Chapter 14

  They followed the flying seahorse until they spotted the Roman armata. After the flying seahorse was hidden, they circled down to see the disposition of soldiers and find the prisoners. The Armata was made of about fifty ships, each with between one hundred and three hundred soldiers abord depending on the ship’s size. The ships stayed close to the shore and were spread all along Praia Azul. In the center was a ship more like a modern pleasure boat with less soldiers and only one row of oars. By the mast of the ship was a large white fox in the cage. They could feel the anger and magic streaming from the ship.

  Suddenly Erameya was free falling. In fear she looked around. Below her was Laird Tokavaig half shifting and then being forced back into his human form. Above her was an unknown golden dragon. In comparison to Laird Tokavaig, he was small. His wild silvery blue eyes caught hers and she reached out with her mana. It was Angus! He flew down and grasped her in his large forelegs, pulling against his chest.

  “Are you alright.” Angus asked telepathically.

  “Fine, what happened?” Erameya responded.

  “We were hit with a second-form spell. I have been fighting it but Angus will be unable to. Only a djinn can cast one strong enough to force me to change. This must be how they caught Lilja. That is the anger I felt coming from her. She is stuck in the form of a large artic fox… Oh, I see.” Laird Tokavaig started talking to himself. “I thought it would take him longer to recover.” Suddenly Laird Tokavaig shifted back into a dragon and started casting a spell. They were hit again by the same magical spell they had been hit with before. Laird Tokavaig did not shift form this time but was thrown above Erameya and Angus. Erameya looked in shock as the djinn started to gather a lot of death magic into a spell. She panicked. When she lost control, she started pulling in every essence in the world around her. Many of the essences she pulled in were unfamiliar and caused extreme pain as it entered her body. When she felt like an over filled balloon, she forced all the magic from inside of her into the djinn. He exploded into a cloud of magic. She felt Angus shift back human and saw the white fox erupt into a sapphire blue dragon. The blue dragon flew up and caught them on her back then landed back onto the ship, dumping them on the deck as she shifted into a beautiful red-haired girl with sapphire blue eyes.

  “Hurry, Edward is in the brig. I don’t know where Markus is; the djinn is controlling him.”

  Erameya and Angus ran toward the hatch. “Close your eyes, that will help you see in the dark once we get below stairs.” Angus instructed her as they ran.

  The few soldiers they passed as they ran toward the brig seemed to be stunned. The guard just handed them the keys when they asked for them.

  “Where are we?” the guard asked once they were unlocking the door.

  “By Praia Azul.”

  “Why are we by the Iberian Peninsula, these ships were not made for high seas?” he asked.

  “We were hoping you could tell us that. I am Princess Erameya of The Northern Empire, and this is my brother Crown Prince Edward.”

  “Why are you here, and why was he in the brig. The last thing I remember doing was fleeing from the Babylonian warships.”

  “Was the djinn with you?”

  “No, he was on a Babylonian vessel.”

  “Come to the deck with us. We need to sort this out.”

  Back on deck Laird Tokavaig and Lilja were talking to Markus. He looked as confused as the guard was.

  “You are telling me I am off the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula and have implied I was going to attack England? We are having a hard enough time holding Rome. What are the Crown Prince and Princess of The Northern Empire doing here?”

  “You had Prince Edward in the brig. You had my granddaughter imprisoned on the deck.”

  “I am sorry. I have no memory of imprisoning them. I have a headache and need rest. We will leave for Rome as soon as I feel better. If you wait, I will write a formal apology to King Cnut.” He bowed and walked into the bridge.

  “That djinn was the same one that captured you uncle. I injured him and cracked his vessel. I am surprised he has already healed. It should have taken him at least two thousand years. See if you can find a bracer or two.”

  “Sir, there were two bracers and a necklace on the deck over there. I’ll go get them. I took them to the bridge,” a soldier said.

  “Both bracers and the necklace? He must be severely injured. He lost only one bracer last lime but I did crack the gem in the necklace.”

  “What is a djinn? In my world the most common fable is they live in lamps that you rub and they grant three wishes.”

  “They are beings of magic. They are summoned from a spiritual plane into this plane by magic using a gem to store them and bracers to give them form. There is a lot of spells and magic involved and they cannot be killed because they are not actually alive. It is almost a sentient construct. Regardless. If the vessel or gem is touching your skin you can compel the djinn, unless it overpowers you. If the vessel is connected to the djinn, it has a degree of freedom. The king of Babylon used to wear the necklace that holds this djinn.”

  The soldier handed him the bracers and necklace. In the necklace were several large rubies, the biggest was the size of a chicken egg. Laird Tokavaig examined it. “He is gone. I don’t know if he is dispelled or banished, but I know he is gone. There is no power left in any of these gems or the bracers. That is how his control spell over everyone onboard this ship was broken. It is also how the second-form spell was broken. What happened.”

  “I got scared and lost control.” Erameya admitted.

  “Explain.”

  “I saw he was pulling death magic into a spell. I don’t know how I knew that’s what it was but I was sure he was going to kill you. I panicked and drew in more magic than I knew I could hold. There were so many kinds of magic. When I felt like I was going to explode I forced it all into the djinn. He exploded into a cloud of all kinds of magic even some not in the pattern of this world.”

  “Interesting. I wish I saw what you saw. I was focused on my own spell.”

  “Let me try.” Erameya closed her eyes and tried to project her memories into Laird Tokavaig. When she was about halfway through replaying the memory, she collapsed to the deck.”

  “Angus, can you pull up her stats like she does yours?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Crap, she has no mana and no stamina, her health is low, and she has a bunch of points to distribute.”

  “Angus, as soon as we get that note, let’s find King Cnut. She can rest while we fly. Actually, Edward, you need to bathe before your mother sees you. We will have to stop at an inn before we go too far. I have never felt this discombobulated.”

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  While he talked Lilja shifted into her dragon form and pulled Prince Edward onto her back. They left to find an inn.

  Markus walked up and handed Laird Tokavaig a scroll in a waxed leather tube. “Here is my apology. We will turn the armata around and defend our borders from the Babylonians. I still don’t know why I would ever consider attacking so far from our borders. We are being harried from all sides right now.”

  “The djinn had you in his control. That is the problem with djinns. They have to be dispelled before their summoner dies or loses control of them. They are almost impossible to kill or dispel after they gain sentience. I have helped banish one before. This one had a vendetta against me. I injured him after he captured my son. It is likely the impetus for your impolitic plans. We need to hurry. I have cast what healing spells I can on the sea. I need to get my student onto land.”

  With that Laird Tokavaig shifted form pulling Angus and Erameya onto his back as he did. Within a few wing beats they were far from the armata. They flew to an inn in which Lilja had procured some rooms. Laird Tokavaig ordered hot baths as Angus carried Erameya to a room.

  “What? Where? Oh shit, I killed a man.” Erameya’s eyes got wider and wider as she remembered the activities of the day.

  “He was not a man.” Laird Tokavaig said as he walked in.

  “He was a sentient being!” Erameya cried as she burst into tears.

  “Child,” Laird Tokavaig reprimanded, “djinn are not exactly alive to start with. They are beings of magic. They can be summoned, dispelled, and banished. Usually, they are not sentient but if one gets all of the summoning materials, they can become almost life like. They have no conscience. No ideas of right or wrong. They lust for power and revenge. If the summoner is not already dead, they kill them first. They consume all forms of energy and essence, including the lives of those around them. A loose djinn will devastate a world.”

  “I want to go home. My biggest worry was if my assistant would be able to atomate and fix the equipment as well as I could! I was not a teenager wielding magic and trying to be a princess. And on that, what makes me better than anyone else? What gives my family the right to rule? Why do I feel like two completely different people? I grew up in a democracy where equal rights was one of my nation’s prides. Now? I am supposed to see myself as better than everyone around me? How? Why? I cannot do this anymore. Just send me home. You must have a portal or way to get me home.”

  “The ways would rip you to pieces and portals are not as common as you would think. Remember the magic in your world is too thick.”

  “Just let me freak out for a while. Then I’d like a bath.”

  “Fine, but after you will tell me why you tried a high magic skill with no spell and low mana. Do you have any idea how close you came to dying?”

  “I think I nearly killed myself when I killed the djinn.”

  “That too we will speak of after you get in a cry and a rest. And go distribute your points.”

  “Laird Tokavaig, we have located my father. He is in Madrid. How is Erameya?

  “She was pretty shaken from killing the djinn. I need to talk to her about it, she has been using wild magic because I do not want to restrict her with spells and theories. That said, performing an advanced spell the way she tried, with no spell, and low mana nearly killed her. Angus went up to check on her a few moments ago.”

  “You let your lecherous grandson alone with my sister!” Prince Edward jumped up to run up the stairs to his sister’s room.

  “Edward, stay.” Lilja coxed him back to his seat, “let my grandfather or I go and check on her. You would cause a seen.”

  “I will kill him later if he takes advantage of my sister.”

  “I will go,” Laird Tokavaig stood.

  He walked into Erameya’s room quietly, only to see the two kissing. “Angus!” They jumped apart guiltily, “you can be thankful it was me and not Prince Edward that came up here.”

  “It is my fault,” Erameya blushed. “I am not used to having teenage hormones again. When I woke to find Angus standing so beautifully there, I threw myself at him.”

  “Not exactly. You started to cry.” Erameya blushed, “I took you in my arms to comfort you and soon found myself kissing you.”

  “Still, had I been myself, I likely would not have lost it over killing a djinn and nearly myself. I believe I am a pragmatist.”

  “You have been through a lot in the past few days. An emotional display like that, in private, is not a bad thing.”

  “I’d like to bathe and eat.”

  “Good idea. Angus, go get the barmaid to send the tub up. Erameya, may I see your stat sheet?”

  “Good. Now, you need to learn to cast a spell to let me see what happened. This time, let me teach you first.” Erameya nodded. “First meditate, you need to bring your mana, stamina, and health up.”

  Erameya equipped a tunic and leggings then started her daily yoga. Her emotions were in turmoil. She was home sick. She had killed someone. She had a mild crush on Angus. She had killed someone. She was tired of magic. She had killed someone. She was done being on guard against herself all the time. She had killed someone. She had to meet her parents. She had killed someone. Her brother was downstairs. She had…”

  “Amy! You are spiraling.” Laird Tokavaig snapped.

  “Amy?” Erameya asked.

  “I called you several times. Amy was the only name that you responded to.”

  “I’m sorry. I am having an emotional breakdown. I think anyone would in my position. I came from a world where I could breathe without fear of exploding, into this new life where if I lose control someone will die. I am experiencing teenage hormones and emotions again, and I did lose control and kill someone. Now I’m dumping on you.” She changed positions.

  “You have a right to your feelings and I cannot allay many of them but let me again remind you djinn are magical constructs. They have no soul, not conscience, and very little self-awareness. When they do become sapient, they are the most dangerous beings alive. They have ruined worlds before being dispelled. You cannot kill what is not alive. Even if you consider them alive, they are beings of destruction. They hunger. They feed on energy. They can use soul, mana, life essence, and every other kind of energy you can think of.”

  “Even electricity?”

  “Yes. They devour the soul of their summoner but can consume lightning.”

  “Are they demons?”

  “No, they are formless and will dispel instantly if not contained by enchanted objects. They are not born and do not die. Most cannot think for themselves. If they can it is due to the number of sentient and sapient beings they consume.”

  “Are they energy vampires?”

  “No. They are magic. More like a hungry golem. Think of a rock golem that eats rocks to grow. A djinn is energy contained by magical objects that eats energy to grow. They are not alive.”

  “How did you injure one then?”

  “I pulled as much energy as a could out. I never would have considered overloading one. I didn’t think it would overload.”

  “I didn’t think.” Erameya said as she finished her yoga routine.

  “Do you feel better?”

  “I may be able to meditate.”

  “Remember your system does not tell you your mental health. It should. You are suffering more mentally than physically right now. I will do all I can to help you heal. Even sending your brother on to your parents, if that would help.”

  “I might, but I want to see if he notices the differences in me before I meet my parents. And I don’t need any more alone time with Angus. I feel like a cougar.”

  “You are only sixteen. I don’t understand humans, one of my wives is thousands of years younger than I. I’d like you to train under her for a while. You need spell training. Wild magic is dangerous and you have used it well, but I think some formal magical education would be good for you. I’d like you to train with Angus’s mother also. I will line up a few teachers for you but you will have to live on the Isle of Skye for a while.”

  “That would be interesting. I’ll talk to my parents about it. Maybe Edward can do is job for once.”

  “He will if I enlist a helper for him. Meditate and I will also. When your bath gets here, I will leave you but send my granddaughter up.”

  “Thank you.” Erameya started her meditation and cultivation. She noticed even more threads of energy flowing in and around her. There were still may she could not touch or examine. She made separate balls of energy to examine the life energy and mana she set aside and looked at the energy she knew the elves used. It had a different texture and feel. It was more viscus than the ones she could use and smelled like nature. She decided to try it with all of her senses. She listened to it, it sounded like a river, or wind in the trees. She tasted it. It tasted like fresh air, sweet fruits, and honey. She noticed as she examined it that it was seeping into her cells. How on earth was she absorbing elven magic? As far as she was aware humans couldn’t use elven magic. Also, she could not cultivate it. It converted a cell and then flowed into it and spread through her like this. She was surprised at the changes the elven magic was making to her cellular structure. It seemed to puddle in each of her cells.

  “Erameya, your bath is ready when you are.” Lilja said.

  “Thank you. And thank you for coming to be with me. I must seem like a baby to you.”

  “Yes, but only because you are so young. When I was sixteen, I was finally allowed to fly above the castle but I still had to have a guardian. My magic was bad and I was just learning to cultivate. I think you are amazing and that you saved my life and sanity. Let me help you undress so you can bathe.”

  Erameya unequipped her clothing and got into the tub.

  “That is an amazing spell. Who taught you that.”

  “Your grandfather taught me a little, but I use wild magic more than anything. Even after all the training I’ve had from Laird Tokavaig, I still only know a few spells. And only the basics of cultivation. ”

  “Could you teach me? I can store my clothing when I shift and redress in the same thing when I shift back but I cannot change clothes at will.

  “I poured magic into my clothes and put them in my magical bag. Then I picture what I want to ware and tell my bag to equip clothing.”

  “Let me try it.” Lilja pulled her clothes out of her bag and tried to push mana into them. It took some time but she was eventually able to infuse them with magic, she put them in her bag and soon was changing outfits by equipping them instead of changing them.

  “What if I want to get undresses?”

  “Unequip clothing.”

  “This is amazing. I cannot believe no one has thought of this before! Are you finished? Good I want to show Edward and Grandfather! Come let us show them.” Lilja pulled her out of the room after she had toweled off and equipped traveling clothes. “Grandfather, Eward, you have to check out this new spell Erameya made.”

  “What is it.” Edward stood as they ran down the stairs.

  “Look at this!” Lilja changed clothes, turned around then changed again. She curtsied. “Isn’t this amazing?”

  “How?” Edward looked at his little sister.

  “Magic.” Erameya smiled.

  “Really? How did you make the spell?”

  “I told you she was using wild magic. It is one of her wild magic constructions.”

  “And she taught me.” Lilja spun again and again changed clothes. I think I will like to be human more often now.”

  “Good, I want you to go back to Edinburgh with Edward. If King Cnut is agreeable, I am taking Erameya to the Isle of Skye with me.”

  “I hate cities.”

  “As do I.” Edward agreed.

  “And you will both spend a year in the city for getting captured.”

  “Grandfather! A year in the city? That is torture.”

  “You will stay in the Dragon Embassy. You will help Edward with his duties. You will stay in human form. You will only shift with my permission. You will help the healer.”

  “Any other commands. You do know when you command me, I cannot disobey?”

  “I do. That is why I commanded instead of suggesting. After I see the fight with the djinn from Erameya’s point of view we need to be on our way. You three should get some rest.”

  After Angus, Edward and Lilja had retired to rest, Erameya and Laird Tokavaig went out into the courtyard. They flew out of the city and found an open meadow.

  “Spells are something I was going to have my wife Eilean teach you. Dragon magic is a beast magic. We use structured magic as do other beasts but our spells are generally to mana consumptive for humans. The only reason I will teach you my spell is you are a cultivator and have an excess of mana. Spells are tricky things. They are the expression of magic through words or runes. Runic magic is like the written language. Any grammatical errors can nullify or change a spell. Spoken spells are based off of words and intent. Grammer is still important but not as important as intent. Most spoken spells are written with a rhyme to make it easier to remember.

  I drink it cold

  I drink it hot

  Water is here

  Here in this POT.”

  On the word pot he turned his open hand from palm up to palm down. Water poured as if it came from his palm onto the ground. When he made a fist, the water stopped.

  “The water is summoned from another plane. I used my open palm over the ground to specify where I wanted the water. I closed my fist to break the spell. Eilean uses a different spell and different motions. I learned this one years ago from an old hedge witch. I like it because it is silly. Eilean uses Galic for her spells, some people use Latin and others use made up words or phrases, it does not matter. Intent matters.

  Dry.”

  He looked at the ground where the water had poured and it dried.

  “I used vision to direct that spell. Some practitioners do not have to speak their spells or do any hand or eye gestures.” Water started pouring behind him then just as suddenly stopped. “Wild magic is like doing a spell with no words or gestures but it also has no structure. I would not teach you about spells but you have made some of your own. I am proud of you. Now, I will send the spell for mind sharing to you because it is in a tongue you cannot speak, yet. You have the power to use this spell and you will not need words or gestures. If you want them, you can use them.”

  Erameya felt a flood of information pouring into her mind. Once she could understand it, she found the feeling of the spell and connected her memory with Laird Tokavaig in such a way it appeared there was a video screen in front of them replaying the memory. She shuttered as she remembered the fear as if living it again. She nearly screamed when she felt again, the pain of the magic tearing her apart. Her memories were so real that she was actually reliving them. Laird Tokavaig paused the memory when she was pulling in all threads of magic and looked all around her then all around the djinn.

  “The djinn was making a death magic spell. A powerful one. I would have been injured but alive, anyone else in hundreds of miles would have been killed.” He followed a thread of magic from the djinn to Erameya. “You were using the djinn to power your bomb.”

  As the memory continued, they sat in silence. Erameya felt the emptiness after the bomb had killed the djinn. It was the first time since she had been summoned that she could not feel magic. It was only a split second but in that brief amount of time she realized she only felt alive in this world when she was connected to it through the ebb and flow of the energies around her. Once the connection between her and Laird Tokavaig was severed Erameya collapsed to the ground.

  “Show me your screen.”

  “You are mentally exhausted. Unfortunately, your screen doesn’t have a mental health. I think yours would be extremely low.”

  “Broken.”