Diary of a Travelling Mage

I'm Nelack, a mage travelling across the Kingdom of Rychilla. This is my diary. Feel free to ask me anything about myself or the kingdom. (Fiction account by @RychillaCases. All character art by @Kai-artx )

[rychilla]

Day 128 of 104AM Felitoft

Of course, it was Serip Buren who’d beaten me for the position of waterkind mage. Once announced, Serip turned and gave me that smirk of his, the same one I’d seen with every taunt he’d thrown at me in school. To the other candidate, he only gave a slightly apologetic smile.

It had taken a few moments for it to sink in. No words passed my lips. I just turned and walked out, with my head held high. I’d given my best efforts over the last two days. We’d shown our skills in magic and in teaching, in trials at the College of Mages. Afterwards, the mages made their decision.

After leaving the college, I wandered around town. I didn’t want to head home. My friends wouldn’t be free for a few hours yet. Unlike me, they have actual careers. I just have a job, working as a waiter at Nomad’s Rest tavern. Thoughts flittered through my mind, like butterflies in a field. I needed to settle them.

Now, I’d watched Serip’s demonstration of magic. We’d both demonstrated mastery of two of the elements. Such dualkind expertise was a requirement for all mages. I’d been bestowed waterkind magic and had also studied airkind. It was the opposite for Serip, and it showed. He’d struggled with some complicated water spells, including purification. Given that this was for the position of the college’s waterkind mage, I’d thought that would make a poor impression. Obviously the mages had thought differently.

But we’d also needed to show our ability as teachers. I went into this to help others. That was what I’d kept in mind during the two classes I’d taught under the observation of Mage Drasam. Serip’s motivation, I suspected, was more about power. I hadn’t seen his classes, but I knew him.

Rumours had plagued me through school. Claims I’m part-fairic. Yes, I am shorter than most Rychillans, and my mismatched eyes are not common. But both grey and purple are natural eye colours for us, and my short stature was more likely from my Raronic heritage. I’d pointed these out several times. Yet like bees after flowers, these rumours followed me and stung. But they’d only started after Serip and I had first met. The same day, in fact.

Then there’s the fact that Mage Nalkin, the florakind mage, is Serip’s uncle. Perhaps Serip had sown some of those rumours about me amongst the mages, too. Or maybe the bonds of blood clouded Mage Nalkin’s judgement.

All it would take was a sentence here or there, pointing out the connection between the college’s newest mage and one of the longest-serving ones. As I’d learned from the receiving end, rumours can be effective at shaping one’s perception by others.

Whilst my thoughts had gone down this dark path, I had not paid heed to my steps. The sharp whistle of a car cut through them. I jumped back to the kerb of the street I was crossing. The car stopped a short distance away, and its driver climbed out. My right hand balled into a fist, expecting a confrontation. He just checked I was all right. After hearing I was, he climbed back in and resumed their drive. I watched the car go. Each puff of steam drifted up and faded away. Just like my chances of a job at the college.

I thought back to what I’d been considering earlier and found myself ashamed. Even if my suspicion is correct, it is best stated only in these pages. Voicing it in anger would be the tactics of a bully. No, I had other matters more worthy of my attention.

Despite this setback, I am still a mage. That is the title I earned, with the mark on my terax to show it. But the only other suitable position was the airkind mage. Mage Drasam held it, and she wouldn’t be leaving that position soon. However, that car had given me an idea. Perhaps a mechanic or an air captain, maybe even a riverfarer, would find my skills of use. Waterkind magic is half of what drives steam engines. But while viable, none of these options grabbed at my soul.

My wandering had brought me within two streets of the temple, and I made my way there. Inside, a familiar warmth washed over me. It was pleasant, like when biting into a fresh-baked cake. It had changed little since my last visit. The statue of Luxanke in the middle of the room had been repainted, as had the eight altars spaced around it. I walked over to one of the vacant altars.

A rummage through my satchel produced a bag of roasted fava beans, seasoned with flakes of dried chilli. I supposed I could use them as an offering. They were fresh and unopened, I’d only bought them this morning. After placing the bag atop the altar, I knelt before it in prayer. After uttering the required words, I just asked for guidance. That was all.

Upon opening my eyes, I found the top of the altar empty. Yet I had heard no one approach during the few minutes in which I’d made my prayer. For the first time today, I smiled. Although it wasn’t my first prayer, this was a change. I would have to keep an eye out.

Later on, I met with my friends for dinner. We’d planned to dine together as a celebration or a commiseration. Despite it being the latter, I did enjoy myself. My wheel of friends is not a large one, but the spokes that hold it together are strong. Retai and Taelaren both said I was rather upbeat for someone who had just missed out on their dream job. I couldn’t exactly tell them why. Matters of religion are to be kept between ourselves, the priests, and Luxanke.

It is now the twenty-fourth hour, and I am about to turn in for the night. Today was not what I expected. Yet, I am excited. Tomorrow may bring that for which I’d prayed. But for now, I must get a proper night’s sleep. To this end, I have taken a sleeping draught. I await what tomorrow will bring.

As I write this, the twenty-sixth hour has just passed. As it is still two hours until midnight, I’m writing this an addendum to today’s entry. Luxanke visited me, in a dream more vivid than usual. By recording the details now, I hope to make sense of it tomorrow.

I started on what had once been a path, almost imperceptible through the scrub and weeds. The staff in my hand made quick work of clearing them. My hands wielded it confidently, needing scant thought on my part. It was well-balanced too, with the metal tip on the base offset by a circular head at the top. Overall, it was well-crafted, and it must have belonged to me. That metal head held both a waterkind and an airkind crystal.

Before long, the scrub and trees opened into a clearing. Water marked the far edge of it. To my right, a small skiff sat tucked in between two bushes and a tree. It bore paint the same brownish-blue shade as the water, with some lettering along the side. I strode over for a closer examination, and warmth enveloped me. Just like when I’d entered the temple earlier. From behind me came a soft snap, the sound of someone stepping onto a branch. I turned and saw her.

It was as though the statue from the temple had come to life. Yet the statue hadn’t captured the depth of the gaze in those florakind-green eyes, nor the smoothness with which she seemed to move. Framed by her long blonde hair, her face bore an expression I couldn’t quite place. But then again, this was a goddess who had just joined me. I dropped to my right knee.

“Thank-you Luxanke, for accepting my humble offering.”

Her chuckle tinkled like wind chimes.

“It was unique, Mage Nelack.”

She sat on the edge of the skiff and beckoned for me to join her.

“Tell me, what guidance do you seek?”

I joined her. She leaned in and listened as I explained the day’s events.

“There doesn’t seem to be much opportunity for me at the moment,” I finished, “even if Mage Drasam quit, I would still have to work with Serip. You’ve seen more of the kingdom than any Rychillan could, and well…”

Luxanke closed her eyes for several moments. I remained silent, not wanting to disturb the pondering of a deity. When she opened her eyes, the look in them had shifted.

“Opportunity is something that takes many shapes, and must be sought. Ample opportunity exists for you, Nelack Elmet.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“What sort of opportunity?”

“Some is that which you seek, to help people. Then there is that for you to learn and grow.”

She got to her feet.

“Just remember, a college is not the only place where a mage is of use.”

As she walked away, I took another glance around.

“May I ask one more thing?” I said. Luxanke stopped and turned around. She nodded.

“I know I’ve not visited this place before. Does it actually exist, or is it more figurative?”

This brought a smirk to her face.

“Are those the only options?” she asked. I didn’t know how to reply.

“I am certain you will be able to answer that yourself, in time,” Luxanke added, “but it would be prudent to take a good look around.”

With that, she turned and strode off. I didn’t follow her. Instead, I did what she’d suggested. From priests, I had learned that these dreams carried significance beyond what was just spoken.

I crouched down and examined the boat. That lettering I’d noticed earlier turned out to be runes. Carved into the bottom of the hull, they ran the length of the skiff. They’d be underwater when afloat. At the front, both rune sequences met a single initiator rune. Above it, someone had screwed a metal ring to the bow. Were a waterkind crystal placed in it, the lower tip of the crystal would power the runes.

I stepped back. It was a simple rune sequence, just alternating tethering and movement runes. I couldn’t help but smile. This was one of the most simple & effective uses of runes I’d seen. That sequence would force the skiff to push itself through the water, with no engine. It wasn’t the most economical use of magic, it would consume crystals in the way a dog consumes a steak. But it would be discreet. As useful as steam engines are, they are noisy.

The skiff held nothing else of note. When I turned away, a weight shifted across the top of my chest. Reaching under my shirt, I found a familiar medallion dangling from my necklace. Both the waterkind and airkind crystals sitting in it were opaque. Full of energy and ready to go.

With a few steps, I made my way over to the shore. A simple spell stilled the water before me, and I gazed upon my reflection. It wasn’t quite what I expected. My face appeared a few years older. A bulge in my nose showed I’d had it broken at some point in the past. As for my clothes, I’ve drawn them as best as I can recall:

From the feather in my hair to the boots on my feet, they held no familiarity for me. Perhaps they held some symbolic meaning. I glanced around the clearing. The surrounding bushes and forest didn’t tell me too much, aside from the palm trees. They only grow on the coast of the kingdom, not on the rivers or inland lakes. So that water I’d just used as a mirror must be the ocean to the kingdom’s east.

I could find nothing more here, so I turned and headed along the path down which I’d arrived. A couple of yards beyond where I’d started, I found something. Coconuts are not uncommon in the kingdom, especially not along the coast. Yet the one before me lay half-embedded in the ground. Its green outer shell had split from the impact, and half of it had rotted away. The nearest palm tree stood several yards away. Someone must have thrown that coconut there, a couple of weeks ago, going by the state of it. Florakind magic could have done that without a problem. But I couldn’t see why.

Upon that thought, the dream ended, and I awoke here in my bedroom. Now that this record is complete, I shall get back to sleep. I suspect tomorrow will be busy.