EpiTome
BLACKJACK!
Some time ago I was attempting to write a book set in my fantasy world, Arcanoria. I have more written but I think this is a good bit to start sharing. If anyone is interested I may share more later.
The sky was rich with color as the sunset over Southfort. Long, long ago Southfort was but a single, humble tower. Over a great many years it has become a massive, complex structure full of winding corridors. Additions do not blend seamlessly. Under the vibrant sky are towers of differing colors and shingle roofs that vary from each other. Within the castle are numerous courtyards. In one courtyard, on the western side of the fortress near one of its many mess halls, sit a number of young people. Students. Southfort was not only a place of military might. It was also an academy for students of a wide range of ages. From as young as five years old to decades older. The students that sat and laid about in that western courtyard were all in their late teens or early twenties. One student, Carric Juniperborn, lay alone.
Carric’s eyes were closed. He was deep in thought. The day after tomorrow he was to leave Southfort. Twice a year students left for two weeks at a time to visit family. Carric did not always enjoy his trips away. They tended to serve as reminders of what he never would have. Yet he knew it was best to accept his fate. After all it was as the Shapers had designed.
Opening his bright blue eyes, Carric gazed up momentarily. Up into the sky. For a moment, just for a moment, he wished he could fall up into the sky, and disappear from Southfort forever. Just for a moment. The moment passed and Carric rose to his feet. He brushed away any grass that might have gotten stuck in his strawberry blond hair as he left the courtyard.
Through a great many corridors he went, traversing them easily without so much as second guessing himself on directions. Up a couple flights of stairs and through even more hallways, Carric eventually came to his destination. A large lounge near sections of dormitories for male students aged twenty to twenty-five. On the northern wall were three grand stained glass windows. They showed depictions of the Mirondrian valley with its great mountain range and beautiful central lake. Even though he had seen them countless times, Carric stood for a moment to admire the windows.
Tail wagging, a golden dog came to greet Carric. Goldeen was the dog’s name. With a smile Carric scratched under both of the dog’s ears. Many of the other students were fond of playfully asking Goldeen, ‘Who’s a good girl?’ Not Carric. He felt it was patronizing. Of course Goldeen was a good girl, no question about it. With Goldeen following along beside him, Carric went to sit on a loveseat off in a somewhat secluded section of the lounge, closed in by tall bookcases. When he sat down Goldeen was quick to lay beside him and rest her head on his lap. After a brief time of him stroking her he was struck by a feeling. A feeling that he was not alone. And he was not alone. He was with Goldeen and there were other students in the lounge. But the feeling went deeper than that. Carric felt that he was not alone in his own body. And he was not.
“Carric, please do not be afraid.” A voice sounded within Carric’s mind.
It was as clear as his own thoughts. He did not look around. He sat frozen. He knew it was in his head. Whether it was real or imagined he was less certain.
“Remain calm, Carric. I am with you. You… You know me. You have sensed me before, yes?”
Carric was not sure what to do. His mind raced. Could it hear his thoughts?
“Carric?” It seemed not to have heard any of Carric’s countless flying thoughts.
Summoning his courage, Carric attempted to internally respond. “Yes? Yes I have sensed you before. I think. You were… with Goldeen?”
“Yes! Very astute of you to recognize that!” Carric felt a warm glow of excitement light inside himself. This voice had emotions. Emotions Carric could feel almost as if they were his own.
Yet he was not swept away by the voice’s contagious emotion, Carric still felt uneasy. It felt odd to direct his thoughts as if he were speaking aloud but he did it all the same, “Right… And, uh, who are you?”
“You may call me Lumen.” Before Carric could so much as consider asking another question, Lumen continued, “Carric you must listen to me, I have something important to tell you.”
Carric’s uneasiness grew. “Go on.”
“There is going to be a war. Plans of attack have been under development for some time now. I suggest we leave Mirondra with haste.”
Heart thudding in an almost painful manner, Carric struggled to gather his thoughts and form a question. “And go where?”
“I recommend Suiiki.”
Suiiki. Suiiki was far, far away. But… War? War was a good reason to run. Run far, far away.
Carric's heart continued to thud and his mind continued to reel yet he did his best not to show it outwardly. On the outside he was in the lounge, calmly petting Goldeen, casually glancing at a nearby group of peers. Internally he thanked the Shapers that said peers didn't pay any attention to him. "How?" Carric envisioned a map. Suiiki was a collection of islands off the shores of Cao. An entire continent away and then some.
"How what? How do we get to Suiiki?" Lumen was surprised, and something else too. Concerned. Carric felt these emotions and was in turn surprised himself.
Although Lumen’s concern was unexpected, Carric acted unphased. Resolutely he replied, "Yes."
Lumen was further stunned and increasingly concerned. "You are ready to go? No questions asked of me?"
"Questions can be asked later. You said we should leave with haste.” Carric remained resolute, “How do we go?"
"We must teleport. It will be simplest if we go from Southfort as it is a focal point of magic. However, if you like, we may see your family first and attempt to travel from Helensburgh.”
Carric thought of his family. He barely knew them. Such was common for mages of Mirondra. Taken from their families typically at young ages, they do not have time to bond. Carric came to Southfort when he was only six years old. And yet he did think of his family. He had seven siblings, no eight actually, his mother, Juniper, had just had another baby within the last year.
There was father’s eldest, Heather Claireborn. Next was Edric Delphineborn. Carric Juniperborn was his father’s third child. Second of father’s first wife was Suzanne Claireborn. Then there was Marcus Delphineborn. Kittridge Juniperborn was father’s sixth child. Seventh was Zacharias Claireborn. After Zacharias was Fredric Delphineborn. And finally there was Josephine Juniperborn. Nine children altogether.
None of Carric’s siblings were at Southfort. That is to say, none of his siblings were blessed by the Shapers with magical capabilities. There was much about magic and genetics that Mirondra did not understand. Carric had read of how other lands had more refined ideas about it all but he refused to research it much for it bothered him to think of how he would never have children himself. Or at least he shouldn't, according to the ways of his homeland.
Having considered his options, Carric at last decided, “We should leave from Southfort. Immediately. What do we need to do to teleport?”
“Immediately? As in tonight?” Lumen had expected Carric to be more hesitant to go. Now it seemed as if the young man had been waiting for an excuse to flee from everything he knew.
“Yes, if possible. Will we be using Southfort’s designated portal or will we create our own? I can see arguments in either direction.” Carric’s mind continued to flash with thought yet it was more focused now. He knew what was happening. He had a goal. He had to get out. It was that or… War.
As a mage of an appropriate age, his powers would surely be called upon. He would become a soldier. He had been trained in combat magic as well as physical martial arts but such studies were never his favorite. He had hoped, in a few years, he might be assigned work away from Southfort. What work exactly he was never too certain. Perhaps a physician? Ah but he never let himself dwell on imagining too far into the future. After all, it was not his to see.
Lumen was thoughtful. Using the designated portal would require less energy. But there was a greater chance of being caught or followed. Settling his thoughts, Lumen replied, “Let us create our own. I know where there is a classroom with much of the necessary supplies.” Lumen paused. He knew what he ought to suggest yet he hesitated. He did not want to frighten Carric. But then perhaps Carric would not be frightened? He had expected the young man to be afraid already at the news of war in addition to suddenly having an extra voice in his head. And maybe Carric was afraid and hiding it very well. Surely that was the case, Lumen figured.
“Lumen? Is there something else you wish to mention?” Carric could sense Lumen’s hanging words. It was as if there was a question burning inside him but it wasn’t a question from him but rather for him.
“Yes… Things may go smoother if I…” Gathering his courage, Lumen continued, “If I was to take control of your body.”
Lumen waited for Carric to be appalled and fearful. But he wasn’t. Shocked, yes. But not afraid or repulsed. Though he had many thoughts, all he voiced to Lumen was a single word, “Alright.”
“Alright as in… Do it?” Lumen was stunned. How was Carric so calm about everything?
“Yes, do it. Take control of my body.” Carric answered with great resolution yet again.
“... Alright.” And with that Lumen took control.
It was a gentle sensation that overcame Carric Juniperborn. It was as if he was being pushed or pulled backwards. Withdrawing. Carric felt all his senses dull. He could see but the world was out of focus. Darker. He could hear but everything was muffled. Hushed. He was at once colder and hotter. At first it was fine, almost peaceful. Carric had been calm. Yet after the first moment passed, he was no longer calm. “Lumen??”
“Yes Carric?” Lumen was still as he adjusted to having a full range of senses. It was like putting on glasses and turning on a light after being asleep for a long time. For a very long time. Under what was temporarily his hand, Lumen felt the warm softness of Goldeen’s neck. Disturbed by the sudden stillness, the dog got up and left.
“Can we… Can you… Make it stop?” Carric asked fearfully.
Immediately Lumen relinquished control.
It was a rush. A sort of snapping feeling. Like falling off a cliff only to be caught by a strong, elastic rope. Carric couldn’t help but gasp. All at once his vision cleared, his hearing heightened, and he no longer felt distanced from the world. After a moment he recovered. “Thank you, Lumen.”
“I am sorry, Carric.”
Lumen was incredibly sorry. Carric could feel his shame. “I know. You didn’t… You didn’t mean to…” Still reeling, Carric looked around. Glancing at his peers, they seemed none the wiser. They hadn’t the slightest clue anything had happened. “Let’s try that again in a little while.”
Lumen was yet again shocked. He made no response.
Although uneasy, Carric rose to his feet. He did his best to act as if nothing had changed. Yet something had changed. The world felt different. Having been so far removed from it before, it now felt so much closer. His every step felt… different. Like his legs had more weight. Though he felt heavy, Carric refused to sit back down. Instead he navigated to his dorm. A room he shared with three other young men. Fortunately none of them were currently present. Quickly, Carric searched through his limited belongings. Mages of Mirondra rarely had many personal material possessions. What did he have though? He had a set of turquoise cufflinks given to him by his father more than two years ago for his twenty-second birthday. He had a journal. Actually he had multiple journals. Only one was current. He had his other stationary supplies. He had several outfits. His textbooks were not truly his and they were heavy too. What was worth taking? Only what was necessary he decided. He packed a small bag with two changes of clothes, his journal, and a few pens and pencils. The cufflinks he tucked away in his shirt pocket. Sighing, Carric collapsed onto his bunk. If he had a window, he would have looked out of it now. Take one last look at Mirondra.
Carric sat up, and gripped the side of his mattress. He prepared himself to fall away. “Alright. I am ready. Do it.”
“... Take control?”
“Take control.”
“Okay but this time… Don’t let go so entirely. Try to focus on a certain sensation. I prefer to focus on sight but you can choose hearing or something else if you like.” Lumen instructed.
“Alright.”
This time was different. Carric did as Lumen had told him to, he focused on his vision. While all else faded away practically entirely his sight remained. It wasn’t perfect. It was still a touch hazy. Like looking through a sheer curtain or a smudged glass. But the world did not feel as far away.
Lumen breathed deeply with Carric’s lungs. Carefully, he stood up. It had been years since he had control of a human body. He adjusted quickly. Leaving the dorm, he did his best to traverse the complicated halls of Southfort. When he came across people he kept Carric’s head down, their gaze averted.
“You can’t keep looking away from people. Someone might think that’s suspicious. If they are a student, politely nod or smile. For a professor or guardsman, utter a simple ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am.’ Alright?” Carric suggested internally.
“...Fine.” Lumen was nervous. He hoped he was moving naturally.
After a while longer of going through the castle, Carric’s voice came again,”Can you tell me what exactly we are doing?”
“We need potions. We are going to get one and make another.” Lumen answered as he kept moving towards the nearest kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, he quickly found what he was looking for. There were jars and jars of thick purple liquid in the kitchen’s large ice boxes. They only needed about half a glass’s worth. Finding a suitable container proved slightly more difficult than finding the pre-prepared potions. In time he found a small bottle and carefully, using a funnel, poured enough liquid inside to suit their needs. He then set about making the other magical substance. Water, salt, sugar, and local soil. Luckily there was a small courtyard garden beside this kitchen. The second potion ready as well as the first, they left the kitchen.
Eventually they came to the classroom Lumen had had in mind. With little difficulty he gathered supplies. Supplies included a floor length mirror, a large circular tablecloth, dark inky paint, a world map, and a glass paperweight shaped like a dome. For weeks Lumen had acted like a spy. Seeing through the eyes of various students, teachers, and staff. Looking for what he needed to escape.
With an amount of ease that surprised Carric, Lumen set about preparations. He dragged a full length mirror into the center of the room. Spreading out the circular tablecloth on the floor, the mirror sitting toward one rounded edge, Lumen prepared a surface to ink many complex runes. He then drew runes in dark black, inky paint. First on the tablecloth then on the mirror’s glass. Across from the mirror, on the cloth laying on the floor, Lumen spread out the map and inscribed it with runes as well. After placing the dome centered over Suiiki on the map, Lumen focused his attention on the two potion bottles.
“Are you ready?” He asked Carric.
“Ready.” Carric confirmed.
First Lumen sprinkled the dirt water concoction on the mirror’s glass. Touching Carric’s palm flat against the wet glass, Lumen focused his energy on the final part of the spell. He closed Carric’s eyes for a moment. Just for a moment, only slightly longer than a blink. When he opened them the portal was ignited, lit with a mystical green glow. Not wasting another second, Lumen drank the purple potion. It was thick and overly tart and sweet but he managed to swallow nearly every drop. Setting the bottles down, Lumen gave Carric’s shoulders a shake. But then he thought for a moment.
“You should have control for this. You should leave Mirondra yourself. I’ll be with you though, don’t worry.”
Lumen was right. This was something Carric ought to do for himself. “Okay.”
It wasn’t as intense this time. Falling back into his own skin. With a shudder, Carric glanced about the room. This was it. His last view of Mirondra. There were three small windows. Near the ceiling. They faced yet another courtyard. Carric couldn’t see the sky. All he could see out the windows were walls. Somehow that felt fitting. What was Mirondra to him but walls he was always stuck behind? With that thought he left. Stepping through the portal, he left all that he had ever known.
The sky was rich with color as the sunset over Southfort. Long, long ago Southfort was but a single, humble tower. Over a great many years it has become a massive, complex structure full of winding corridors. Additions do not blend seamlessly. Under the vibrant sky are towers of differing colors and shingle roofs that vary from each other. Within the castle are numerous courtyards. In one courtyard, on the western side of the fortress near one of its many mess halls, sit a number of young people. Students. Southfort was not only a place of military might. It was also an academy for students of a wide range of ages. From as young as five years old to decades older. The students that sat and laid about in that western courtyard were all in their late teens or early twenties. One student, Carric Juniperborn, lay alone.
Carric’s eyes were closed. He was deep in thought. The day after tomorrow he was to leave Southfort. Twice a year students left for two weeks at a time to visit family. Carric did not always enjoy his trips away. They tended to serve as reminders of what he never would have. Yet he knew it was best to accept his fate. After all it was as the Shapers had designed.
Opening his bright blue eyes, Carric gazed up momentarily. Up into the sky. For a moment, just for a moment, he wished he could fall up into the sky, and disappear from Southfort forever. Just for a moment. The moment passed and Carric rose to his feet. He brushed away any grass that might have gotten stuck in his strawberry blond hair as he left the courtyard.
Through a great many corridors he went, traversing them easily without so much as second guessing himself on directions. Up a couple flights of stairs and through even more hallways, Carric eventually came to his destination. A large lounge near sections of dormitories for male students aged twenty to twenty-five. On the northern wall were three grand stained glass windows. They showed depictions of the Mirondrian valley with its great mountain range and beautiful central lake. Even though he had seen them countless times, Carric stood for a moment to admire the windows.
Tail wagging, a golden dog came to greet Carric. Goldeen was the dog’s name. With a smile Carric scratched under both of the dog’s ears. Many of the other students were fond of playfully asking Goldeen, ‘Who’s a good girl?’ Not Carric. He felt it was patronizing. Of course Goldeen was a good girl, no question about it. With Goldeen following along beside him, Carric went to sit on a loveseat off in a somewhat secluded section of the lounge, closed in by tall bookcases. When he sat down Goldeen was quick to lay beside him and rest her head on his lap. After a brief time of him stroking her he was struck by a feeling. A feeling that he was not alone. And he was not alone. He was with Goldeen and there were other students in the lounge. But the feeling went deeper than that. Carric felt that he was not alone in his own body. And he was not.
“Carric, please do not be afraid.” A voice sounded within Carric’s mind.
It was as clear as his own thoughts. He did not look around. He sat frozen. He knew it was in his head. Whether it was real or imagined he was less certain.
“Remain calm, Carric. I am with you. You… You know me. You have sensed me before, yes?”
Carric was not sure what to do. His mind raced. Could it hear his thoughts?
“Carric?” It seemed not to have heard any of Carric’s countless flying thoughts.
Summoning his courage, Carric attempted to internally respond. “Yes? Yes I have sensed you before. I think. You were… with Goldeen?”
“Yes! Very astute of you to recognize that!” Carric felt a warm glow of excitement light inside himself. This voice had emotions. Emotions Carric could feel almost as if they were his own.
Yet he was not swept away by the voice’s contagious emotion, Carric still felt uneasy. It felt odd to direct his thoughts as if he were speaking aloud but he did it all the same, “Right… And, uh, who are you?”
“You may call me Lumen.” Before Carric could so much as consider asking another question, Lumen continued, “Carric you must listen to me, I have something important to tell you.”
Carric’s uneasiness grew. “Go on.”
“There is going to be a war. Plans of attack have been under development for some time now. I suggest we leave Mirondra with haste.”
Heart thudding in an almost painful manner, Carric struggled to gather his thoughts and form a question. “And go where?”
“I recommend Suiiki.”
Suiiki. Suiiki was far, far away. But… War? War was a good reason to run. Run far, far away.
Carric's heart continued to thud and his mind continued to reel yet he did his best not to show it outwardly. On the outside he was in the lounge, calmly petting Goldeen, casually glancing at a nearby group of peers. Internally he thanked the Shapers that said peers didn't pay any attention to him. "How?" Carric envisioned a map. Suiiki was a collection of islands off the shores of Cao. An entire continent away and then some.
"How what? How do we get to Suiiki?" Lumen was surprised, and something else too. Concerned. Carric felt these emotions and was in turn surprised himself.
Although Lumen’s concern was unexpected, Carric acted unphased. Resolutely he replied, "Yes."
Lumen was further stunned and increasingly concerned. "You are ready to go? No questions asked of me?"
"Questions can be asked later. You said we should leave with haste.” Carric remained resolute, “How do we go?"
"We must teleport. It will be simplest if we go from Southfort as it is a focal point of magic. However, if you like, we may see your family first and attempt to travel from Helensburgh.”
Carric thought of his family. He barely knew them. Such was common for mages of Mirondra. Taken from their families typically at young ages, they do not have time to bond. Carric came to Southfort when he was only six years old. And yet he did think of his family. He had seven siblings, no eight actually, his mother, Juniper, had just had another baby within the last year.
There was father’s eldest, Heather Claireborn. Next was Edric Delphineborn. Carric Juniperborn was his father’s third child. Second of father’s first wife was Suzanne Claireborn. Then there was Marcus Delphineborn. Kittridge Juniperborn was father’s sixth child. Seventh was Zacharias Claireborn. After Zacharias was Fredric Delphineborn. And finally there was Josephine Juniperborn. Nine children altogether.
None of Carric’s siblings were at Southfort. That is to say, none of his siblings were blessed by the Shapers with magical capabilities. There was much about magic and genetics that Mirondra did not understand. Carric had read of how other lands had more refined ideas about it all but he refused to research it much for it bothered him to think of how he would never have children himself. Or at least he shouldn't, according to the ways of his homeland.
Having considered his options, Carric at last decided, “We should leave from Southfort. Immediately. What do we need to do to teleport?”
“Immediately? As in tonight?” Lumen had expected Carric to be more hesitant to go. Now it seemed as if the young man had been waiting for an excuse to flee from everything he knew.
“Yes, if possible. Will we be using Southfort’s designated portal or will we create our own? I can see arguments in either direction.” Carric’s mind continued to flash with thought yet it was more focused now. He knew what was happening. He had a goal. He had to get out. It was that or… War.
As a mage of an appropriate age, his powers would surely be called upon. He would become a soldier. He had been trained in combat magic as well as physical martial arts but such studies were never his favorite. He had hoped, in a few years, he might be assigned work away from Southfort. What work exactly he was never too certain. Perhaps a physician? Ah but he never let himself dwell on imagining too far into the future. After all, it was not his to see.
Lumen was thoughtful. Using the designated portal would require less energy. But there was a greater chance of being caught or followed. Settling his thoughts, Lumen replied, “Let us create our own. I know where there is a classroom with much of the necessary supplies.” Lumen paused. He knew what he ought to suggest yet he hesitated. He did not want to frighten Carric. But then perhaps Carric would not be frightened? He had expected the young man to be afraid already at the news of war in addition to suddenly having an extra voice in his head. And maybe Carric was afraid and hiding it very well. Surely that was the case, Lumen figured.
“Lumen? Is there something else you wish to mention?” Carric could sense Lumen’s hanging words. It was as if there was a question burning inside him but it wasn’t a question from him but rather for him.
“Yes… Things may go smoother if I…” Gathering his courage, Lumen continued, “If I was to take control of your body.”
Lumen waited for Carric to be appalled and fearful. But he wasn’t. Shocked, yes. But not afraid or repulsed. Though he had many thoughts, all he voiced to Lumen was a single word, “Alright.”
“Alright as in… Do it?” Lumen was stunned. How was Carric so calm about everything?
“Yes, do it. Take control of my body.” Carric answered with great resolution yet again.
“... Alright.” And with that Lumen took control.
It was a gentle sensation that overcame Carric Juniperborn. It was as if he was being pushed or pulled backwards. Withdrawing. Carric felt all his senses dull. He could see but the world was out of focus. Darker. He could hear but everything was muffled. Hushed. He was at once colder and hotter. At first it was fine, almost peaceful. Carric had been calm. Yet after the first moment passed, he was no longer calm. “Lumen??”
“Yes Carric?” Lumen was still as he adjusted to having a full range of senses. It was like putting on glasses and turning on a light after being asleep for a long time. For a very long time. Under what was temporarily his hand, Lumen felt the warm softness of Goldeen’s neck. Disturbed by the sudden stillness, the dog got up and left.
“Can we… Can you… Make it stop?” Carric asked fearfully.
Immediately Lumen relinquished control.
It was a rush. A sort of snapping feeling. Like falling off a cliff only to be caught by a strong, elastic rope. Carric couldn’t help but gasp. All at once his vision cleared, his hearing heightened, and he no longer felt distanced from the world. After a moment he recovered. “Thank you, Lumen.”
“I am sorry, Carric.”
Lumen was incredibly sorry. Carric could feel his shame. “I know. You didn’t… You didn’t mean to…” Still reeling, Carric looked around. Glancing at his peers, they seemed none the wiser. They hadn’t the slightest clue anything had happened. “Let’s try that again in a little while.”
Lumen was yet again shocked. He made no response.
Although uneasy, Carric rose to his feet. He did his best to act as if nothing had changed. Yet something had changed. The world felt different. Having been so far removed from it before, it now felt so much closer. His every step felt… different. Like his legs had more weight. Though he felt heavy, Carric refused to sit back down. Instead he navigated to his dorm. A room he shared with three other young men. Fortunately none of them were currently present. Quickly, Carric searched through his limited belongings. Mages of Mirondra rarely had many personal material possessions. What did he have though? He had a set of turquoise cufflinks given to him by his father more than two years ago for his twenty-second birthday. He had a journal. Actually he had multiple journals. Only one was current. He had his other stationary supplies. He had several outfits. His textbooks were not truly his and they were heavy too. What was worth taking? Only what was necessary he decided. He packed a small bag with two changes of clothes, his journal, and a few pens and pencils. The cufflinks he tucked away in his shirt pocket. Sighing, Carric collapsed onto his bunk. If he had a window, he would have looked out of it now. Take one last look at Mirondra.
Carric sat up, and gripped the side of his mattress. He prepared himself to fall away. “Alright. I am ready. Do it.”
“... Take control?”
“Take control.”
“Okay but this time… Don’t let go so entirely. Try to focus on a certain sensation. I prefer to focus on sight but you can choose hearing or something else if you like.” Lumen instructed.
“Alright.”
This time was different. Carric did as Lumen had told him to, he focused on his vision. While all else faded away practically entirely his sight remained. It wasn’t perfect. It was still a touch hazy. Like looking through a sheer curtain or a smudged glass. But the world did not feel as far away.
Lumen breathed deeply with Carric’s lungs. Carefully, he stood up. It had been years since he had control of a human body. He adjusted quickly. Leaving the dorm, he did his best to traverse the complicated halls of Southfort. When he came across people he kept Carric’s head down, their gaze averted.
“You can’t keep looking away from people. Someone might think that’s suspicious. If they are a student, politely nod or smile. For a professor or guardsman, utter a simple ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am.’ Alright?” Carric suggested internally.
“...Fine.” Lumen was nervous. He hoped he was moving naturally.
After a while longer of going through the castle, Carric’s voice came again,”Can you tell me what exactly we are doing?”
“We need potions. We are going to get one and make another.” Lumen answered as he kept moving towards the nearest kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, he quickly found what he was looking for. There were jars and jars of thick purple liquid in the kitchen’s large ice boxes. They only needed about half a glass’s worth. Finding a suitable container proved slightly more difficult than finding the pre-prepared potions. In time he found a small bottle and carefully, using a funnel, poured enough liquid inside to suit their needs. He then set about making the other magical substance. Water, salt, sugar, and local soil. Luckily there was a small courtyard garden beside this kitchen. The second potion ready as well as the first, they left the kitchen.
Eventually they came to the classroom Lumen had had in mind. With little difficulty he gathered supplies. Supplies included a floor length mirror, a large circular tablecloth, dark inky paint, a world map, and a glass paperweight shaped like a dome. For weeks Lumen had acted like a spy. Seeing through the eyes of various students, teachers, and staff. Looking for what he needed to escape.
With an amount of ease that surprised Carric, Lumen set about preparations. He dragged a full length mirror into the center of the room. Spreading out the circular tablecloth on the floor, the mirror sitting toward one rounded edge, Lumen prepared a surface to ink many complex runes. He then drew runes in dark black, inky paint. First on the tablecloth then on the mirror’s glass. Across from the mirror, on the cloth laying on the floor, Lumen spread out the map and inscribed it with runes as well. After placing the dome centered over Suiiki on the map, Lumen focused his attention on the two potion bottles.
“Are you ready?” He asked Carric.
“Ready.” Carric confirmed.
First Lumen sprinkled the dirt water concoction on the mirror’s glass. Touching Carric’s palm flat against the wet glass, Lumen focused his energy on the final part of the spell. He closed Carric’s eyes for a moment. Just for a moment, only slightly longer than a blink. When he opened them the portal was ignited, lit with a mystical green glow. Not wasting another second, Lumen drank the purple potion. It was thick and overly tart and sweet but he managed to swallow nearly every drop. Setting the bottles down, Lumen gave Carric’s shoulders a shake. But then he thought for a moment.
“You should have control for this. You should leave Mirondra yourself. I’ll be with you though, don’t worry.”
Lumen was right. This was something Carric ought to do for himself. “Okay.”
It wasn’t as intense this time. Falling back into his own skin. With a shudder, Carric glanced about the room. This was it. His last view of Mirondra. There were three small windows. Near the ceiling. They faced yet another courtyard. Carric couldn’t see the sky. All he could see out the windows were walls. Somehow that felt fitting. What was Mirondra to him but walls he was always stuck behind? With that thought he left. Stepping through the portal, he left all that he had ever known.
