around?” he
asked her.
Her mind whirled, finally settling on a
compromise. She would agree to today, but it would have to be the
last, she’d bring it up with him on the way. “I’d love to,” she
replied finally, hoping he didn’t notice the hesitance in her
voice. She stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her
so he didn’t come inside.
“Excellent,” he beamed, “I need to pick up
something in town, so I was hoping you'd like to go for a little
shopping trip.”
Layna laughed. “Not that I have all that much
to spend, but I do love to look!”
“I’ll stop by my room to grab my things and
meet you at the stables?” he asked, and she nodded.
They saddled up the usual horses and started
the trek to town, falling easily into conversation. Gryffon seemed
to have a never-ending supply of knowledge, and on the rare
occasion that he didn't know something, he admitted it rather than
making something up. It was a trait that Layna found refreshing.
Layna picked up a thread of conversation that they had been
discussing during their last outing, deciding that her bad news
could wait until later.
“Why is it that in ancient ballads and
stories, magic was predominant in society, and now there are very
few great talents?”
Gryffon considered the question before
replying. “Well, there is always the time factor.” When Layna
looked at him quizzically, he explained. “Stories become
exaggerated over time, so it's hard to tell the truth behind
ancient stories. But I, for one, do believe that there was more
magic around. There are too many remnants of its past power
surviving in spells, and even though I blame the priests for
suppressing a lot of the talent that there is today, I still think
that there used to be even more of us around. Do you know much
about the histories about the Dark Age?”
“They didn't spend much time teaching us
history in farm girl or maid school,” she said wryly. “I have read
some of the books on it in the library though. Enough that I know
that the Dark King somehow became popular despite his twisted
ideas, and eventually gained enough support that he elevated
himself to god-like status. He explained to the people that he was
preparing for the Sleeping God's return, but those close to him
reported that he believed he was the god himself. That's when he
started massacring all those who he didn't believe fit his
definition of an ideal person. I'm not at all clear on the purpose
or reasons that he killed the ones he did – I mean what made them
unworthy in his eyes.”
Gryffon nodded to her, obviously impressed by
the amount of knowledge that she did have on the subject, which
sent a glow of happiness through Layna. “I'm not sure that anyone
can give you a reason for his actions, at least not any sane one,
but they said that he was a very powerful mage who got that way by
turning to blood-magic. Many believe that the power corrupted his
mind and made him mad. The reason I mention it is that many of the
people he considered to be unfit for the continuance of the human
race were those who were also very powerful mages. Conveniently,
these were also the ones most likely and able to oppose him.”
Layna made a sound of acknowledgment as she
chewed on this information. “Can you explain to me what exactly
blood-magic is?”
“Remember how I told you that in order to do
a spell you have to open yourself to the power and that in order to
do some of the more complicated ones you had to have enough talent
and enough power had to be available in order to do it?”
She nodded. “I'm not sure if I ever fully
understood the part about it not being available though.” She
scrunched up her nose, trying to recall their previous
conversation. “I remember you saying something about the priests
not teaching you some spells either because you didn't have enough
talent or there wasn't enough talent available, but I don't think
you ever explained that last part.”
“Okay. Let's
asked her.
Her mind whirled, finally settling on a
compromise. She would agree to today, but it would have to be the
last, she’d bring it up with him on the way. “I’d love to,” she
replied finally, hoping he didn’t notice the hesitance in her
voice. She stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her
so he didn’t come inside.
“Excellent,” he beamed, “I need to pick up
something in town, so I was hoping you'd like to go for a little
shopping trip.”
Layna laughed. “Not that I have all that much
to spend, but I do love to look!”
“I’ll stop by my room to grab my things and
meet you at the stables?” he asked, and she nodded.
They saddled up the usual horses and started
the trek to town, falling easily into conversation. Gryffon seemed
to have a never-ending supply of knowledge, and on the rare
occasion that he didn't know something, he admitted it rather than
making something up. It was a trait that Layna found refreshing.
Layna picked up a thread of conversation that they had been
discussing during their last outing, deciding that her bad news
could wait until later.
“Why is it that in ancient ballads and
stories, magic was predominant in society, and now there are very
few great talents?”
Gryffon considered the question before
replying. “Well, there is always the time factor.” When Layna
looked at him quizzically, he explained. “Stories become
exaggerated over time, so it's hard to tell the truth behind
ancient stories. But I, for one, do believe that there was more
magic around. There are too many remnants of its past power
surviving in spells, and even though I blame the priests for
suppressing a lot of the talent that there is today, I still think
that there used to be even more of us around. Do you know much
about the histories about the Dark Age?”
“They didn't spend much time teaching us
history in farm girl or maid school,” she said wryly. “I have read
some of the books on it in the library though. Enough that I know
that the Dark King somehow became popular despite his twisted
ideas, and eventually gained enough support that he elevated
himself to god-like status. He explained to the people that he was
preparing for the Sleeping God's return, but those close to him
reported that he believed he was the god himself. That's when he
started massacring all those who he didn't believe fit his
definition of an ideal person. I'm not at all clear on the purpose
or reasons that he killed the ones he did – I mean what made them
unworthy in his eyes.”
Gryffon nodded to her, obviously impressed by
the amount of knowledge that she did have on the subject, which
sent a glow of happiness through Layna. “I'm not sure that anyone
can give you a reason for his actions, at least not any sane one,
but they said that he was a very powerful mage who got that way by
turning to blood-magic. Many believe that the power corrupted his
mind and made him mad. The reason I mention it is that many of the
people he considered to be unfit for the continuance of the human
race were those who were also very powerful mages. Conveniently,
these were also the ones most likely and able to oppose him.”
Layna made a sound of acknowledgment as she
chewed on this information. “Can you explain to me what exactly
blood-magic is?”
“Remember how I told you that in order to do
a spell you have to open yourself to the power and that in order to
do some of the more complicated ones you had to have enough talent
and enough power had to be available in order to do it?”
She nodded. “I'm not sure if I ever fully
understood the part about it not being available though.” She
scrunched up her nose, trying to recall their previous
conversation. “I remember you saying something about the priests
not teaching you some spells either because you didn't have enough
talent or there wasn't enough talent available, but I don't think
you ever explained that last part.”
“Okay. Let's
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