[FY/PR] Duality Ch. 1-6 Up (UPDATE! 10-20-07)

[Leavaros]

Chapter Three: On The Path

VelArian
~~~~~

When Master and I left--he on a gray stallion, and I on a little black pony--I think I began to finally grasp the two things this trip meant to me: a new life with my Master with the whole world at my fingertips, and that my old life was buried under ash and a smoky sky. It was the twin feelings of an orphan-child's grief for a home and family and a normal-child's exuberance for all things undiscovered.

We started visiting villages as well as cities, and Master was paid well for his works, be it a story that he spun, or a cure he prescribed, or even a simple letter declaring two people married, or an agreement signed. I thought that these last were silly, asking that as long as the people loved each other, or trusted one another, what difference should a paper make. I learned a valuable lesson from Master's reply.

"Beryl, the problem is that some safeguards must be made in case something should happen, like one of the two betrays the other. No one hopes that their marriage should fail or trade agreements not prosper, but insurance never hurts, should something happen to destroy that bond."

It seems now that his words were truer than even he knew. But of course, then I argued stubbornly with the altruistic attitude of a thwarted child that if people had to have such papers to support their flimsy faith and trust in themselves and their partners, they should not be dealing with each other at all. To that, I received a shocked silence while he pondered this and rubbed his beard. Finally, he replied: "If no one had such safeguards, I'm fairly sure that the human race would come to an end." And that, too, eerily enough, had an unfortunate kernel of truth.

But no matter. Master was happy to provide the services he did, because doing good, keeping old memories alive, and ensuring new ones last long, perhaps past death--these are noble things no good Mage would think himself too high for. I was, and still am, inclined to agree with him. We all owe our fellow man that much, I think. Maybe more.

And so, I helped as much as I could, and learned my letters better than is healthy of any young boy, and wanted for nothing. This was a blessing because Master taught me that morality is goldener than coins, but was a curse because I did not understood exactly what hard work was until we got to the Campus.

That Fall we visited towns that reminded me of Springvale, because the trees used to turn colors like fire, there, too, and then litter the ground with leaves like a noble might doff his soiled clothes onto the floor. And so, it seemed to me that when Master cursed the cold slush that we had to walk the horses through, I said quietly that I didn't think that was it at all. "It's like...the snow is the forgiving white that blankets the world. I think it might be my favorite time of year." I later regretted that remark, because he was so captured by it that he used it on each barmaid, farmgirl, and Wisewoman we met, until I took him aside and reminded him of Gina. He acted much like I did when I was upset--that is pouty and unapologetic--and I finally just said that it was my line and that he could only use it when I wasn't around. To this he grinned like a child, and shooed me away whenever a pretty lady came by, until he realized that I was a better attraction than the charm from Cuiet, or a silly pick-up line.

As we traveled, Master told me tales of powerful Mages and wise Magisters not so very different than him. He spoke more openly about the Campus, and detailed the existence of a Council that ruled over all the tallest Tower sheds its shadow over. It sounded just as it would be to me: a place of magic and mysticism and beauty that predated the coming of humankind. But more than that, when Master spoke of the Campus, he made it sound like a promise to be had--he told me stories about his earlier Apprentices and his fellow Magisters and the wonders that hid under each stone and in every nook in cranny.

Of course, he also told me histories of all the cities we passed through, as well. The few we visited were astounding. Cuiet was the biggest place I'd ever been until that point, and indeed, it was a large hub of commerce, but these were awe-inspiring. Gadolia was the westernmost city we visited, and the stones there were much paler and smoother than those in Cuiet. The buildings were taller and more slender, with gentle curves and sloping arches. Unfortunately for us, Common was a second language there, and Master had trouble conversing with the people. Dreidin was the southernmost city we reached, and the people there were as the architecture was, sharp and cold and generally unfriendly. Master would not let me out of sight there for a moment. But by far, Selenia, the final city en route to the Campus, stood above the rest in terms of beauty and elegance. Naturally, it was a name I had heard before, just as Treheim was a well-known place, far to the north, where the reclusive tree-dwelling peoples lived.

Selenia looked as if it were carved from marble, so flawless was its design. It looked as if it were made for a moonlit Winter night just as it was when we arrived, as if it were a dress a noblewoman had tailored for a certain ball. It was a strange city, whose history was almost completely unknown. It had been found, not made, by humans, and it roused an uneasy feeling that I could not quite bring myself to explain to Master, or even find words to do so. It was almost as if I had been there, as if I were meant to be there. It must have been the feeling that the first man must have felt as the second dawn approached--and equally inevitable.

Something shifted inside me there, something that should have never woken up. I still don't completely understand how it happened, or why, but one thing is unforgettable to me: that is when the nightmares started.
~~~~~  

[Leavaros]

VelArian
~~~~~

It started as the nightmares always started, and perhaps this is simply poetic justice, for they always began as a beautiful dream: a dream of dancing.

I remembered, almost, dancing with him. In truth, I did not so much see him as feel him. The sun had set and the stars were starting to twinkle, and his warm golden eyes smiled at me, melting my heart. Sighs surrounded us, and I vaguely realized that we were surrounded by people watching us dance. I didn't care, though, because I was in his arms. He looked so dashing in that red-and-gold lined white suit, and I whispered that to him, and he blushed, and nothing could be more beautiful than his blush.

We turned, and danced a slow and graceful dance, and the world was just me and him, together, forever. Eternities existed in that single moment, and I remember glancing at the floor and taking a sharp little breath as he told me how well that dress looked on me, that the night sky could not compare to my beauty. I realized that another pair of eyes on us, and suddenly--

My eternity ended.

The perfect marble floor had been shattered, the dome was starting to sag, the sky had turned red with malevolence, and my dress was shredded. But none of this mattered, because he had died. He had been betrayed. We had been betrayed.

Now that he's out of the way, we can be together, forever, my beautiful Selena.

Nothing mattered anymore, nothing, nothing! "You will never have me, you devil!" I took my lover's sword, and stabbed it through the two of us. My heart trembled, and I breathed his name, sweet, sweet Solandr, and then, my own, Selena. I committed us both to the sword's red-white flame reminiscent of its Master's power, and to my own body's blue-black signature and died there, my future stolen from me, limp in my arms, a terrible scream wrenched from my lips.

"Beryl, what's wrong, boy!?!"

I rose from my bed, my eyes wide with fright and passion from the nightmare. The moonlight fell in on me, and I could tell as much from the smell as from the sight that the wetness on the bed was more than sweat. I felt enough myself to be ashamed, until Master said that most orphans undergo night-terrors for a few years before getting over it, and that he was almost glad to see that I was exhibiting the normal signs of a child, even if there was cleaning up to be done. Then I just felt exhausted, and nodded dumbly to what he said. I got up and cleaned the mess I had made, even going down to get more sheets just to get away from that room. I spent the rest of the night working on my letters in the main room of the inn with a comforting little oil lamp nearby, knowing well that I couldn't go back to sleep, and having no wish to try.
~~~~~  

[Leavaros]

Chapter Four: Learning Life on Campus

VelArian
~~~~~

We stayed only two more days, and then continued on towards the Campus. I was very thankful for this, because I had to make excuses to avoid sleeping, or risk nightmares again. Master was kind to me, probably because he thought that I was dreaming of the fire, and so did not press me to go to bed. Oddly, my appetite began to mount, and I was eating thrice the amount of food that I had been. I had also grown two more inches since we had left Cuiet, and Master muttered about his "budget" and the outrageous costs of keeping such a boy as me both well-fed and well-dressed.

He told me that I would like the Campus, because there were other children my age there. That did make me perk up a bit, because I had spent most of my time with Master or in solitude, and even the occasional village-child that took to me hadn't been long term. Without even realizing it, I had started to miss my own kind. That yearning would in later years become far too common a thing. But then, the curiosity of childhood and anticipation for a settled place won out over the strange longing.

After leaving Selenia, the dreams began to decrease in frequency and detail. There were nights when I would wake up in a sweat, but I was wary with my rest, and so was not taken off-guard anymore. This came at the expense of good sleep, but there was nothing to be done about that. I had made a child's decision, and stuck by it--I would not wet the bed again.

About a week later, Winter was setting in, but we managed to reach the Campus before the snows became too bad. I would've known it even if Master had not sighed "Home". After all, he had told me stories of it, the tall, multicolored towers and beneath them, the rich hodge-podge colors that could only belong to a bazaar. I liked how the buildings rose gracefully into the sky, and remarked how the market reminded me of a girl in the last town, who was much prettier than the busily colored skirt that she had been wearing. To that Master laughed and replied ribaldly that yes, that was true, but it would not be nearly as fun to get to it if not through the shops. I rolled my eyes, accustomed to his coarse comments, but I was happy to see him happy.

We bought two little meat pies with chunks of lamb mixed in with the beef, and I savored the flavor as we headed towards the Campus. I was glad for this, because I had been getting hungry, though we had not eaten but two hours past. I had prepared myself at the sight of the bright hues to be taken on a day of shopping with Master, so I was surprised when Master hardly stopped at all once the towers were in sight. At first, I wondered if I had done something wrong--I was actually starting to enjoy our outings in various markets, as the noisy hubbub and brightness of such places made a nice contrast to the cool dark silence of working with letters at night--but then I saw Master was grinning like he had seen Gina, and I realized that he was very glad to be home.

We were stopped only once on the way, by a tall slender woman who called Master "Magister Nova", and who he called, "Magistra Olivia". She had green eyes and an complexion that fit her name, and even though she was dazzlingly beautiful, her eyes had no warmth in them for Master. She was the first person I had ever seen who truly disliked Master--even the serving girls who repulsed his advances could only feel flattered. So, naturally, I didn't like her.

She looked at me, and flashed white teeth at me, in something that on any other woman would have been a smile. On her, it reminded me of a dog we had seen in a village to the north that had bared its teeth in a menacing look. No...that dog had only been frightened and apprehensive--this woman showed sheerly veiled malice for Master and me. Then, something strange happened. For a moment, her eyes seemed to widen, and she lifted my chin too gently, not unlike a cat lifting prey to meet its stare. I could not pull myself from her gaze--I was the rat that had been entranced by the snake--and I was that helpless, too. She seemed to find something, for she pulled her head back and smiled. Then she said, "Such pretty eyes you have; that blue seems to sparkle like a snowflake as it fades off into purple. Your Master has dangled you like bait in front of countless women, no?" Her accent was plain even in her laugh, but I could not place it--it tugged at a memory....

"It's like cinnamon and coconuts." I didn't even realize that I had spoken until both of them looked at me. Odd, I thought, that I could go from being blissfully unaware of myself to acutely uncomfortable with myself in so little time. I tried to explain myself. "Your voice...it's like coconuts and cinnamon. It has a natural spiciness to it, that is added to by your accent, which is like cool thick coconut milk after a long, hot day spent walking the beach looking for good shells...." I trailed off as Master looked at me like I'd just grown a second head and Magistra Olivia reassessing me. She looked as if she were trying to reach a decision, and then her mask fell off, and she smiled at me. This time, her smile was warm like sunlight glittering off the sand in the morning, and her eyes reminded me of a night on the sea--warm and comforting and strong. I smiled at her too, shyly, like the nervous child I was. She stroked my hair like a cat licking its kit, and told me with fondness not to let my Master ruin me.

Then she was gone, disappearing into the crowd like a wildcat might do in a forest. I smiled at her last sighting, and held on to the warmth of her final words. When I turned back, Master was still staring at me, jaw dropped. He kept opening and closing his mouth, and he reminded me of a fish out of water, but I waited for him to say whatever it was he was going to say. Finally he shook his head and asked me when I had ever had coconut milk. I told him that Gina had let me try some that had made it up in Cuiet, and started walking away. And she had.

But that wasn't true, not entirely. Seeing her there had reminded me of an age past now, when a couple was walking the line between sand and sea, hand-in-hand, letting the briny water run between their toes heedless of their fine clothing, walking endlessly towards something with the sun setting behind them.
~~~~~