Read Online Techromancy Scrolls: Adept by Erik Schubach - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erik Schubach
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next, “It was too much for Tannis. The knights that arrived to witness the end of the battle rushed him back to Wexbury, but the Hero of the Realm died on the journey home. The rest of the rogues ran and scattered themselves throughout the realms.”
Then that fire of disapproval of the nobles was evident in her eyes again as she added to the story, something I did not know. “The travesty to Sir Tannis' family that followed was inexcusable in my own view. His daughter, who had deigned to marry below her station, to marry a lowly commoner, no longer had the ties to Tannis' nobility. As a wife takes her station first from her parents and second from her husband. She was stripped of her nobility and disappeared into Wexbury, never to be seen again.”
Then she shrugged it off and looked directly into my eyes, “After that, the punishments were modified for serfs who ignited, they were only placed in the stockade as an example to others, then traded to other lands to be put into a capacity as to never use their magics. These 'disappearances' served as better deterrent than execution. Fear of the unknown.”
She looked at her father, “Through recent rumblings and investigations by our spies, it has been determined that there is a man who is organizing the rogues again, and we fear the approach of another Mage War.”
I went pale. Another Mage War? The horrors the bards share of the inhumanities people suffered in the last war gave children nightmares after hearing. It couldn't possibly happen again could it? But then my mind caught up with me and I tried to stop the terror welling up inside of me. I refused to let it show. My voice came out in barely a whisper as I stood, avoiding their eyes. “I'm to be brought to the stockades then.” It was a statement not an question.
Celeste pulled me back down into the chair and tried to meet my eyes, I only averted them down. The Prime Techromancer sighed and spoke, “If we are to follow the letter of the laws, then yes child.”
I didn't look up and he added, “But there are ways around it. It would be a shame for us to lose a Terchromancer who is sensitive to two metals. Yet I believe there is even more to you. You have something about you child, your magics taste familiar, like there is something you are not sharing. I can't quite place my finger on it.”
He chuckled out, “Hell, you may not even know you are not sharing if you didn't even know your potential until yesterday. And you have caught the eye of my Celeste. If she is seeing something in you then I would be a fool not to.” I stopped breathing at that. Celeste was seeing something she hasn't shared with me.
Celeste perked up and asked, “What ways father?”
He dipped his head to catch my attention. I looked nervously at the man, holding back the energies I could feel threatening to escape me again. He smiled like he were sharing something exciting as he spoke to me, “We could marry you off to an eligible lord in the castle. I hear Count Heinrick's son Edwin is of majority.”
I was on my feet instantly, finally losing my calm as energy spilled out of me and every metal object in the room sprang to life and started rotating around me, just above my head. I snapped, “I will be betrothed to no man! No man shall ever have me in their bed!”
Both Cleste and the big man stood, but his eyes were not on her as he absently said, “Most commoner women would jump at the chance to marry into nobility, young Laney. Like a dream come true.” He seemed mesmerized by the chaos of swirling metal forming a chaotic halo above me. The lights hanging twenty feet overhead started arching power into the whirling dervish, I hadn't realized they were electric lights.
A warm hand on my arm and a gentle voice beside me pulled my attention and I looked at Celeste through augmented vision, colors swirling. There were so many tastes around me. Everything was getting confusing until I made out what she was saying, “Laney.
Then that fire of disapproval of the nobles was evident in her eyes again as she added to the story, something I did not know. “The travesty to Sir Tannis' family that followed was inexcusable in my own view. His daughter, who had deigned to marry below her station, to marry a lowly commoner, no longer had the ties to Tannis' nobility. As a wife takes her station first from her parents and second from her husband. She was stripped of her nobility and disappeared into Wexbury, never to be seen again.”
Then she shrugged it off and looked directly into my eyes, “After that, the punishments were modified for serfs who ignited, they were only placed in the stockade as an example to others, then traded to other lands to be put into a capacity as to never use their magics. These 'disappearances' served as better deterrent than execution. Fear of the unknown.”
She looked at her father, “Through recent rumblings and investigations by our spies, it has been determined that there is a man who is organizing the rogues again, and we fear the approach of another Mage War.”
I went pale. Another Mage War? The horrors the bards share of the inhumanities people suffered in the last war gave children nightmares after hearing. It couldn't possibly happen again could it? But then my mind caught up with me and I tried to stop the terror welling up inside of me. I refused to let it show. My voice came out in barely a whisper as I stood, avoiding their eyes. “I'm to be brought to the stockades then.” It was a statement not an question.
Celeste pulled me back down into the chair and tried to meet my eyes, I only averted them down. The Prime Techromancer sighed and spoke, “If we are to follow the letter of the laws, then yes child.”
I didn't look up and he added, “But there are ways around it. It would be a shame for us to lose a Terchromancer who is sensitive to two metals. Yet I believe there is even more to you. You have something about you child, your magics taste familiar, like there is something you are not sharing. I can't quite place my finger on it.”
He chuckled out, “Hell, you may not even know you are not sharing if you didn't even know your potential until yesterday. And you have caught the eye of my Celeste. If she is seeing something in you then I would be a fool not to.” I stopped breathing at that. Celeste was seeing something she hasn't shared with me.
Celeste perked up and asked, “What ways father?”
He dipped his head to catch my attention. I looked nervously at the man, holding back the energies I could feel threatening to escape me again. He smiled like he were sharing something exciting as he spoke to me, “We could marry you off to an eligible lord in the castle. I hear Count Heinrick's son Edwin is of majority.”
I was on my feet instantly, finally losing my calm as energy spilled out of me and every metal object in the room sprang to life and started rotating around me, just above my head. I snapped, “I will be betrothed to no man! No man shall ever have me in their bed!”
Both Cleste and the big man stood, but his eyes were not on her as he absently said, “Most commoner women would jump at the chance to marry into nobility, young Laney. Like a dream come true.” He seemed mesmerized by the chaos of swirling metal forming a chaotic halo above me. The lights hanging twenty feet overhead started arching power into the whirling dervish, I hadn't realized they were electric lights.
A warm hand on my arm and a gentle voice beside me pulled my attention and I looked at Celeste through augmented vision, colors swirling. There were so many tastes around me. Everything was getting confusing until I made out what she was saying, “Laney.
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