staring back. Someone who wasn’t quite human anymore.
Ignoring the chill creeping up my spine, I said, “Yes, I am. Is there a reason you wanted to talk to me?”
Raj stood just behind me. The council were in earshot, but I’d guessed they’d inferred from my being on this mission that I was a magic-wielder, anyway. That didn’t particularly bother me now. No Walker had ever been a magic-wielder, as far as I knew.
“Your name?”
“Kay Walker.” His face betrayed no recognition of the name, which made a change.
“I am Ikor, and I merely wanted to ask if you are aware of how magic functions on Aglaia, and to offer to show you… if you are willing.”
“That would depend,” I said, “on what you’re offering, exactly.”
Why would an Aglaian mage be interested in someone from Earth? It wasn’t illegal to talk about magic, and certainly, mages on Aglaia stuck religiously to the no-harm rule–even using a level one shot on a person was a crime–but I wasn’t taking any chances. Mages didn’t just offer help to offworlders.
“I am curious to meet an Earth magic-wielder. That is all.”
Yeah. Sure it is. Did he know I wasn’t a conventional magic-wielder?
“Right,” I said. “Well, I’m here as Ambassador, and this is definitely not something that fits in with our purpose here. Academic interest aside, I’ve no desire to be drawn into mage politics. Given the circumstances, I’m sure you can understand why.”
“Yes… it’s unfortunate. Let me assure you I have no ill intentions towards the Alliance. But the fact remains…” He lowered his voice. “There is something wrong with magic on Aglaia. There has been for some time. As I’m sure you know, the Balance recently shifted, and for us, magic’s power lessened as it was pulled towards Earth. Now it should be back to normal. But it is not. And, as much as it pains me to admit, the mage council is unable to determine why. Aglaia has few connections offworld, and none with offworld magic-wielders. It’s possible that a non-Aglaian magic-wielder would be able to do what we cannot.”
“I don’t think so. As I said, my interest is purely a theoretical one. Earth is low-magic, so my experience is limited.”
“We will see,” said the mage. “I am sure we’ll meet again.”
And he strode away, robes sweeping behind him.
I turned to Raj, eyebrows raised. “That was dramatic.”
“That was suspicious,” he said, as we followed the rest of the council down the wood-panelled corridor. “Don’t trust him.”
“I’m not an imbecile.”
Still. Was there really something wrong with the magic on Aglaia? The disturbance to Earth’s magic levels the Campbells had pulled off was bound to have a ripple effect.
“I know that, Kay. Just be careful with these mages. They’re not out for the Alliance’s best interests. Or ours.”
“Yeah, I got that much,” I said, opening the door outside. It led onto a walkway linking the island to the forested mainland. Humans on Aglaia primarily lived on island-states, while the forests were the centaurs’ home. No signs of habitation, but as far as I knew, the centaur tribes lived in camps hidden from sight. Though few humans dared to venture anywhere near their territory, old paranoia ran rampant.
Thick oaks closed in around us, the forest swallowing us in an instant. Five million hostile horse-men were out there, which didn’t help the feeling of being boxed in. The council walked in close formation, and it was suffocatingly warm in our magicproof gear, but at least we wouldn’t be caught off guard if the mages turned hostile. Though it was more likely to be the centaurs. Frankly, I was amazed they hadn’t struck back against the Alliance already for interfering in their debates. It was pretty clear Aglaia’s membership renewal in the Alliance would be postponed on the centaurs’ side until they’d resolved the dilemma.
But Aglaia’s mages intrigued me. An entire world where every
Ignoring the chill creeping up my spine, I said, “Yes, I am. Is there a reason you wanted to talk to me?”
Raj stood just behind me. The council were in earshot, but I’d guessed they’d inferred from my being on this mission that I was a magic-wielder, anyway. That didn’t particularly bother me now. No Walker had ever been a magic-wielder, as far as I knew.
“Your name?”
“Kay Walker.” His face betrayed no recognition of the name, which made a change.
“I am Ikor, and I merely wanted to ask if you are aware of how magic functions on Aglaia, and to offer to show you… if you are willing.”
“That would depend,” I said, “on what you’re offering, exactly.”
Why would an Aglaian mage be interested in someone from Earth? It wasn’t illegal to talk about magic, and certainly, mages on Aglaia stuck religiously to the no-harm rule–even using a level one shot on a person was a crime–but I wasn’t taking any chances. Mages didn’t just offer help to offworlders.
“I am curious to meet an Earth magic-wielder. That is all.”
Yeah. Sure it is. Did he know I wasn’t a conventional magic-wielder?
“Right,” I said. “Well, I’m here as Ambassador, and this is definitely not something that fits in with our purpose here. Academic interest aside, I’ve no desire to be drawn into mage politics. Given the circumstances, I’m sure you can understand why.”
“Yes… it’s unfortunate. Let me assure you I have no ill intentions towards the Alliance. But the fact remains…” He lowered his voice. “There is something wrong with magic on Aglaia. There has been for some time. As I’m sure you know, the Balance recently shifted, and for us, magic’s power lessened as it was pulled towards Earth. Now it should be back to normal. But it is not. And, as much as it pains me to admit, the mage council is unable to determine why. Aglaia has few connections offworld, and none with offworld magic-wielders. It’s possible that a non-Aglaian magic-wielder would be able to do what we cannot.”
“I don’t think so. As I said, my interest is purely a theoretical one. Earth is low-magic, so my experience is limited.”
“We will see,” said the mage. “I am sure we’ll meet again.”
And he strode away, robes sweeping behind him.
I turned to Raj, eyebrows raised. “That was dramatic.”
“That was suspicious,” he said, as we followed the rest of the council down the wood-panelled corridor. “Don’t trust him.”
“I’m not an imbecile.”
Still. Was there really something wrong with the magic on Aglaia? The disturbance to Earth’s magic levels the Campbells had pulled off was bound to have a ripple effect.
“I know that, Kay. Just be careful with these mages. They’re not out for the Alliance’s best interests. Or ours.”
“Yeah, I got that much,” I said, opening the door outside. It led onto a walkway linking the island to the forested mainland. Humans on Aglaia primarily lived on island-states, while the forests were the centaurs’ home. No signs of habitation, but as far as I knew, the centaur tribes lived in camps hidden from sight. Though few humans dared to venture anywhere near their territory, old paranoia ran rampant.
Thick oaks closed in around us, the forest swallowing us in an instant. Five million hostile horse-men were out there, which didn’t help the feeling of being boxed in. The council walked in close formation, and it was suffocatingly warm in our magicproof gear, but at least we wouldn’t be caught off guard if the mages turned hostile. Though it was more likely to be the centaurs. Frankly, I was amazed they hadn’t struck back against the Alliance already for interfering in their debates. It was pretty clear Aglaia’s membership renewal in the Alliance would be postponed on the centaurs’ side until they’d resolved the dilemma.
But Aglaia’s mages intrigued me. An entire world where every
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