Read Online The First Life of Tanan by Andrew Riley - Free Book Online

big for him, but he would grow into it.  Anin also gave him a stiff canvas backpack and a set of quills in a polished wooden box with a shiny silver clasp.  His name was carved into the top of the box in intricate and flowery script.  Tanan had never owned a new quill, let alone an entire set.  He had always used old quills that his father or grandfather had handed down to him.  It was a lovely gift.
    Lindelin gave him a thick book, bound in deep red leather.  Tanan opened it and discovered it was blank.
    “As you learn magic, you’ll eventually want to copy the symbols and chants that you learn into a book of your own,” explained Lindelin.  “Take care of that book and it will last you a lifetime.”
    Lindelin also gave him a brand new pair of dark leather boots that fit perfectly and went almost up to his knees.  “I suggest,” said Lindelin, “that you wear those boots for the next couple of days to get them broken in.”
    It was the best birthday Tanan had ever had.  He thanked his father and grandfather for the presents and gave them each a hug.
    While Anin cooked breakfast, Tanan folded his new coat and put it into his backpack along with his new book and quill set, which fit perfectly into an inner pocket.
    •        •        •
    After breakfast was finished, Lindelin and Anin went off to work.  Tanan put on his new boots and walked up the hill to the Abbey.  He was eager to have a look at the books of magic in the Abbey library.
    He found Sweelin sweeping up in the main hall, so he pitched in and helped the Abbot finish the chore.
    Once the sweeping was done, Sweelin and Tanan went into the library.
    “The books you’re interested in are in this section,” Sweelin said, gesturing at a particular shelf.  “You may read them, but they must stay in this room.  Do not copy anything from them.”
    Tanan was happy to have the opportunity to study.  He looked at the books for a few moments before selecting one at random and carrying it to a large, slightly dusty chair near a window.
    The book was about healing magic, which was his grandfather’s specialty.  He read a few pages of magical theory which explained that healing magic was largely based on the practitioner’s ability to harness his own energy, shape it, and then pass it from his own body into another person or even an object.
    He’d never really thought about it, but his father used healing magic in his Apothecary, infusing his healing energy into the medicines he made.  His grandfather, on the other hand, used more direct healing methods to compliment his knowledge of medicines and the human body.
    Tanan had always privately thought of his grandfather’s magic as more useful than his father’s.  Now he thought the two types of healing magic might be complementary.  Between the two of them, they certainly kept the people of Port Billen healthy and whole.
    He returned to the shelf and replaced the book.  The next one he chose had green binding and was titled “Advanced Protective Enchantments.”  He sat back down in his chair and opened the book, flipping to a page in the middle.  The page described a personal protection spell.  There was an intricate, eight sided symbol drawn out under the descriptive text.  Tanan looked at the symbol for several minutes, studying the intricate series of loops and whorls.
    Beneath the  symbol were the words of the chant that went with it.  He mouthed the words slowly, the way Soama had taught him the spell in the garden. “Oinducturesee cruestass hindewedee abelenciss reticulagh evalarmat.”
    He repeated the words over and over until he had memorized the sounds.  Below the words were musical notations that contained the melody of the chant, but Tanan didn’t understand the notations so he used a melody of his own that seemed to fit the words.
    He continued to repeat the words and melody while he studied the symbol.  The lines of the symbol seemed to wriggle on the