was good Arkin agreed. The guy knew what he was doing, so if he said it was a good job then that’s what it was. And what the hell had Legon done to Sara back at the tavern? It kind of gave Kovos the creeps. Not that what Legon had done was bad; it was good that Sara was free now. Still, the thought of his friend being able to use magic was odd. How did he do it? Salez was moving farther away and they would set up camp in the next hour or so. Then maybe he would find out what was going on.
* * * * *
Legon looked down at his hands, still trying to figure out what he had done back at the tavern. The scariest thing was that he hadn’t really done anything. He had just wanted it to happen and it did. He was having a hard time looking over at Sara. In a way he felt like he’d violated her by taking on memories that weren’t his. At the same time he felt for her and cared for her in a way he never had before. He was also confused because she didn’t seem to be mad at him for delving into her mind. Maybe it was because he had freed her and now she felt obligated. At any rate, he needed to apologize for what he had done. He steered Phantom up next to her.
“Sara?”
She looked over at him.
“I’m sor- sorry for going into your head like that. I shouldn’t have.”
“Why are you sorry?” she asked, looking perplexed.
“Aren’t you mad at me? That was private stuff I saw and felt.”
Sara reached out and placed her hand gently, almost lovingly, on his arm and looked him in the eyes. “You took my pain from me. You gave me relief from my suffering. You should never feel sorry for doing that for someone.”
“I guess I don’t understand.”
She paused, gathering her thoughts. “Ok, when you saw all those things that happened to me, you felt it, right?”
“Yes, everything. It was horrible.”
“Yes, it was, but when you were in my head suffering those things, I couldn’t feel them anymore. I only felt the compassion that you had for me. Now you are truly the only person on earth that can completely understand that part of my life and who I am.”
“Ok, but don’t you still have the pain? And aren’t you upset with me for invading your feelings?”
“Not at all. I can remember the pain, but I can also remember the compassion that you have for me. And if I ever want to talk about it I know I can go to you and you’ll understand perfectly. Have you ever truly felt love from someone? Actually felt what they were feeling?”
“Well, no, I guess not.”
She smiled. “Exactly. I have now, and I will always remember that. I can say that I truly know that someone does care about me and that I’m not alone. Do you realize what a gift that is?”
She gave his arm a squeeze, trying to emphasize her point. He felt himself begin to smile. He hadn’t thought about it like that. When she put it that way he realized that perhaps he had done something kind for her. There was something noble about taking on another’s burden. He was willing to do it again, too. In fact, he was willing to do anything for Sara’s wellbeing. He would pay whatever price he needed to.
“I guess it hadn’t occurred to me to look at it that way. Thanks.” Legon paused. “Oh, I almost forgot. What was that word you called me back at the shop?”
“I called you a Venefica.”
“What does that mean?”
Arkin spoke from behind him. “It means ‘user’.”
“‘User’?” Legon asked.
“Of magic,” Sara clarified.
“Good. Sara, I take it living in a city close to Iumenta has taught you a thing or two?” Arkin said.
“That’s one way of putting it,” she said with a bit of a grimace.
Arkin’s voice took on the teacher’s tone that was becoming the norm. “What you did today was magic obviously, and people who use magic are called Venefica. They practice the art of Imperia.”
The word was foreign to Legon. “Imperia?”
“Yes. That is what it is called when you use magic. The word is Elfish. All magic is done in that language.”
Trepidation started to creep into Legon’s mind. “Arkin, do you know magic?”
Arkin paused for a while. He then held up his hand and clicked his fingers saying, “Flamma.”