Aeternitas by M Mixson (free ereaders txt) 📖

picking up several keys at a time and sorting through them quickly.

She made a triumphant sound and held up a key. “Here it is, one of the better rooms.”

She motioned to them and said, “Come this way now.”

Zese followed her carrying Eian.

“What’s his name?”

“I actually don’t know.”

“Did you just pick him up off the street or something?” she asked.

“No, he saved my father so I suppose I owe him a debt.”

“A debt, hmm? Well, what happened to him in any case?”

Zese licked his lips a bit nervously. “He passed out after healing my father. I’m not quite sure what he did but Ohiel said he used magic.”

“Magic?” The woman’s eyebrows rose at this point.

“Magic, he said the boy did magic. But there haven’t been any true magic users in a long time.”

Iasui sighed. “That is true. True Users are hard to come by in this day and age. It’s a pity that more of them aren’t alive. Even if it is just one or two they could help immensely. And if he is a true magic user then it is all the more amazing. He looks far too young to do what you were talking about.”

“You understand the concepts of magic?”

“Yes. They’re very easy to grasp and anyone can learn them but not everyone can wield the power of magic. But that’s enough for now. You look like you could use some rest as well.”

She’d stopped at a door and unlocked it with a key. “If it wasn’t obvious this is your room for your stay here. If you need anything just ring that bell over there.”

“We have a bell?”

“Yes, since these are private rooms for personal use they have a bell in them.” She smiled. “Please get comfortable and if you need more blankets just ring for the bell and we’ll come.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Zese replied giving her a little bow and trying not to drop the young man on the floor.

He entered the room and closed the door behind him with a soft click. He lay the unknown young man on the (sole!) bed in the room before sitting on the opposite side and tugging off his boots and belt. He quickly opened the closet and fetched the two extra blankets normally stored and placed them on the bed. After a moment’s thought he tucked the young man beneath the covers that had already been on the bed but slept atop the quilt himself under the blankets he’d pulled out of the closet.

He woke a little while later to a soft knock at the door. Before he could get it he heard a stirring besides him in the bed and a soft groan before there were feet padding across the floor and a door opening.

“Oh! You’re up. I brought dinner. Is the other young man up?”

“No, it seems he’s still asleep. May I ask how I got here?”

“Well, all I know is that he appeared at my door carrying you.”

“Carrying me?!”

The woman seemed amused by this. “Yes, carrying you. He said you’d saved his father so he was repaying a debt. Apparently my brother Ohiel sent him here.”

“Oh. That was nice of him.”

“Mmm, it was. May I ask your name little one?”

“Little one?”

“You are still young yet, but I do suppose it is rather rude to call you that, so unless you give me your name I shall simply keep calling you ‘little one’.”

“It’s Eian.”

“Eian. What a lovely name! What do you do for a living?”

“Well, I paint.” From where he was lying Zese could see him smiling a little wistfully. “Although with all this going on I haven’t had much time for painting at the moment.”

“A painter! How marvelous! My brother is a painter as well! He was trained by the master painter Diar.”

“DIAR?” Zese nearly shouted as he sat up. As he was sitting up Ohiel shoved his way into the room, he looked briefly at Zese before turning to Eian.

“Eian – did your grandmother work on a ship? Was she lost for about seven years?”

“Yes. How did you know that? That’s something she hasn’t told anyone!”

Ohiel closed her eyes. “She used to watch over me on the ship we were both on. We were sailing for…and then…”

“I know the story. She often talked about a young man that she’d met.”

Ohiel swallowed. “I loved her. She was so good to me. Especially once she learned my mother had died.”

Eian smiled a little. “She was good to me like that too. Both my parents died when I was young.”

“I’m sorry,” Ohiel told him.

Zese had made his way to the group. “You were trained by Diar?”

“Yes…” he said a little inquisitively.

“What was he like? What did he look like? What did he teach you?”

“Why so curious?”

“Diar was my grandfather.”

It seemed as if the world were spinning about them for a moment before finally coming to a standstill.

“I might as well admit,” Zese began, “I’m also a painter like you too but I’m also an Oracle.”

Ohiel’s eyes went wide. “An Oracle and a Magic User in one place! I’m certain that this can be no coincidence. We were brought here together for a reason.”

Ohiel reached out and gripped their hands. “We must discover the reason, something big is probably happening.”

Eian shrugged and moved back. “I know I probably should care, I just can’t quite at this moment.”

Isia was suddenly there in her half-corporeal form, the form only he could see. He half turned to her as she spoke.

‘It is simply depression, Eian. It will pass eventually. This is what happens when you heal someone of darkness. Some of it passes onto you.’

‘I don’t like it, it makes everything seem depressing. I just want to sleep all of a sudden.’

‘That’s normal. You used up so much energy that your body is unable to regenerate as quickly as usual.’

“Who is she?” Zese suddenly asked. “And what do you mean regenerate?”

“What are you talking about?” Ohiel asked.

Zese’s eyebrow twitched, “Her, the young lady in the corner who seems to have a love of the color silver. Even her skin is almost a translucent color.”

Eian turned to him. “You can see her?!”

“Of course!”

“You shouldn’t be able to! She’s a Source, only another Source or User should be able to see her!”

Isia had floated over to Zese and was studying him.

‘Hmm. How very interesting. He can see me. I heard you are an Oracle. Of the Princess perhaps?’

“Yes. I am an Oracle of the Princess.”

‘Well, that might explain it. Being an Oracle is like having a different type of magic. So I suppose it makes sense you can see me. The Princess is linked to the Source…”

“That’s all well and good,” Ohiel cut in, “but where do we go from here?”

Eian turned towards the window and watched as the wind blew snow across the hills. “I suppose we do our best to survive.” He turned back towards them. “Do you know what I mean?”

Zese looked him straight in the eye. “You mean to fight in the war everyone is predicting don’t you.”

Eian lowered his lashes and spoke softly,

/winter calls to me/

/ever so softly she wraps me/

/in her heavy arms/

/I lie in stillness/

/flesh the color of pale ice/

/lips the color of the winter sky/

/in this crystalline winter/

/we lay here in slumber/

/awaiting the coming of the dawn/

“The prophecy,” Ohiel whispered.

“The prophecy,” Zese murmured.

The three men turned to the window again as a blast of wind shook the shutters.

Chapter 18: Friendships

It felt like years to them but it was actually months. The three painters had bonded over their unique abilities. Ohiel had decided it was his mission to watch out for the other two. They always seemed to be getting into trouble – one thing after another. And as the plague was ending he found that they were almost always in more danger than was strictly necessary. He looked up as the door opened to the inn and he saw Eian limping being supported by Zese.

Ohiel sucked on his tongue hoping to hold back the rash statements he would make otherwise. Zese didn’t look apologetic in the least. He had a big grin on his face and with his free hand was pushing back his thick hair.

“Zese. Eian.” Ohiel greeted them a bit coldly as Zese settled Eian on a stool. “So,” he began, “how did you get into this scrape?”

Eian shook his head. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t Zese’s fault this time.”

Ohiel’s nose twitched. “You say that every time you both come back beat up.”

“It really wasn’t his fault this time. In fact he didn’t even start it!”

“Did you start it then?”

Eian’s shoulders slumped. “Maybe. Probably. Okay, yes. I definitely started it but the guy was asking for it!”

Zese was definitely rubbing off on Eian and very much in a bad way, Ohiel thought.

Eian had been so good when Ohiel had first met him. He had been very conscious of his actions and was always worried and hesitant about what was going to happen if he did one thing or another. Now though, he seemed far more wild and carefree.

He supposed that it was partly his fault too. He’d told Eian to get out there and learn about the world, to not sit back and let it pass him, to seize the day and make it his.

Eian was rolling his shoulders at the moment, apparently trying to loosen them up.

“Did you use magic?”

Eian looked up surprised. “Of course not! You’re not supposed to use magic to harm others!”

“Doesn’t mean people won’t try it, especially if they get stuck in a situation they can’t see the way out of.”

“He didn’t use it,” Zese snapped at him a bit angrily. “He didn’t even do anything wrong. He’s right, the other guy was asking for it. He got as good as he deserved.”

“So what did happen anyways that this guy deserved to be beaten into the ground? I’m assuming that’s what happened due to the way the two of you look.”

Zese’s grin got even wider. “Well we were out at the pub,” he started his story and Ohiel couldn’t help but put in,

“Of course you were, where else would you have been at this time of day?”

Zese frowned and shushed him before continuing rather dramatically with his story. “Eian and I were sitting at a table in the back of the pub so we could watch who came in and who came out. It’s also the best place to gain all sorts of interesting information.”

“Then what?”

“Then we ordered our drinks and had a bit to drink. Eian gets tipsy fast so I cut him off after the second drink of most nights. However tonight was supposed to be special, a celebration because as you know Eian just finished his massively big painting. He was halfway into his third mug when this man walks into the pub carrying a large stick.

“Now we thought that was slightly funny because seriously, who carries a stick into the pub anyways? So we laugh about it for a few minutes, take a few more swigs of the ale and sit and just enjoy the atmosphere of the pub.

“Not too long after the man walks in several more walk in and sit at his table. Now