Chapter 60 - A Discussion Between Wizards

“Sit down,” Vivienne said.

It was a large kitchen with plenty of counter space near the stove and a small round table tucked into one corner. There were two chairs, one where Vivienne was sitting, the other directly opposite her.

Just like an interrogation, Hump thought, as he sat down. He was nervous, as much as he tried not to be. He knew Vivienne well enough that he shouldn’t have to feel nervous, but he’d just brought with him a bunch of bad news, and now needed to ask her for a favour.

“How have you been?” she asked softly.

“Busy,” Hump said, voice raspy. He wet his mouth. “It was quite an exciting few weeks to start off my wizarding career. I cleared a dungeon. Along the way I met Bud and Celaine, and now we’re travelling together.”

“You cleared a dungeon?” she said incredulously.

“Not alone, of course,” Hump said. “But I was there for the core and received part of the reward. I got a letter of recommendation from Overseer Oswald too—I’d had some trouble binding Master Sethril’s medallion at the Adventurers’ Guild. He didn’t leave a will.”

“No, well he wouldn’t,” she snapped. “He’d have had to go to the Wizard Society to declare you his successor, and he always hated the way they monitor their members. The moment something was even slightly inconvenient, he’d start doing something else.”

“Yeah, well I got by,” Hump said.

“Indeed. You’ve been busy by the sound of things. To think I thought you’d been disowned by Seth when you first showed up here.” She chuckled. “I thought you were scrounging for a job.”

Hump feigned offence. “I was an outstanding apprentice, I’ll have you know!”

Vivienne chuckled again and Hump smiled, then she let out a sigh. “How did he die?”

Hump’s smile slipped. “We were travelling through Brookwood Forest, just the two of us.” He paused, searching for a delicate way to put it. “A group of goblins ambushed us, and an arrow caught Master Sethril in the shoulder before either of us had time to raise a shield. He used a veil, and we managed to escape, but the arrow was poisoned. Even after I’d patched it up and removed the poison, he was in bad shape. Then it began to rain, and he caught a chill. After he had used so much essence… there was nothing I could do, Vivi. I tried. I really did. I wasn’t strong enough.”

Vivienne stared down at the table. There was no hardness to her eyes now, she just looked tired and sad. “Did he suffer?”

“Not for long,” Hump lied. “He lost consciousness early on, and between the chills and the fever, he never woke up.”

“There are worse ways to go, I suppose. Did you bury him?”

“I did. Beneath an ash tree in Brookwood. I remember where it is if you want me to take you, though it’s a few weeks away.”

“Maybe one day,” she said. “You know, he was always a risk taker, even since our days at the academy. The fool was always running off on quests and exploring ruins instead of actually studying.  He should have retired somewhere quiet and focused on training you years ago. There were many lords that would have accepted his fealty, but the fool would never submit to anyone.”

“He always made fun of you for telling him to retire,” Hump said. “‘And do what?’ he’d say. ‘School some spoilt young brat on the intricate workings of magic till I grow old and die? I’ve got one brat too many already.’”

“Hah! He cared for you. I hope you know that.”

“I do. He changed my life, Vivi, and I plan to keep going where he left off. Adventuring, questing, helping people.”

“Is that so.” There was something off about the way she said it, and how she looked at him afterward, as if she were searching his eyes for something. Her persona suddenly shifted. The laughter left her, and Hump felt a pressure building. “When did you learn about his spellbook?”

Hump met her eyes, giving nothing away. With a bit of luck, she might not hear how loudly his heart was thumping. “What do you mean? He’s been teaching me spells from it since I was a boy.”

“Do not play me for a fool,” she sneered. “I’ve known Seth twice as long as you’ve been alive, boy. Do you really think I would believe it was just goblins that killed him?”

“What are you suggesting?” Hump growled. “I was there! I saw them. I drew the goblin arrow from his shoulder and did all I could to save him.”

“Seth may have lacked a wizard’s good sense, but he was not so weak as to die to a handful of vermin.”

Hump stood, slamming his hands against the table. “What are you trying to say?”

She looked up at him calmly, but Hump could feel power raging from her in a way that reminded him of Kassius. The air shimmered around her. He shrank back into himself, his connection to his essence growing distant, the strength drained from him.

He refused to let it show, refused to let the anger in his eyes fade. He pressed back against her pressure, resisting it as best he could, holding her gaze.

“Did you kill Sethril? Did you kill your master?”

“How can you even ask me that?” Hump said.

“You escaped where he did not. How did a mere apprentice live, when a fourth rank wizard did not?”

“I don’t know how I lived,” Hump growled. “We were on foot when we were attacked. Master Sethril shielded us at first, and then he veiled us. We fled. At some point he collapsed, and I helped him onto Prancer, and then led him as far away as I could.”

She didn’t release her pressure.

“You don’t believe me,” Hump said. “I have nothing to gain from killing the man who took me in when I had nothing!”

“You had everything to gain!” she shouted. “Everything. A street urchin with no family, no ties, nobody that might suspect him, and a master with a magical spellbook and wizard staff. You’ve taken everything from him, and now you want to carry on where he left off.”

Hump took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm that raged within him. “I made a mistake in coming here. I’ll see myself out.”

He stepped back from the table, intent on leaving, when Vivienne’s pressure descended on him further. Hump gritted his teeth and turned to face her. She lacked Kassius’ power, but it was more than enough to keep him here if she decided it.

Vivienne stood sharply. “You cannot leave until I say so!”

“I did not kill my master!” Hump shouted. “He was like a father to me. He was the only person to ever give me a second glance. Because of him, I have a place in the world, a way to keep myself alive, and make sure I never return to the streets that I came from. I would have taken that arrow for him if I could have. I will not stand here and be accused by a person I thought I could trust!”

Hump’s breathing was heavy now. His heartbeat like thunder in his ears, and essence stormed through his channels making his blood feel hot. His lower lip trembled he was so angry. He fought to calm his essence, willing it to return to his core, willing himself to maintain control.

She stared at him for a few seconds, then slumped back into her chair, her pressure falling all at once. One moment it was as if a great weight bore down on him, the next he felt light as a feather.

Hump said nothing as he strode for the door. He gripped the handle when Vivienne called him.

“Wait.”

Hump turned around. She wasn’t looking at him. “What?”

“You came here for a reason, didn’t you?” she said. “Other than just telling me this. There’s something in your bag, isn’t there?”

“How did you—”

“Anyone with a little skill can sense there’s a life in there,” she said. “I can’t tell what it is, only that it’s got more of a presence than a rat. What’s going on, Hump? Why are you here?”

“You believe me then?”

Only now did she look back at him, searching his eyes once more. After a long minute, she nodded. “I believe you, and I’m sorry for what I did. I couldn’t… There were better ways for me to ask.” She nodded toward the chair. “Sit back down. I’ll hear what you have to say.”

Hump hesitated, but he didn’t have room to let his anger guide his actions, Vivienne was his best hope at making it through this. He returned to his seat. “I came to ask you to train me.”

“Why me? There are other places you could train. A recommendation from an overseer would be enough to convince a lord to sponsor you at the Wizard Academy, or you could find another master to train you. Considering you have all the equipment you need, you might even be able to find someone stronger than me.”

“If they found out about the spellbook, they’d kill me or take it from me.”

“And I won’t?”

Hump frowned at her. “I trust you, Vivi, whether or not you trust me.”

“Why not get rid of it?” she said. “There’s a good chance someone hunted your master for that spellbook, and now they will be after you. You’re a talented wizard. If you work hard and study, strength will come to you. You don’t need shortcuts for power. So why keep it?”

Hump paused.

“If you want my help, Hump, you have to be truthful with me.”

“Okay.” He opened his leather bag and carefully lifted out the dragon egg, cupping it in his hands on the table for Vivienne to see. “While I didn’t claim the dungeon core, I claimed this instead. It is bound to me, and I to it. And if I do not grow strong enough to keep it, then I will be killed for it.”

“That’s a dragon egg,” she said.

“Yes.”

“You found a dragon egg in the dungeon?”

“The dungeon guardian was a wolf dragon—an undead one at that. There were people there to collect the dragon’s heartstone and take the egg back with them. We slayed the dragon, and in the process the egg bonded with me. Vamir—Celaine’s teacher—he said he’d buy me some time to train for the trials ahead.”

“And who on earth are they?” she snapped. “What gives them a right to the egg?”

“I don’t really know,” Hump admitted. “They come from a place in the Fallen Lands and seem to live in harmony with their goddess. Only those that pass their Dragon Keeper trials can bond with an egg—apparently I got the order wrong.”

“That’s ridiculous! They can’t possibly enforce that.”

“I’m not sure how to run from dragons.”

“Did you even consider seeking out the Wizard Society for protection?” Vivienne said. “You are a citizen of Alveron—they cannot waltz in here and take you away. It would mean war.”

“I expect them to fly in if anything,” Hump said, earning an unamused look from Vivienne. “And I considered them for all of about two seconds. I have no connections, no money, and no strength to defend myself, yet I walk around with a magical spellbook and a dragon egg. The moment they learnt about either, they’d take them from me too.” He sagged his shoulders. “Gods above, and if someone is hunting the spellbook as well… What am I meant to do Vivi?”

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself for a start,” she said. “How much time do you have?”

Hump shrugged. “A year. Two if I’m lucky. It’s not enough time to get strong the normal way. My soul won’t even have reached maturity. I need the spellbook. There must be power in it, I just need to find a way to access it.”

“Even if it kills you?”

“I’m going to die either way,” Hump said, exasperated.

“You’ve put me in a difficult position, Hump. For now, all I can tell you is that I believe you. I believe that you were not responsible for Sethril’s death, and that you need help.”

“There’s a ‘but’ isn’t there?”

She nodded. “I need to think about this with a clear mind. I need to sleep, and I expect another wave of spirits to attack tonight. Return to me tomorrow evening, and I will have made my decision.”

“Thank you, Vivi,” Hump said. “Truly.”

“Understand that I have agreed to nothing,” she said. “Your spellbook puts more than just yourself in danger; it also threatens those around you. I have my own apprentice to look out for. At the same time, we could use the help figuring out where these spirits are coming from and how to stop them.”

“Do you want us to return tonight and help?”

“No. Last night was the night of the new moon; their numbers will be far fewer this time. Stay in town and keep the damned priests away from my lighthouse.”

“We’ll do that,” Hump said. “I promise. Nobody will step a foot out of town.”

“Good. Now I need to rest, and so do you. Dylan!” she called.

The door opened a moment later. Dylan looked from Vivienne to Hump in confusion. “Is everything okay?”

“It turns out our guests will not be needing tea. Please show them out.”

***

“Come to me!”

Francis Albry woke in a start, feeling more alive than ever before. Hestia had called for him, and he would go. He could still hear her voice in his ear like a whisper on the wind, and he longed for it again. His prayers had been answered.

There was a tug in his chest, in his very soul, drawing him to the lake. Drawing him to its waters, to Hestia’s embrace. He ran to her like a child, racing through the dark streets of his small town and down to her shores. His feet were bare, and while he could feel the cool touch of the lake against his skin, it felt pleasant. Again she tugged at him, and he went further, went deeper, swimming out until there was no ground left beneath him.

A wave washed over him, forcing its way up his nose and down his throat, filling his lungs. There was no pain. No, all he felt was warmth. It spread through him like the morning sun, piercing into his soul and filling it with power like he had never felt.

He laughed wildly even as he drank in more water. Even as darkness took him, for within the shadow was a bright, white light. She had come for him in his time of need. When his soul was torn to pieces by that cursed witch and her spirits, and all his followers had turned against him, Hestia had come! The pain and exhaustion were washed from him, and a swelling vitality filled him. He was reborn. Chosen. He felt an ocean in his chest as power raged through him.

The darkness around him came alive. He sensed the fish around him, the birds overhead, the insects that scuttled along the lake’s surface and the trout that burst from beneath. Life, so vivid and beautiful it was as if he were opening his eyes for the very first time.

And he knew what he had to do.

He was powerless no longer. Hestia had judged him worthy, and he would take up her mantle with honour. Even as his consciousness faded, Hestia’s wish imprinted itself on him. He would protect the town from the spirits, and he would see that the witch was destroyed.

“Now you are mine,” she whispered.

When sleep came, he welcomed it, for his lady held him.