it really make a difference what I wear?”

“Well, would you go to the palace dressed in that?” She wrinkles her nose.

“If she had something urgent to tend to she would,” Rian says defensively, “And they wouldn’t really care, either.”

“Rian...” I whisper.

“It’s okay, I’ve learned to mostly tune him out,” Flit says matter-of-factly as she looks me up and down again. “Just think of who you are and how you want to look, and then make an outfit.” She looks up at the sky, “And hurry. It’s almost noon. They’ll be starting soon.” I think of Flit’s bright ribbon skirt that reminds me of a bright prism, and Twig and his brown and green leafy outfit that looks like he walked out of the bark of a tree. It’s harder than it seems, trying to imagine of how I might dress to show who I am. I close my eyes and think about my mother and father, and the guild hall, and the castle, and the city and the ocean. It takes quite a while for it to come together in my mind, but after a short time I feel my clothing start to change. When I finally open my eyes, Rian is grinning at me.

“Perfect,” he says.

“I’m impressed!” Flit nods her agreement as I take stock of myself. My arms and legs are swathed in a clinging, shimmery silver fabric that resembles chain mail, but is soft to the touch. Over it is draped a surcoat of soft yellow gauze which is short in the front and trails to my ankles in the back. It’s cinched at the waist with a light blue sash, and of course at my back, my sword is strapped securely in its sheath. Flit’s frayed ribbon bracelet, which I’ve grown fond of, still hangs at my wrist despite its missing diamond.

“Can I bring my sword?” I ask.

“Well sure, as long as you’re not thick enough to try and use it. Everyone at the Ring is important, and very powerful. If you tried to attack them, you probably couldn’t even draw it. But I think it’s good to have it. It’ll remind them of who you are.” She turns to Rian, “Now for you, Mage.” Rian’s nostrils flare out slightly as Flit paces around him, inspecting him.

“I don’t see why I can’t just go like this,” he says. “I’m a Mage. You can see that plainly by what I’m wearing. If they’re anything like you, they’ll hate me right away, anyway.”

“Oh, Rian,” I say, “Flit doesn’t hate you...” I look at Flit, whose ever-changing eyes dance from orange to bright red. “Do you?”

“Hate is a strong word,” she says. “They’ll need to see your coils, Mage.”

“Why? Are you sure?” Rian tugs uncomfortably at his collar.

“Well, that’s kind of the whole point of the coils, you know. So our kind can see quickly how responsible someone is with the magic they’ve been entrusted. So, yes. You’ll have to wear an open shirt. Or no shirt. Probably no shirt is best.” She steals a secret glance at me and winks. “It shouldn’t be a problem. Your kind is always flashing around their coils, showing off anyway.”

“Rian isn’t like that,” I say. Flit gives me a look of disbelief. “Sure, he gets carried away sometimes, but it’s not to show off... he’s just...interested. He tries to be respectful, he just likes to learn.”

“It’s fine, Azi,” Rian says, clenching his jaw, “We’re losing our focus on why we’re here to begin with. What I’m wearing isn’t really important.” He glares at Flit, “Or not wearing.” He’s right, I think. As always, Flit is a master of distraction.

It takes Rian much less time to make his transformation. He waves his hand and his clothing shimmers into a long, sleeveless vest that’s creamy yellow at his shoulders and deepens slowly to midnight blue as it drapes to his ankles. It buttons at his waist over an off-white shirt that is just sheer enough to show the Mark that swirls from his heart up to his collarbone and down to his buttons. His trousers are deep blue dotted with pinpoints of light that twinkle like stars.

“Amazing,” I breathe.

“Yes, that’s fine,” Flit says. “Now, when we get there, you should probably let me do the talking. They’ll want to play, and you’re both still pretty terrible at it. Oh, and if they’re dancing, then join. Sometimes that goes on for a while and it’s important, so best not to interrupt. Remember it’s all in good fun, so don’t be uptight. And try not to be rude.” She looks pointedly at Rian.