Heirs of Hyarch

Chapter 130: Prodigy Revealed

"Are you serious?"

Hamond couldn't argue against the frustrated resignation in Edeline's voice. The note was written perfectly to poke her, push her into rash action. The trouble was, as Hamond saw it, that it could either lead to doubling down on going to Melyn or giving up and seeking help elsewhere. It wasn't clear which the Witch of Wrath wanted more.

"Go ahead, tell us you were right all along." Nela shook her head. "I give up on trying to figure out what shit is going through that woman's brain. Who does she think she's helping?"

"Not anyone from Lasfont," Edeline stated. She began to pace in circles, all but stomping as she did so.

"She likely doesn't know of their request," Myronel reasoned, "This comes entirely from her continuing to see you as the extension of your mother's family, not who you are."

"Do not think I am not aware," Edeline snapped, then her expression softened. "My apologies. I am just...I do not see any good options for us. We either run this out the way she predicted, or we put ourselves that much further away from our goal."

"In terms of investigating the Elemental Hex, I agree," Hamond said, "All of our clues so far lead us to western Hyarch. The range of the pyrebirds covers the boundary between the Spellking's domain and the rest of the kingdom. The Spellking himself obtained spells from the Zephyr, and then there's the matter of the Sculptor."

"What about the Sculptor?" Myronel asked.

"I'd never given much thought to where the Spellking's forces acquired the knowledge to craft their war gigants you described. It was simple enough to assume they developed them on their own, but having learned the Sculptor is still active and remotely controlled the ancient ones protecting the other members of the Hex...we can't be sure. It is quite possible that the Spellking and his court have beaten us to two of them."

"And if the pyrebirds are connected to all of this, that could be three," Edeline finished for Hamond.

"Every decision we make from now has to be with all these different matters in mind." Hamond put as much sharpness into this words as he could. "We've seen what the sphinxes were willing to do to obtain the power of the Sluice. We've seen what the royal knights were willing to do to capture or kill Edeline. Those following the Spellking will likely go even further than that."

"And we're dragging these two into that shit with us." Nela gestured to Sedat and Jylania, who stood apart from each other a few paces away.

"Doesn't matter to me," Sedat immediately said, "Can't be harder than living on my own here. But can't you decide on this later?" She extended one wing toward Hamond. "Said he was going to give me lessons on spells and such. Sun won't be high forever."

She'd bounced back to her usual cheer quicker than Hamond would've wagered. "I did, but this is more important."

Edeline sighed, a small smile briefly appearing on her face. "I believe we are all agreed that proceeding towards Melyn is the best option given our combined goals. As much as I would rather avoid the Witch of Wrath, we have proved ourselves to be able to hold against her. So go, give your lesson. We can figure the details of our travel plans this evening. I would prefer sooner, but it depends on how well Captain Takhat is mending."

"If we're really lucky, we can leave tomorrow. Probably will be two days though." Nela hesitated a bit. "Of course, that's just her body. Even if she seems better after this morning...can't guarantee anything about the state of her mind."

"Those knights were terrible," Sedat added, "Another reason for me to learn magic. Got to stop them from doing that to anyone else."

That was certainly a fair motivation, although it might not be the best to act on once they arrived in Melyn. Even so, they might have to if they found the worst happening there. A dangerous course of action, especially if it got tied back to Edeline and her royal heritage.

"Then let's begin," he said. "First, we-"

"Ventus fugit!" Before Hamond could finish, Sedat copied his spell, spreading her wings. Almost immediately, against any and all odds, a stiff breeze kicked up and swept across the street.

"You taught her that already?" Edeline was in complete disbelief.

"I didn't teach her anything yet!" Hamond stopped himself. Calm down, and think. It could just be a coincidence with the wind happening to blow through at that exact second. But that was even less likely.

"What?" Sedat looked back and forth between each of them, seemingly confused by their reactions.

There was an easy way to find out, thankfully. "Teleios horama," Hamond spoke, enchanting his vision. "Now, try that again, please."

"Sure, I suppose. Ventus fugit!" The gust hit them again, and this time Hamond could see it. It was weak, the energy spread out and unfocused instead of concentrated in a tighter area...but it was still there all the same. Somehow, despite no training on his part, no experience with it at all, Sedat had cast her first spell, and not a simple basic one either.

The last time he'd been this awed had been when he first learned of Edeline's talent with thaumaturgy. But she had her own training and practice at the time, even if it had been limited by her position in life. And later, it had come to make even more sense knowing the Stormsage had a hand in passing along her own spells. None of that could apply to Sedat.

Or did it?

The water. The people here had been drinking in the magical energies of the Sluice this whole time. Years of having that energy work its way through their bodies, unseen and unknown...could that have enhanced their affinity for magic? Each and every one of them?

Hamond did not know. And with the Sluice gone, there was no way anyone could know now. Most of the people here wouldn't want to touch spellcraft after what happened, and Hamond couldn't object after what had befallen them. No, Sedat would be the one card he could draw on for this - the most lucky one possible, at the most unlikely of times.

"So, what is it?" Sedat asked insistently.

"That...was impressive. Few would be able to cast a spell that quickly." If Hamond had worried about this being another Jylania, that was now gone. While she worked hard, Jylania had to learn the slow way, same as the rest of them. Sedat was different, gifted in a way that...Aether, this was someone who had the potential to surpass the Spellking, the Witch of Wrath...all of them. Every one of the rest of them, Edeline and Nela and Jylania alike, were all staring in astonished silence at the winged girl.

Everyone, that is, except Myronel. "Looks like she's really talented at this," he remarked, "Aren't you glad we found her?"

Indeed, they should be, Hamond acknowledged as he nodded. How many here bore this kind of potential here only to have it stolen by the Sluice's madness? How many more were there, scattered across the kingdom? Heavy questions both, ones Hamond could not begin to face today. Tomorrow, or the days to come after that, perhaps.

"I suppose I am," Hamond answered.

"What in the actual shit," Nela finally said, "Aether's blood...how...you sure you didn't get up in the middle of the night and go teach her this shit?"

"I slept, the same as you." Hamond still didn't have an answer for that. To think that he'd initially wanted to reject Sedat, believing it was the safest and best for her. With that level of ability, leaving her behind for the Spellking or the sphinxes or someone to discover...it was almost beyond belief.

"Maybe that should be our other goal," Edeline mused, "Finding those with magical talent, and training them."

"I don't think we can travel with that many people," Myronel objected, "Wandering the kingdom with a hexty or more children will draw all sorts of attention we don't want or need."

"I'll remember that when you find a squire or two to teach swordplay," Nela replied, clearly teasing Ronny.

The jokes aside, Hamond did agree with Edeline. He had set out to find ways for magic to help people. Instead of forcing his own beliefs of what was helpful, it might be best to give them the tools they need to help themselves. A better dream, far better than pretending to be a healer when he really wasn't suited to that.

With that truth established - and Hamond held no doubt it was the truth - it was time to make it official. "Sedat," Hamond said.

"Yes?"

"I would like to take you as my apprentice." There, it was out in the open, the promise spoken at last. It somehow made Hamond feel better, having it now be spoken, committed to in all the ways that mattered.

Sedat just gave him an odd look. "Isn't that what we were doing already? Don't think you need to be formal about it. Not like I can pay you for it. Wait, how do you all earn coin anyway?"

"Right now, not very well," Myronel admitted, "We were fortunate to have someone willing to give us some pikers for traveling, but we've used a good portion of those."

"We may need to find work in Melyn," Hamond said, "All the more important with an additional mouth to feed." He almost compared Sedat to Edeline, with both of them having clearly large appetites, but stopped himself.

"Speaking on that, we'll need to make sure we're well supplied." Edeline reached up and rubbed at one of her shoulders, as if it was stiff or sore. "Going to be a bit harder to carry it all."

Hamond could see her eyeing Sedat, and had a good guess to what she was thinking. Putting a pack on Sedat's back would be difficult with her wings. They could tie it on with a bit of rope, although that might not be comfortable. Then again, many of the trials of the road wouldn't be comfortable for the winged girl.

Perhaps he ought to try and hurry her lessons along then, and get Sedat flying as soon as possible. "We have time to work that out. Back to the matter of you learning spells, you need to concentrate the power more. Let me think...we may not have a lot of time left here, but while we get ready to leave, here's an idea you can try to practice with..."

Stepping forward, Hamond began his first lesson for his apprentice.