Legon Awakening: Book One in the Legon Series (28 page)

“We won’t.” It was Sasha who spoke. “But please tell
us what you can.”

“Sit down and I will relight the fire.”

They sat in a circle around the pit and Arkin placed
a trembling hand over the pit and muttered, “Flamma.” A merry fire
instantly began to crackle in the pit.

“Magic is an amazing thing. With it you can control
the elements, make things grow, heal wounds, and so much more.” He
paused. “You see, magic is like a muscle. You can train it and make
it stronger, but like a muscle it can become worn out. You can cast
a spell and feel no tiring effect on your body, but if that spell
is too strong for you, then energy is pulled from your body.”

“So can you die from a spell then?” Legon asked.

Arkin looked relieved to hear the question. “No, you
can’t. You can pass out but you can’t die. Once your mind loses
consciousness it can’t sustain the spell. However, it can take some
time to recover. Once again, think of this as a muscle. Now, there
are what are called ‘classes’ to Venefica, Sara, do you know
them?”

“Yes, my owner is Iumenta and a Venefica, so I
learned a lot just being around him. There are eight classes. A
class refers to the amount of power a Venefica has, regardless of
skill.”

“Meaning what?” Keither asked.

“Meaning your class has nothing to do with your
ability. You can be a class five and not know what magic is,”
continued Sara. “Classes one and two humans can attain, usually
just one. Next, Iumenta and Elves can reach up to class five, and I
know dragons are higher, but that’s it.”

Arkin looked pleased. “Very good. To ‘Ascend’ is to
become a dragon. Only a class five can do this, and even then only
a rare few. When someone ‘Ascends’ they will be classes six through
eight. Now, the difference in each class is large. There is a gap
between them as far as power goes; meaning that if you are a strong
class two you are still relatively weak to a class three. The same
is more so for Ascending. The difference between classes five and
six is like comparing a mountain lion to a kitten. Class sevens are
extremely strong and class sixes are closer to them, relatively
speaking, but class eight…” Arkin shook his head.

“What?” Kovos said.

“It’s like there should be a class or two in between
seven and eight, but there are no eights left from my
understanding,” Arkin answered.

“Why not?” Sara asked.

“That is another lesson,” Arkin answered with a warm
smile. This was starting to get on Legon’s nerves. There was one
secret after another. What possible threat could he be? Hadn’t they
proved that they were no friend of the empire? Also, what was going
on with this new ability to sense emotions?

“What class are you?” he asked.

“I’m a class two.” He was a two? Well, maybe if Legon
was a three or four he could overpower Arkin if need be. He was
out-classed in skill so he still might lose, but still this was a
small comfort.

“Ok, so what all can magic do?” Legon asked.

“A lot of things, and there is still more and more
being learned about it. Basically, magic is the lynch pin in the
war between the queen and the free lands.”

“You mean the resistance?” Keither asked.

“They’re hardly that.”

“What do you mean? They fight the Queen, don’t they?”
asked Keither.

Arkin responded. “Just because they fight the Queen
doesn’t mean that they are a group of rebels. In fact, they’re the
opposite. The Elves are their own nation, and for that matter the
humans are too. You see, when the Queen took over she just took
control of an existing nation.”

“Yeah, but there was a war with the Elves and free
humans, right?” Keither asked.

“Yes, the Elves defended their territory and the
humans fought for independence, and that’s what they got, for the
most part. The war has never really ended,” Arkin responded.

“Ok, but what about magic?” Legon said, not wanting
them to go off on a tangent.

“Sorry. Yes, magic. Well, like I said, it works much
like a muscle, but it can do things that your muscles never could.
For example, you can use magic to alter the physical attributes of
those around you.”

“Like how?” Legon asked.

“Here, I will show you. Kovos, will you be so kind as
to show us the progress you’ve made teaching Sasha to fight?”

Kovos looked confused. “I thought you were going to
show us how magic affected stuff?”

“I am.”

Now Sasha looked confused but, to his surprise, she
stood and walked to her tent for her stave.

“No, not with the sticks. You will use real swords
tonight. Sasha, you will use mine,” Arkin instructed.

They both paused and Sasha began to fidget with her
hands. Legon knew what she was thinking. Sasha was learning how to
fight, but it wasn’t her thing. She could shoot a bow, but she was
having issues with the blade. She walked to Arkin, who stood and
presented his blade out of the sheath. He placed a guard on it.
Kovos pulled his blade out and they stood apart from each other.
Sara had an amused look on her face. What did she think was funny?
She and Sasha were friends. Did she want to see her lose?

Kovos nodded his head at Sasha. ”Remember what I’ve
taught you.”

With that he lunged forward, swinging at her side.
Sasha barely parried the blow as she stepped back. As she blocked
hit after hit, Legon noticed that with every blow her blade moved
closer to her body; she didn’t have the strength to stop it. In
fact, the only thing keeping her from getting hit with her own
weapon was that Kovos was not hitting full force. She tried a
thrust, but Kovos flicked the blade away almost lazily. Arkin
started to talk.

“You see how this is going? It’s not just that Kovos
knows what he’s doing, but that he is faster and stronger then
Sasha. Now let’s see what can happen with magic.”

Kovos again slashed at her side, and to everyone’s
surprise Sasha’s blade flashed up to block his in the blink of an
eye. Kovos’ sword stopped dead on hers and both looked open-mouthed
at the point where they touched.

“Woo! Yeah, Sasha! Kick his butt!” Sara yelled with a
wide, knowing smile.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Kovos said. He
brought his sword above his head and down. This time Sasha
side-stepped in a flash and swung. There was a loud clang of metal
on metal as Kovos blocked her blow. He stumbled back a bit.

“How on earth…?”

Sasha smiled. “I’m winning, Legon. Do you see this?
I’m winning.”

Kovos gave a loud laugh. “Oh, heck no!”

No one took sides but everyone cheered them on as the
fight progressed. Sasha was still a sloppy fighter, but she was
moving so fast and with so much power that Kovos was having a hard
time getting to her. Even though she was going to walk away with
more than a few welts, she was still doing great. Arkin looked
pleased, and Legon noticed a bead of sweat forming at his brow.

“Are you all right?”

“Ok, that will do,” Arkin said.

Kovos and Sasha separated and both sat back down
around the fire. Sara put her arm around Sasha. “I knew you could
do it.”

“Yeah but how did she do that? I’ve never had anyone
fight like that.” Kovos asked

“That is because I used magic to make Sasha faster
and stronger. This is one of the many applications for magic in
combat.”

After that, Arkin spent the next few hours talking
about how magic could be used to make things better. It was late by
the time they were ready for bed.

“Sash, what tent is ours again?” Legon asked.

“Oh, it’s the one over there, but I was going to stay
with Sara if that’s ok?”

“Sure, you’re fine, so long as you feel ok.”

She looked at him for a moment. “You know what? I
think I will be.” She hugged him and followed Sara.

Legon turned to Arkin. “Well, looks like you get to
sleep with me, Arkin. How do you feel about that?”

“Ha! Don’t get your hopes up. That’s going to take
more than ginger tea.” Arkin walked to the tent, leaving Legon
alone.

“What was that supposed to mean?”

* * * * *

Sasha closed the flaps to their tent and began to get
ready for bed. It had been a long day, but she wasn’t feeling all
that tired. It was so good to have Sara with them. She looked like
she’d been through a lot. She had lost a lot of weight since they
had last spoken back home, but she was happy now that she was free.
As they both lay down, Sasha looked at the flickering firelight
coming through a small crack in the tent flaps.

“I know you have questions, Sash. Are you going to
ask them?”

“I want to, but at the same time you seem so happy. I
don’t want to bring you down.”

“You always did put others ahead of yourself. I’m
glad to be with you and Legon again.”

“We’re happy that you’re here too. Can I ask about
today?”

Sara chuckled. “Yes.”

“What happened?”

Sara took a deep breath. “Legon took my pain.”

“He what?”

“When he touched my arm and got rid of my mark, he
also pulled my pain and suffering into himself. I actually felt the
pain leave me, and it was replaced by his caring.”

“So does he still have it then?” she said with a
little concern. “The pain?”

“No, it came back as soon as he let go, but I
remember what he did, and that’s why I’m so happy.”

“I guess I don’t understand.”

“Sorry.” Sara rolled onto her side and Sasha could
see the energy in her eyes. “Have you ever felt someone’s emotions
before?”

“No, how could I?”

“That’s my point. To feel that someone cares for you,
to actually feel what they feel and then to feel your pain and
memories leave you for a short time, that is the greatest gift of
all.”

“Because that person truly understands what you’re
dealing with?” Sasha asked.

“Yes, and knowing that there is someone who cares and
understands you makes the pain so much easier to take. For once I’m
not alone.”

Sasha looked up, letting this new information roll
around in her head. She had felt someone’s emotions before, now
that she thought about it. Quite often, in fact, but it had always
been on a smaller level than what Sara had experienced. She changed
the subject and after a bit they fell asleep.

The next morning Sara helped her with making
breakfast, and Keither was finally able to help them take down
camp. Sasha would start working with him today, but as she started
to get on Murray, Arkin stopped her.

“Legon, come here.”

“What’s up?” Legon asked.

“I want you two to ride together today.”

“Um, why? We have the horses . . .”

“It’s for training, you’ll see. Now let’s go.”

Legon mounted Phantom and then helped Sasha on behind
him. What was Arkin up to? Why did they need to be on the same
horse?

“Legon, last night you wanted to hurt me, right?”
Arkin asked. Sasha felt her brother tense just a bit.

“Yeah, sorry for the loss of control,” Legon
replied.

“Don’t be. I was hoping you would be upset.”

“You wanted me to be upset? Why?”

“Why didn’t you do anything?” Arkin continued.

Come to think of it, why had he stopped? Sasha was
sure that he was going to try and hurt Arkin, but as soon as she
had touched him, he…

“I stopped him,” Sasha blurted out.

Legon smiled. “Sash no offense, but….”

Arkin nodded his head. “She did stop you. You felt
her restraint, didn’t you?”

Legon was silent for a moment. His eyes widened. “How
on earth…?”

“Magic users can communicate with their minds. Lay
people can do this too, but it’s very hard to learn. The key is
making the first connection. After that it will get easier.”

“So are you saying I can read minds, like Elves and
Iumenta?” Legon asked.

“Yes. And Venefica can nudge people’s thoughts and
emotions to an extent as well, but more on that later. You and
Sasha are extremely close, so you already have this connection.
Sasha’s episodes have always been better when you are around. This
is an example of that.”

“You know what? That does seem right. Think about it
Sash. When I’m with you they’re not as bad. You don’t get as hurt,
and you’ve said before that you can feel me there.”

“Yes, I can sometimes, but you haven’t been
able to use magic so…”

“Yes, he has,” Arkin corrected her, “But he hasn’t
had the need of it, so it hasn’t presented itself. Ok, enough talk.
I want you two to try and open your minds to each other.”

It was worth a shot. She tried to remember last night
and pushed with her mind, or at least she thought she was pushing.
After several minutes finally she thought she felt something graze
her thoughts. Frustration, and then alarm, and then it was
gone.

“Did you feel that?” she asked.

“Yes, I did,” Legon replied. “Wow. Arkin we did
it!”

Arkin nodded his head. “Good. Now do it again.”

* * * * *

Arkin turned back to the road, satisfied. They were
getting it fast. It was going to take about three months to get to
the border towns on the route the army’s movement was forcing them
to take. He felt drained. They were searching and searching hard.
How long could he keep them hidden? Legon wouldn’t be ready to
learn how to mask their presence any time soon, but if he learned
fast he could be a source of energy. Right now he needed to help
their connection grow stronger. But it had worked. They were
linked, and soon their minds would be working together, and years
of half-training for both of them would come together in a few
short weeks.

“
The adversities in life are there to teach us,
but it is the space between them where we grasp at the meanings of
the lessons.”