Fen

They hadn’t caught the horse. At first Lost was adamant about finding it, but after several hours of going in its general direction, he gave up. Mainly, because they were utterly lost.

“I think we are lost,” Lost said, then adding, “No pun intended.”

“Whats a pun?” Fen asked, but she knew he wouldn’t answer her. Though she did find it funny that Lost was lost. She giggled at the thought.

Snorting, Lost started picking sticks off the ground. “Come help me set up a fire pit, might aswell get some sleep. Even though it is nearly dawn.”

Fen complied with a nod. Gathering sticks and a few small logs. After they had set up the logs and sticks, Lost surrounded the fire in rocks to help prevent it from spreading out of control.

Sitting down Fen watched as Lost took a handful of dry and dead leaves. He whispered a word and holding out his index finger, it burst into red flame. The fire danced along the skin on his finger, and it didn't seem to be hurting him.

Touching his finger to the leaves, the flame greedly jumped to them. Lost shoved it between the logs and let it expand.

He saw her watching him. So she asked the question she was wondering, “Why didn’t the flames hurt you? Especially when you were fighting that beast, they seemed to bend away from you.”

Splaying his hands out in the air, he said mockingly, “Magic.”

Fen couldn’t contain a giggle.

Then he responded for real this time, “They weren’t bending away from me, per se. I was snuffing out the oxygen- sorry, air- around them with more fire, just enough for me to take a step.”

“But how do you make it? You said you couldn’t make elements with magic, only control them,” Fen questioned him, shifting around so she could enjoy the warmth of the flame.

“That is correct. But you can amplify the intensity of heat, till the point it makes flame. I use my own body heat to make fire. As for why it doesn't hurt me. Well, the mana I feed it virtually makes it a part of me. But as soon as I no longer have a connection with that flame, and as long as it is sustaining itself on air and some flammable object, it burns me.” He looked back into the campfire, which had been fully encompassed by the flame.

Fen thought about what he said. She guessed it made sense. “But then how do I make my illusions solid? How do I even form them?”

“Now that, is an excellent question.” Lost nodded his head slowly, “Truthfully, I have no clue. Some mages in the past would slave their entire lives to figure out how illusions work. But they never did figure much out.”

She tried, really, really hard to not ask her next question. But her curiosity had gotten to her. “How did you control the dead soldiers, then? If you can’t make the element for magic, then what element allows you to use that kind of magic?”

Lost stayed quiet for a while, till she thought he wasn't going to answer. “My guess, i’m using the residue left from their soul to make ‘dark’ magic. Maybe even some of their leftover mana. It never really was studied, the magic was just rejected. Most people don’t like or even accept that someone can animate the dead and use spells that are wound from death. It scares them.

Back, when magic was everywhere, people whose innate ability with death were thought of as monsters. Many were beaten, others didn’t use their powers. And in most cases, they were slaughtered mercilessly.” He was looking off into the forest, just as the sun was starting to illuminate the sky. “Get some rest. You need it, kiddo. I'll wake you in a bit and we will start looking for the nearest road, hopefully leading to a town or village.”

Fen didn’t object, yawning wide, she laid back on the ground and used her cloak as a pillow. Before she fell asleep, she whispered, “I don't think your magic is that bad.”

********

“Wake up, kid,” Lost said, shaking Fen awake after what only felt like minutes.

“I don’t want to,” She mumbled, rolling onto her side.

“Fine, you can starve, then.”

She immediately woke up, looking over to the hooded figure of Lost. “You have food?”

“Ahaha!” He started to laugh, shaking his head back and forth. “Sorry, no.” Lost said after getting himself under control.

‘He tricked me!’ Fen thought in indignation. She glared at him to show her disdain, but that only made him laugh again.

“First, we have to get the food. Then we can eat it,” Lost said getting up. “Plus, it is perfect for training!”

She didn’t like the sound of where this was leading.

“You see, we don't have any bows or anything to hunt with,” He said pacing back and forth.

“But I can make my rifle.”

He stopped and looked at her, then shook his head. “You can’t rely on your magic. Currently, you're using it like a crutch. That's not okay. People have been living without it for these past 1000 or so years and more. Magic is not a cure all.”

Fen shifted nervously.

She got the distinct impression that Lost was smiling evilly under his hood. “It is time I train you in earnest. I want you to go and bring back some food and then we will start.”

********

Tess

Her fingers clenched around the edges of the silver tray, knuckles bone white, to stop them from shaking. The tray was laden with two tea cups, a bowl of sugar and a tea pot.

Tess stopped in front of the door to her father's work space. She took a deep, shaky breath and put on a mask of impassiveness.

Was she really going to poison her father?

She pushed the door open and walked into the room. There her father sat, slouched over his desk, scribbling away with a quill.

He looked up with weary eyes, “Tessa! What do I owe this pleasant surprise to?”

Smiling, Tessa walked over and set the tea on his desk. “The guards told me that you have locked yourself up in here for two days, father! I thought it best to check if you were still alive.”

He smiled back at her, “I’m sorry. It’s just that war requires a lot of paperwork. How’s your mother doing?”

Tess’s smile waned a little, “She is alright, for now atleast. She says she can hear whispers and feel things that we can’t. I fear she…” Tess took a breath, “I fear she may be going into madness.”

Picking up the tea pot, Tess poured the still warm liquid into the cups. Putting a spoonful each into the tea. Then she handed one to her father.

“I think I will visit your mother after I’m done with this paperwork.” Nero picked up the cup, slowly bringing it to his lips while talking. “I appreciate you looking after her, I know it is hard. But this will all be-”

He stopped right before the tea touched his lips. Hee sat there frozen, his expression blank. Tess instantly knew something was wrong.

Nero locked eyes with her.

What Tess saw in those eyes was pure rage and hatred. Anger and disgust.

He threw the tea cup at blinding speeds. It rushed right past her head, breaking against the wall behind her.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Nero shouted, “GUARDS!”

Only a few seconds later, the guards had rushed into the room. They looked around confused, ready to defend their king against would be attackers.

“Take this filth and throw her into the dungeon.” Nero spat while looking at Tessa.

The guards looked at her, then the king. “But, your majesty, tha-”

“THROW HER INTO THE DUNGEON NOW!” He screamed at the guards.

They hesitantly obeyed, grabbing Tess by her arms and dragging her out of the room.

She couldn’t even comprehend what had happened. Her father had always looked at her with love and adoration. That man looked at her with murderous hatred.

That wasn’t her father.

She got a glimpse of her father right before she left her room. He sneered at her, but the one thing that shocked her even more was his eyes.

They glowed a brilliant white.