LongestRoad Ellowyn: Corrolith - Aftermath

I did say it was another story, so I suppose it's only fair to tell it. You heard about Ksa, and what a pain he was. You also heard about how thoroughly he toasted me. Don't make me describe it again. I looked like melted wax, and was still more or less dressed in tatters. My hawks were still quite upset -- they had only been with me for a matter of weeks, and had almost seen me lose me life. They were huddled together on one shoulder, comforting each other, when Klynne opened the door. I can only guess that her face expressed some emotion of disdain or disappointment, because both of them became quite angry at her immediately. Before they could make any move, I held up my hand and spoke to them, to calm them down.

Klynne just waited while I did so. I don't really know what her face looks like, but I have a vague image of her silhouette. I can picture the quiet, patient irritation, now that she was over the shock of my injury. But she waited. After a moment, my hawks agreed to go and wait in the large maple tree that stood behind Klynne's house.

"My apologies. They can be somewhat overprotective at times," I said. She drew in a breath as though she were about to speak, but then said nothing. She just turned abruptly and strode past me and out into the field where we practiced. I followed.

Now, I'm not sure how much you know of magic, but there is a way to counter a spell. It's often something wizards will do, and usually requires identifying what spell an opponent is casting at you, and casting it back at them -- only, backwards. That's really the best way I can describe it. Then, somehow, the real spell and the backwards spell cancel out, and nothing happens. It does take quite a bit of energy though, meaning that both casters in this sense have use the magical energy required to cast the spell in question.

The spell siphon, however, has a better way. The final achievement of this work, the end goal, is to soak up the spell cast by your opponent and gain the energies they have used. So instead of costing me the price of a spell, it feeds me. But before I could learn to do this, she wanted me to fully understand counterspelling. Tandrien had discussed it, and had me try it once, but he hadn't made an extensive drill of it.

"Stuffy old wizards like me use this, when we have time to make stuffy old plans for our stuffy old adventures," he said to me. "For you, magic is a free-flowing power, a stream that will never be confined, and you may not change its course with stuffy old plans. You should understand this, and know how to do it, but I think you will find it rare, that you have a use for it."

And of course, he was right. A sorcerer cannot cast a wide variety of spells. But now I was asked to practice this.

So Klynne began, by casting a Ray of Frost. Not that she warned me, mind you, that this was today's lesson. And being a little worse for wear, it took me a few seconds to catch on. So the first one hit me square in the shoulder.

"Are you going to try?" she asked me. "Or should I just send you home?"

The second time I was ready, and the third. The fourth time I made a mistake, and she just laughed at me and continued. That woman worked wonders for my face of calm during times of strain or adversity. I countered all but those two of her rays, and could cast no more of that spell. She knew that. But she was still casting. Halfway through her spell, I caught on to the switch. Quickly, and I'll admit with some clumsiness, I cast a spell of Burning Hands, and her casting fizzled.

No words, no pause, just the next spell. I would like you to know, in case you were unaware, that fire hurts. But, this was more or less the kind of training I was used to.

When I caught her moving on to a Lightning Bolt, that's when I panicked a little. I managed to counter her, just barely, and she went for a second. Again, only just barely. She paused for a moment, then walked a few paces away. My hawks swooped down from the sky and onto my shoulder. I stroked the girl's feathers.

"Either of those spells would have killed you," Klynne said quietly.

"Bold," I replied.

"Foolish!" Suddenly, she was standing right in front of me. She had grabbed my arm and was shaking me. "You are more than half dead as it is. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into? I cannot teach you like this." She dropped my arm. "We're done for the day. I have no idea what you've been fighting, but whatever it is, you need to get some help and get rid of it."

"Oh, he's gone," I said. I couldn't help chuckling as I said it. I heard no movement. After a few seconds, I was unable to contain my laughter. Even my hawks were laughing, in their own way. Klynne seemed not to know what to say. I turned to go. After a few steps, I paused. I knew I was facing away from her, but I spoke anyway.

"By the way...if you ever meet a seriously overstuffed dragon named Ksathus...tell him a little green man asked after his health."

I continued slowly making my way across the field and over to the path. Klynne caught up. "Wait, was this the big green one I saw flying over the forest outside town?"

I was still chuckling. "Yep, he did say he was green. Sure does have bad breath too." She must've stopped, because I heard her catch up again.

"I can't tell if you are more foolish or crazy."

I stopped, turned, and draped my hand on her shoulder. "I'm clever, Klynne. Every once in a while, I am actually clever. Not as clever as you are, so I have to enjoy it when it happens. Mister Ego is probably alive and well, for the moment, but won't be showing his face around here again. He'll get a fine spanking where I sent him."

I turned to go again, and she pressed a vial into my hand. I turned back.

"Take this."

"What is it?"

"Just go home and drink it, idiot."

Lady sure has a way with words, doesn't she? I found out later, when I drank it, that it was a healing potion -- something I obviously couldn't have afforded. She gave me another, the next day, after she nailed me with a lightning bolt. At least she cleans up, when she makes a mess of her student.