Magicless Page 10

  The thorny vines receded, pulled across the landscape as if someone were spooling it into a neat pile. The scummy water floating atop the muck sunk back into the earth until the ground under her feet was dry and clear. Dead trees sprouted new leaves, and flowers burst from the ground in full bloom. The smell of rot was replaced by the scent of warm greenery in the summer sun and the rich scent of roses at their peak. The group found themselves standing in a grassy meadow filled with wildflowers, at the edge of which stood a homey cabin with smoke drifting lazily from the chimney and the delicious smell of stew wafting out the open front door. Alekka’s stomach growled, but hunger was immediately replaced with a wave of nausea as she looked towards the cabin’s entrance.

  Standing on the front porch of the cabin was the ugliest creature she had ever seen. It had two eyes, but they did not line up the way they should. Large, lumpy lips took up most of the creature’s face and a small, hairy nose hovered, barely visible, above them. It had a lumpy head with tufts of hair sparsely populating splotchy skin, arms too long for its body, hands too big for its arms, and long, skinny legs with small feet but surprisingly large toes. It stood on the porch with its left hand resting on its jutting left hip, its head tilted to one side. Alekka could not be sure, but she thought its grotesque lips were curved in a smile, and that there was a glint of humor sparkling in its lopsided eyes.

  Suddenly she realized who he was and where they were. The feelings of guilt, confusion, and despair she had been feeling about their journey and her concern that the group was ripping itself apart before they’d even really begun all vanished from her mind.

  They had found the Bogul Noz. They had found the Map Maker.

  [ 12 ]

  Magicless stood in mute shock at the changes in the environment, at the creature standing before him, and at the cabin he’d thought was so far in the distance that was now only a few steps away from him—now the size of a normal cottage.

  He could not take his eyes from the creature standing there on the porch, and judging by the complete silence around him, the others felt the same. He thought he saw a smile curving the creature’s distorted lips, but he could not be certain. He dared not lower his sword until he knew with absolute certainty this was not some beast from the caverns of Nox Noctis sent to destroy them.

  “What is that?” Leali asked, the hard edge of fear clear in the pitch of her voice.

  Magicless shifted the sword’s weight, keeping it in front of him. He crouched, trying to ready himself for whatever that thing might throw at them.

  The creature did not move a muscle, but Magicless thought he saw the glint of humor turn to sorrow, though the smile remained frozen on its face.

  “What do you want?” Leali demanded. “We mean you no harm, we are only passing through. Let us pass and we’ll not bother you.”

  “Won’t you come in for some tea and fresh stew?”

  Magicless had thought it impossible that anything could make the creature uglier, but the movement of its lips as it spoke proved him wrong. Magicless felt faintly ill as he watched its face distort and twist with the effort of speech.

  “No way are we going in there,” Tredon said quietly. For the first time, you’re speaking sense, thought Magicless.

  The creature raised its hands, and Tredon jumped into action. “Move!” he yelled as he dove to the ground.

  “Stop!” Alekka stepped in front of the creature, physically blocking Tredon’s attack. She glared from face to face, still looking a bit rattled, but stern. “He is no threat. His countenance may be…unconventional, but his invitation is sincere.” She looked at the creature and smiled. “What is your name, Sir? And is it you who is responsible for the…” Alekka struggled to find words to describe the mind-boggling physical alterations that had taken place around them. “…change in scenery?” she settled on at last.

  The creature did not move a muscle other than to stuff its hands deep into its pockets. “Correct, my lady, one such as myself cannot be too careful these days. I’m sorry if I scared you, I only meant to wave you in for some rest and refreshment. You can call me Noz.” No one moved, the shock of the creature’s words slow to sink in. Alekka alone did not look surprised. “You must be starving, and no doubt exhausted after your ordeal. Please, come in and talk for a while. It is so lonely out here with only the birds and my garden for company, I so look forward to visiting with guests.”

  “And those monster man-bat creatures?” Tredon muttered.

  “Oh, yes, they are real, but they are not under my influence, you needn’t worry. They exist…how to put it…” Noz fidgeted with his hands, seemingly lost in thought for a few moments. “They exist in the other place that is also this place, which is to say, your place. Oh dear, that’s not very clear, is it…Ah! You all understand how wrinkles form, yes? In clothing and such? Well, my home exists in a wrinkle in magic-not strictly in your world, and not strictly out of it, but rather between. This is where we are now.” He smiled his hideous smile again, obviously proud of his explanation. Magicless thought he understood, but his brain itched with the effort of it. Noz continued, more subdued. “As for the creatures, they are lost to themselves, alas, under the thrall of a power greater than you or I can conceive of.” Out of the corner of his eye, Magicless saw Alekka shiver.

  Noz looked directly at Magicless then, and he squirmed under the strange man’s gaze. He felt as if Noz were measuring him somehow, evaluating, probing. It seemed to Magicless that he knew who he was, knew everything about him—past, present, and every possible future.

  “Ah, One Without Magic, I see,” Noz said quietly, continuing to consider Magicless with a crook of his head. “Please, do come in,” he continued at last, again gesturing for them to approach.

  Magicless was uncomfortable with the title, used as if it were an honorific. No one had ever addressed him that way. Noz’s open acknowledgement of it made him feel exposed, even though it was no secret. But he could detect no judgment or hostility in Noz’s tone. It was simply an acknowledgement of a fact.

  “What do you know of us and our quest?” Alekka asked.

  “Only a little, and I’m happy to share—over some tea and sandwiches, that is, if you don’t mind. I’m quite hungry myself—been working away in the garden all day. Oh, and one of you needs some healing, I see,” Noz continued, gesturing towards Elisa. “I can help with that burn, my dear.” He stepped toward the door and motioned them in with his right hand, eyebrows raised in anxious anticipation. Raising his eyebrows resulted in the total disappearance of anything resembling a forehead.

  “Absolutely Noz, thank you so much,” Alekka said, facing the creature with a tired smile. “You are correct, we’re all famished, and yes, Elisa could use help with that burn.” With that, Alekka hopped up the three steps to Noz’s porch without a glance at her companions and placed a hand on Noz’s shoulder as she thanked him for his generosity.

  Magicless gave an involuntary shudder, but moved to follow. If Alekka trusted Noz, that was good enough for him. Besides, he was starving, and the offer of food and fresh water was too much to turn down after the day they’d had. Noz gave him a huge smile as he stepped into the cottage. Magicless gave one in return, trying not to stare at the odd contortions that twisted Noz’s face.

  From the outside, the cottage had seemed quite small. From inside, however, the place was enormous. Magicless walked into a large room with a huge river-rock fireplace taking up one entire wall, and overstuffed sofas and chairs scattered comfortably around the fireplace. Two other walls were filled top to bottom with bookshelves that were crammed with books. There was a large table pushed to one side and piled precariously high with more books, as well. They were piled so high without care or concern for stability that one small bump would cause disaster.

  Self-sustaining mage globes hovered everywhere, which Magicless found quite impressive. He knew well that self-sustaining globes took special care and skill. Few could achieve ones that maintained their structu
ral integrity. In his seventeen years of life he had known exactly one mage capable of creating them, and even then they were not truly sustaining, just very long lasting—they had to be recharged every year.

  Past the large sitting area was a huge kitchen with a massive hearth above which a pot sat simmering, the source of the delicious scent he had smelled outside the cottage. Herbs and vegetables hung from almost every surface, huge wood countertops had the remains of what looked like half completed projects of alchemy scattered here and there. A large table easily able to seat twelve sat in the middle of the kitchen. One chair was pulled back with a book lying open and a bowl of stew, still steaming, sitting abandoned if not quite forgotten. A large teapot sat lonely in the center of the table. The back wall was all glass, and looked out onto a beautiful garden with gracefully arching arbors, fruit trees heavy with bounty, and climbing vines with enormous, brilliantly hued flowers. Everywhere he looked was luscious and ripe with natural beauty. A little further in the distance a large lake offered a deep-blue backdrop to the garden, tossing glints of sunlight into the air as the water ruffled under a cooling summer breeze.

  Equally as surprising as the books and the beauty of the garden were the works of art. Far and away some of the most alluringly beautiful paintings he had ever seen decorated the cabin’s walls. Statues of the finest marble in every shade dotted the few places not already laden with books.

  Noz may be strange to behold, but clearly he loved beautiful things. And books. Magicless had never in his life seen so many books in one place. Things are not always as they seem, Micah, he could suddenly hear his father saying.

  “Oh, did we interrupt your meal?” Alekka asked. She seemed quite at ease as the others shuffled in. Everyone else’s wariness was somewhat forgotten as they began to take in the beauty around them.

  Noz shut the door behind them and shuffled along to the kitchen. “Oh nonsense, my dear. Your timing could not have been better. The stew is ready and there is plenty to go around, please, please come in, sit, and I’ll get you all something to eat.” He motioned excitedly to the others, almost doing a little dance as they filed in. “Help yourself to some tea, there is plenty to be had, don’t let the size of the pot fool you, or the stew pot for that matter, plenty of that, too.” He flipped a hand, and seven mugs appeared on the table.

  “Are you certain you have enough? Surely you were not expecting to feed seven extra mouths,” Alekka asked.

  “Oh…well, I always make extra, my dear. I always hope for company. I do so enjoy visiting with others, but visitors are so rare here these days.” He spooned generous portions of steaming stew into large bowls and tossed them toward the table. Each bowl landed perfectly and settled before a chair in its turn. He waddled to an oven from which he pulled several loaves of bread and threw these to the table as well, where they settled themselves contentedly at regular intervals along the center.

  Magicless reached for the teapot to fill his mug but realized it was already full, as were Alekka’s and Jobin’s. He put the pot back at the center of the table and settled into a chair next to Alekka.

  Noz took a seat next to Elisa and then reached out a hand toward her. “Give me your arm, dear. I can take care of that for you, no sense walking around all burned like that when it’s so easy to fix. It’ll only take a moment and then we can eat in comfort.”

  Elisa paused, uncertain, but Alekka nodded for her to do as instructed. She placed her hand into Noz’s larger lumpy one. He tilted his head forward and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he took his other hand, placed it on her shoulder, and ran it slowly down the length of her arm, stopping at her wrist. As his hand passed, clear and healthy skin followed. It was healed in moments.

  Magicless was more than impressed. Many could heal, of course, but that had been the fastest healing he had ever seen. Typically it took great effort on the part of the one being healed, and accelerated natural physiological processes were painful. Elisa hadn’t even blinked and expressed not a shred of discomfort as he healed her.

  “Thank you. How did you do that so quickly and painlessly?” Elisa asked him, examining her arm in wonder.

  “Trade secret, my dear, trade secret. Boguls can do more than make maps, you know,” Noz said, and Magicless swore his eyes actually twinkled.

  “Of course. I did not mean to suggest otherwise, Sir.” Elisa seemed chastened, but Noz only chuckled lightly, motioning toward his stew bowl.

  “Eat, eat, before the stew gets cold, it is always much better when it is hot, eat!”

  Silence fell across the table as they all bent over their bowls and stuffed themselves to bursting. They were all starving—they’d had little to eat for days, and the bowl of stew simmering over the cook fire seemed to be bottomless. A good thing, too—they all went back many times over.

  The stew filled Magicless’ belly, the fire and sunlight streaming into the cottage warmed him, and he relaxed deeper into his chair. He became increasingly aware of the aromatic quality of his clothes and the way they clung to him. In horror he realized they had all tromped into Noz’s cabin dragging dirt and blood in from their fight with the bat creatures. He glanced over the floor to see what a mess they had made, but there was none.

  “It is spelled, my boy, no need to worry. I don’t much like to clean so I made it so I never had to. One of the benefits of being me.” His eyes shone and Magicless smiled in relief. He finished the last spoonful in his bowl and pushed it away from him. His eyes felt heavy, his arms leaden, and he realized all in a rush how exhausted he was.

  “There are rooms for each of you, I know you have many questions, and I am eager to talk with you all, but you must rest first, please, otherwise you’ll start dozing as I’m talking and that isn’t any fun. I much prefer you all be well-rested and fresh.”

  Ashier looked like he wanted to turn down the offer, but a glance around the room apparently made him realize how exhausted they all were and he held his peace, much to Magicless’ relief.

  “Thank you, Noz. We could use some rest. Your mountain is not very comfortable to sleep on,” Alekka said as she pushed back her chair and climbed to her feet.

  “Oh, yes, the mountain is most uncomfortable. That one is not my mountain, though. It belongs to out there,” he gestured vaguely towards the front door of the cabin. “My mountain is filled with wildflowers and riotous streams and soft grassland, and it is most welcoming and comfortable. I sleep out there often, enjoying the fresh air and the feel of starlight on my skin.”

  Alekka paused as her jaw cracked in a yawn. “Perhaps tomorrow you can show us your mountain?”

  Noz’s eyes flashed with joy and his already red cheeks reddened further with pleasure. “Oh, I would like that, truly, truly I would.”

  Alekka stumbled from the table and vanished through a door that Magicless had not noticed before.

  “Noz, can we clean our clothes somewhere, please?” Magicless asked.

  “Of course, of course,” Noz leaned forward conspiratorially. “Leave them at the foot of your bed and they will be clean come morning. I’ve spelled the washing, as well.”

  “I envy you that,” Magicless said, finding himself smiling at the strange man. “I’d jump at a chance to never have to wash my clothes by hand again.”

  Noz regarded him, suddenly serious. “I know, I know, my boy. Great gifts often come with great costs, One Without Magic.”

  Magicless wondered briefly again at the use of that strange honorific. Had he been more awake, he would have wondered at Noz’s use of the word gift to describe his lack and at his talk of great costs—especially in the context of something so trivial as doing one’s laundry—but as it was he could barely hold his eyes open long enough to ensure he made it into a bed before falling deeply asleep. He tossed his clothes haphazardly at the foot of his bed and let himself drift into blessed nothingness.

  [ 13 ]

  The touch of sunlight on his eyelids pulled Magicless from a deep sleep. He stretched, enjoying
the feel of a soft bed underneath him and the cozy warmth of the down comforter over him. It had been so long since he had slept deeply, and in a bed, too. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it. He felt better than he’d felt in weeks.

  He rolled over, looking at the blue sky showing through his window, not yet willing to get up. There were puffy clouds drifting in and out of view and he imagined them into lazy shapes, picturing himself lying up on a cloud instead of down on the earth. The bed was so comfortable he might as well have been floating on one.

  He was pulled out of his lazy reverie by a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” he said without thought, and then started as he realized he had no clothes on underneath the sheets. Alekka came into the room, color high in her cheeks, a smile curving her lips. She looked as well rested as he felt. He returned her smile.

  “Are you ever going to get up, sleepy head?” She moved across the room and plopped down on the bed next to him.

  He smiled at her easy familiarity and leaned back on the pillows, linking his hands behind his head, any awkwardness instantly forgotten. The battle in the forest had shifted something between them. He wasn’t sure what yet, but it had. “I’m not sure, actually. I really missed beds. I don’t want to climb out of this one just yet.”

  “I had to get out into those gardens. The birds woke me with the sun. Do you want some breakfast? Noz left us with plenty of food. I’m starving,” she said.

  Magicless sat up a bit. “Left us? What do you mean?” He’d been looking forward to talking to Noz about the things he’d said to him the day before.

  Alekka shrugged. “There was a note on the table. He’s been called off for some reason or another. Said he’d be back in a few days and that we’d talk then. Told us to help ourselves to anything in the cabin and to enjoy our rest until then.”