stop
and made them prosperous for the last four years by using her magic
to enchant favorable deals with many traders and merchants in
neighboring cities. She assured them that no harm would come to
them from the Collective and that she and her fellow magicians only
wanted a place to live in peace.
Half of the townsfolk left that first day,
but she knew such a thing was a possibility and the Collective was
ready. Their enchanters made quick work of altering the memories of
those leaving so that they no longer recalled Alia’s announcement
or had any inkling that there might be magicians in their midst.
Then more decided to leave not long after even as more magicians
trickled into Wolfsbane of their own accord and once the magicians
outnumbered the non-magic users the rest of the original townsfolk
left the town altogether. It was a blow to Alia’s ego as a ruler.
She had done everything right. She used her magic to help them and
protect them, but it was all for nothing. It was the rightful place
for magicians to rule over the “lessers,” but that did not mean
that they had to be cruel. It was a natural fact of the world that
those with power rose above those without. Whether that power was a
keen intellect, a warrior’s battle prowess, or magic it should have
made no difference as long as the people felt protected.
If they had stayed it would have meant
something. It would have meant that an eventual peace could be
reached and maybe her own daughter could grow up in a world where
she would not be hated for simply being born. She did not want
Avelice to have to fight as she had. Gods willing Avelice would
never need to know what it felt like to kill a man, nor ever grow
so detached that she took pleasure in the act as Alia once did.
Now her days were spent caring for little
Avelice or tinkering with her enchantments. The magician control
collar that had been in her possession for nearly two years still
eluded her ability to solve. There was a component that was
different from any magic that Alia knew, but she knew that it was
only just escaping her comprehension and once she understood how it
worked, then she would be able to break its hold over
magicians.
A knock at the door broke her away from her
thoughts and she raced to open it before the unwary knocker woke
Avelice from her nap. If whoever it was woke her baby, she would
rip-
She hastily opened the door and was greeted
by the wizened face of her father. “I hope I am not disturbing
you,” Xander whispered, “but I had some free time and wanted to pay
my two favorite girls a visit.”
“Not at all, father. Please come in,” Alia
stepped aside so that Xander could enter, “but you may be
disappointed to learn that Avelice is taking a nap right now.”
Xander sat at a small table while Alia poured
two glasses of wine in her narrow kitchen. He did not understand
why she would choose a house of such modest size when there were
larger ones available to her, but he never understood her desire to
move out of the castle either. She tried to explain it to him once,
but it was difficult to put into words. The castle and its grounds
were so large that it felt impersonal. This place felt like it
should be someone’s home. “You are looking well,” the old man
observed amicably as he sipped his wine. “Motherhood seems to suit
you well.”
“That is kind of you. We are getting along
nicely although sometimes I miss the comforts of the castle. Here I
do everything for myself.”
“You can always come back,” Xander offered.
“I have kept your quarters purposefully vacant although that
apprentice of yours has been vying for the larger accommodations
aggressively… and convincingly.”
Alia laughed abruptly. “That does sound like
Tomlin.” She took a sip of wine and swirled it lightly about the
cup out of habit. “Let him have the room and if I ever decide to
move back into the castle, then I will kick him back out.”
“You are a shrewd one,” Xander
and made them prosperous for the last four years by using her magic
to enchant favorable deals with many traders and merchants in
neighboring cities. She assured them that no harm would come to
them from the Collective and that she and her fellow magicians only
wanted a place to live in peace.
Half of the townsfolk left that first day,
but she knew such a thing was a possibility and the Collective was
ready. Their enchanters made quick work of altering the memories of
those leaving so that they no longer recalled Alia’s announcement
or had any inkling that there might be magicians in their midst.
Then more decided to leave not long after even as more magicians
trickled into Wolfsbane of their own accord and once the magicians
outnumbered the non-magic users the rest of the original townsfolk
left the town altogether. It was a blow to Alia’s ego as a ruler.
She had done everything right. She used her magic to help them and
protect them, but it was all for nothing. It was the rightful place
for magicians to rule over the “lessers,” but that did not mean
that they had to be cruel. It was a natural fact of the world that
those with power rose above those without. Whether that power was a
keen intellect, a warrior’s battle prowess, or magic it should have
made no difference as long as the people felt protected.
If they had stayed it would have meant
something. It would have meant that an eventual peace could be
reached and maybe her own daughter could grow up in a world where
she would not be hated for simply being born. She did not want
Avelice to have to fight as she had. Gods willing Avelice would
never need to know what it felt like to kill a man, nor ever grow
so detached that she took pleasure in the act as Alia once did.
Now her days were spent caring for little
Avelice or tinkering with her enchantments. The magician control
collar that had been in her possession for nearly two years still
eluded her ability to solve. There was a component that was
different from any magic that Alia knew, but she knew that it was
only just escaping her comprehension and once she understood how it
worked, then she would be able to break its hold over
magicians.
A knock at the door broke her away from her
thoughts and she raced to open it before the unwary knocker woke
Avelice from her nap. If whoever it was woke her baby, she would
rip-
She hastily opened the door and was greeted
by the wizened face of her father. “I hope I am not disturbing
you,” Xander whispered, “but I had some free time and wanted to pay
my two favorite girls a visit.”
“Not at all, father. Please come in,” Alia
stepped aside so that Xander could enter, “but you may be
disappointed to learn that Avelice is taking a nap right now.”
Xander sat at a small table while Alia poured
two glasses of wine in her narrow kitchen. He did not understand
why she would choose a house of such modest size when there were
larger ones available to her, but he never understood her desire to
move out of the castle either. She tried to explain it to him once,
but it was difficult to put into words. The castle and its grounds
were so large that it felt impersonal. This place felt like it
should be someone’s home. “You are looking well,” the old man
observed amicably as he sipped his wine. “Motherhood seems to suit
you well.”
“That is kind of you. We are getting along
nicely although sometimes I miss the comforts of the castle. Here I
do everything for myself.”
“You can always come back,” Xander offered.
“I have kept your quarters purposefully vacant although that
apprentice of yours has been vying for the larger accommodations
aggressively… and convincingly.”
Alia laughed abruptly. “That does sound like
Tomlin.” She took a sip of wine and swirled it lightly about the
cup out of habit. “Let him have the room and if I ever decide to
move back into the castle, then I will kick him back out.”
“You are a shrewd one,” Xander
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