Hunted Sorcery (Jon Oklar Book 2) B.T. Narro (book reader for pc .TXT) 📖

so all we need is to disrupt that order. The right kind of enchantment can do that. We take…” He had a breath, then spoke quickly. “We take the essence of a man with a conflicted soul, one who has been corrupted. With a strong enchanter and a moonstone, we should be able to create something. I’ve wanted to test it, and I have been in conversations with Barrett about it. He agrees it should be possible, but—”

Kataleya interrupted, “My god, Charlie. You’re talking about a curse!”

“Yes, technically it’s a curse, but—”

The sounds of everyone expressing their disagreement interrupted him this time.

“I can control it!” Charlie yelled over us.

We quieted down.

“At least I think so. I still need to test it.”

We erupted again.

Eslenda put up her hands. “Silence!”

We stopped clamoring to let her speak.

“The kind of curse that would disrupt a spell of ordia could disrupt all mana in the vicinity. You might not be able to cast anything if you hold this cursed stone with you. And you need a lot more than just a powerful enchanter to make it. You will need other unsavory materials. You will not perform this curse under any circumstance, blond child.”

“But—”

“But no! You’re more likely to do harm than good, blond child!”

“Can you go back to calling me young one?”

“She’s right,” I interjected. I had seen not only what a curse could do, I had felt how powerful it could remain even after the witch was done making it. This was more likely to go wrong than right.

“An essence of man, you said it required?” Michael asked. “Do I even want to know how you would get that?”

“You should give up on this project,” I said. “Permanently.”

Eden gestured at me. “Then you, Jon, are going to have to sense ordia, because I’m not going to be fighting alongside you when it’s time to sense for Cason.”

“Yes, and we’re wasting time.”

Charlie folded his arms and looked down as if to pout. I had to ignore him, as we had wasted enough time already.

“Eslenda, let’s begin,” I said.

“Yes, I will cast. You feel.”

“Wait,” Charlie said.

I gave an exasperated sigh.

“Just one last thing,” Charlie said. “What about resistance?” he asked Eslenda.

“Why do you mention resistance?”

“An illusion is a spell just like any other. It affects not the caster but the people around the caster, correct?”

Oh, he might be on to something.

“Yes,” Eslenda said.  “It does not change the caster’s physical appearance. It changes the perception of others to the caster.”

“Then it really is just like any other spell,” Charlie concluded. “So it must be able to be resisted.”

Eslenda drew everyone’s gaze again as she pursed her lips. “I think you are right.”

“Yes!” Charlie cheered.

“But?” Michael hinted.

“What?” Eslenda asked.

“Aren’t you going to say there is a problem with resisting?” he asked.

“Yes. I don’t know how one would practice resistance besides standing close to a sorcerer while they cast an illusion for many hours over days. I will not do that. I cannot do that. It is too draining. But in theory, it should work.”

“Can you finally explain illusions?” I asked, giving a quick look at Charlie in hopes of finally quieting him. I appreciated his efforts, but there should be time for questions later. I was eager to begin training.

“The illusion is a conversation between my mana and your eyes.”

“A conversation?” I asked, wondering if this might be a language problem.

“Yes. My mana speaks to your eyes. When I cloak myself using my mana, I change the way you see me. I have never thought of resistance to such a spell, but it should be possible. Perhaps the best way to see through the illusion is resistance after all. I need to think on it.”

Kataleya asked, “If Nijja established all the rules of ordia, did she also create the rules of resistance?”

According to the stories, Nijja was one of the five demigods. Like the others, she used up much of her power to create a magical art, ordia in this case. Apparently Basael, the god who gave life to every demigod, was pleased with Nijja’s creation because it could finally establish order in the chaotic world of Fyrren, where the powerful fae had been killing each other.

I wasn’t sure how much of it I believed, but I was beginning to feel that there was a form of power in this world greater than myself. There was something at play, not just between the kingdoms. It was like the land was alive…and at war with itself. Or perhaps it wasn’t the land per se but nature.

“Nijja did not create resistance,” Eslenda answered Kataleya. “Resistance is…what is the word?”

“Inherent?” Kataleya asked.

“Yes. It is inherent in every living person and creature.” She moved her hair over her elven ear as she seemed to be in thought, perhaps about how to continue.

I had an idea—something to test. “I feel like I can direct my mana where I want it to be, and I know that mana is essential to resisting spells. If my eyes are the only thing affected by an illusion, isn’t there some way I can move my mana to my eyes to ensure my gaze breaks through the illusion?”

“I have never heard of such a thing,” Eslenda said. “But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

“Cloak yourself,” I requested. “And we will try.”

*****

After the better part of an hour, all of us needed a break. Although Eslenda seemed exhausted as she panted for breath, it was the frustration shared by me and my peers that made me want to give up already. Everyone had tried using their mana to resist the spell, all directing it to their vision, but it didn’t seem to do anything. I wasn’t planning on leaving until I knew how to at least practice finding a cloaked Cason, but Eslenda didn’t have much longer, it seemed from the way she looked around the forest impatiently.

I asked, “How do you decide between turning invisible or taking on the appearance of someone else?”

“Like with every spell of ordia,”