Wizard of Jatte - Rowan Erlking (year 2 reading books txt) 📗

been unclear to him, but what he did know was that only skilled professionals were permitted to sell their magic skills to others, mostly to prevent the creation of demons. Amateurs often made hasty magic judgements, and demons tended to be the result. Of course, history also told him that some professional magicians also created demons, purposefully or inadvertent. Either way, he figured that was what Theissen was describing. Demonic stones had a way of cursing the owner with an evil touch.

“Anyway,” Theissen drew in a sigh and got up, “I think playing with color is more fun. Changing the shape of things takes a bit out of you.”

“It does?” Dalance began to wonder how much energy it really took to use magic.

Theissen set his stool aside with the other furniture he was practicing on. “Well, yeah. You really have to concentrate on several things to make it take shape the way you want it. Color changing is more like shifting to the side. It is all about light anyway.”

Sometimes Dalance wished Theissen wasn’t so casual about the magic he could perform. They never did get all the color touched handprints off of all the linens, though whenever they found one these days their mother made Theissen put it back to right. “What about moving things? How do you do that?”

Trying to cover a laugh, Theissen hesitated to say. “Well, uh, making things move is actually me making the wind move it or the ground to push it along.”

“But what about those dolls?” Dalance pointed up to the sawdust doll collection.

With a shrug, his brother said, “Those? Oh, I guess I was just shifting around the parts. That kind of moving is very exhausting. I get tired just thinking about it.”

How Theissen had that kind of energy when he was younger, Dalance decided he didn’t know. Theissen had already walked over to the corner to get the broom so they could sweep the floor, ending their conversation as if they had talked about nothing important. It was clear that he had to stop asking his brother questions, even if he wanted to know more. Besides, their free time was short. Part of the ceremony would take place in the shop. It had to be clean when the village elders arrived. The shop usually had a semblance of clean when they worked. It had only been so overrun since their last furniture order. A tradesman from Pepersin Town had sold his stock and was begging them for more.

“Hey, you haven’t cleaned up yet?” Kinnerlin had walked in just as Dalance had gotten to his feet. He looked straight at Dalance. “Dad wants you to pick up the glass sheeting with me from the glassmaker’s shop right now.”

Another order they were just finishing that week. They had been waiting on two long panes of glass for a particular cabinet that would be sent to Liptan Town along the northern shore. They usually had orders for some of the tiny hamlets not far from the coast. The fishing villages required even less furniture, usually requesting stools and folding tables rather than high back chairs and china cabinets. Most of their business was along the West Coast in the Pepersin Peninsula, though some went as far north as Tucken Town. Once they got an order from a town inland beyond the Dondit and Tuscon Mountains. They had to take the south forest road to South Town to deliver it. Their father had been gone over a month that time. It was then that the carpenter’s sons realized that the world was a very big place.

Nodding to Theissen, Dalance set his broom aside and marched out with Kinnerlin. Theissen watched them go.

 

Yes. The world was a very large place. Theissen had become aware of himself in it as he watched his oldest brother head out towards the edge of their property with his carpenter’s pack on his back and his tools well stowed in the belt around his waist.

The villagers waved to Dalance, wishing him well. He looked smart in the new vest his mother had sewn for him, embroidered in the markings of Lumen Village so that he would not forget where he had come from. The sash from Alania was tied around his waist with the same markings. He had his coat rolled up and strapped to the underside of his pack with his bedroll, his water bladder dangling from the lower strap. Every simple necessity was packed inside the bag, the weight pulling down on his strong shoulders that he held high to show the world he was ready. The weight of it was nothing to the elation Dalance was feeling as he set off to make his way in the world. But Dalance was leaving him behind.

 A lump had somehow lodged in Theissen’s throat, though he put on a smile for his eldest brother as he waved goodbye. He only hoped Dalance would do as he had promised their mother, to write at least weekly if not more often. Of course, it was dependent on how faithfully the mail was delivered. Sometimes their village did not get a mail pouch for weeks.

“Goodbye!” Tolbetan called out, jumping up to make sure his brother could see him. Theissen was half tempted to make the ground mound up under his feet so that he could be seen. However, he had learned from experience that doing some magic made people nervous.

Perhaps that was why he was hesitant to answer Dalance’s questions. He didn’t want his brother to hate him. Theissen watched as Dalance continued up the road, sad he didn’t say more. Whenever anyone else knew how much magic he really could see and manipulate, the more they seemed to hate him. He could practically taste the hate the magician had for him, and that man appeared to be the only one who really knew how far he could go with his magic touch. Yuld hated him only a degree less, but that was because the scholar could not comprehend how he was doing what he did during class and Yuld wanted to know everything more than everyone else.

But Dalance was gone, passed out of sight and already on the north road. It would be the last Theissen would see of him for perhaps the rest of his life if neither of them ever returned to Lumen Village.

There would be feasting that evening for the rest of the family, though the carpenter’s sons gathered along the fence dreaming of when they would become men. Kinnerlin was now the oldest apprentice, already imagining his send off. Kolbran leaned on the fence next to Tolbetan, mimicking his brother’s posture, not entirely aware of what was happening since he was only four. Theissen wondered if Kolbran would remember Dalance at all.

Giving one last look, Theissen turned and walked with his brothers over to the tables to pick up what was left of their meals. Dessert would be served after.

Most of the chatter around the tables was gossip. Family gatherings were collections of that sort of thing, really. Who was getting married? Who was having a child? Why wasn’t Alania married yet? Those kind of things. His relatives sometimes talked about him, though in lower whispers asking things such as: has he conjured anything dangerous yet, or has he figured out how to make them rich with his ‘powers’. Between these questions and questions about Alania’s suitability for a match with a man in hamlet down south, Theissen found himself wishing he could not hear as well as he could.

He snuck off towards the carpenter shop when his aunts brought out the plum pies. Besides disliking the taste of plums, Theissen just wanted to be alone. He had lost his favorite brother, and suddenly the world seemed lonely.

“So, you’re hiding, Thief?”

Theissen halted at the edge of the corner where the wood for heating was stacked. Migdrin leaned against the wall there.

“I’m not a thief,” Theissen said, not moving further though the only way to the shop was around his oldest brother’s friend.

Getting off the wall, Migdrin sauntered over, his eyes cast down on Theissen’s face with a narrow glare. “Sure, you’re not. Thief. And I’m not a Shoemakerson.”

Theissen sidestepped to go around him. “Leave me alone.”

Migdrin didn’t. He stepped out his leg to block him. Then he reached out his hand, grabbing Theissen’s head as if to shove him into the ground. “You can’t talk to me like that now that your big brother is gone.”

With the pressure on his head, Theissen could barely see beyond the underside of Migdrin’s arm and shirt ties. Staring at the unbleached linen, he could only hear the grinding threats Dalance’s friend hissed at him.

“And if you ever interfere with me again, I will make you regret it, you tiny nothing of a kid. Got that?” Migdrin shoved Theissen’s head hard into his shoulders.

Jerking away from him, Theissen stared up defiantly. “No! I don’t have to, you bully!”

Migdrin reached out, swiping at him. “What did you call me? I’ll—”

But he could not go another step further. His feet stuck in the ground. He could not lift them.

Theissen squeezed himself against the far fence, sticking his tongue out at Migdrin as he passed. “Get yourself out of that, ugly. I’m not going to.”

The shoemaker’s son stared down at his feet. Both of them were sunken ankle-deep into the earth as if he were stuck in mud, the dirt around it was hardened though. Barely able to move his feet in his shoes, Migdrin yanked on the laces. “I’ll get you!”

The carpenter’s fourth son was already gone around the corner, laughing at him. “Stupid! Come and catch me!”

Theissen had already gone back to the party, dashing straight into the crowd where his aunts were dishing out the pie. Kinnerlin scooted over to make a place for him, glancing back once at where he had come from. He barely saw Migdrin and frowned.

“What’s he doing here now? Dalance is gone.”

Theissen just shrugged and reached out for the other dessert that he had not seen before. Someone had made a pear crumble. Alania was serving their table, though she seemed to also follow Kinnerlin’s gaze when Theissen arrived. She frowned.

“Stay away from him, Theissen,” she said, dishing out a plate for one of their cousins. “I heard he nearly drowned Kinnerlin a few weeks ago.”

Looking up, Theissen blinked. It was clear no one had told her about what he had done to Migdrin. Tolbetan nudged Theissen in the side, scraping off the strawberries he had off his plate onto Theissen’s. He grinned, gesturing for him to look at Kinnerlin. Theissen did. Kinnerlin met his gaze and nodded.

“Don’t worry. We won’t let him get to you.”

Alania snorted, serving up a portion of her pie for Kolbran. “Be serious. Theissen can handle him on his own. He’s a wizard.”

Wizard.

Theissen had heard that word a number of times before though had not quite understood what it really meant until then. It had always been said in hushed voices with glances cast at him during gossip at family gatherings. No one said it in the between times, though he had heard adults use it in their gossip along the road. Until then, he had though it one of those dirty words their mother didn’t like them saying—one of those words that would get his mouth washed out with soap if he repeated them. Even now, Alania snuck a glance at her mother just to make sure she did not hear her.

“But Migdrin is so mean,” Kinnerlin said, slumping over the table. “And stupid. I don’t think he gets that Theissen could—”

“Could what?” Their cousin Milrina who was Theissen’s age skipped over, grinning at the brothers before scooting in between them to get some pie.

Tolbetan and Kinnerlin rolled their eyes, claming up.

“Go away.” Tolbetan shoved her arm.

Theissen got up, scooting out from his spot. “You can sit here.”

Smiling, Milrina did so. His brothers frowned. That ended that, and Theissen was frankly glad.

Milrina