22 Kylia

Lionel's head was pounding when he awoke. He was lying in the back of the wagon when he opened his eyes. There was no light from the other side of the stretched canvas wagon cover. Lionel surmised it was the middle of the night. He lay listening for the geezer. There was no sound but the soft rustling of leaves.

Lionel sat up thinking of Dextera. He rubbed his head remembering the feeling of the "gift" the man gave him. 'Goodnight, my head is killing me and I'm parched' Lionel thought while wishing for a drink of water.

A sudden soft sensation flowed from his subconscious and into the environment. The air in front of Lionel grew cool and seemed to congeal into a spherical shape. The boy couldn't believe his eyes. There appeared to be a crystal, clear globe of glass floating not more than a half meter in front of him.

Lionel reached out and touched it's surface. 'It's water!' an incredulous look spread on the boy's face. 'How did this appear…' He couldn't understand what happened.

The small sphere of clear water floated towards the boy's face. Lionel opened his mouth and the water slowly streamed into it. He drank deeply. Any splash that fell from his mouth immediately flowed back up into the shrinking sphere for Lionel to swallow down. He drank until he was full. The sensation in his mind released the water and it dissipated back into the surrounding air.

Lionel sat dumbfounded. 'Is this the gift from Dextera?' even though the boy had used Magic he didn't feel any tiredness and it seemed to flow so easily in comparison to the last time he tried.

'I wonder if I can use fire easily too…' Lionel was about to try it when a voice, he recognized as Gil'ead spoke.

"I'm telling you I felt a flow of magic from the carriage" Lionel could tell the mage was moving towards the wagon.

The familiar voice of a grumpy old man resounded close behind the mage. "How many times you been wrong already? Galorian should know better than having you as an apprentice." the geezer continued to grouch. "You think that good for nothing kid I got with me could blow up a stable. Bah!!! I have a right mind to think you're half stupid!"

The mage tried to sound dignified when he responded. "Sir, you really expect me to believe you farted and the building blew up??" his voice pitch raised towards the end. Lionel had smelt the death that crept from that old man's sphincter. He didn't doubt that the geezer could blow up a building with one of his butt bombs.

Lionel laid down and acted like he was asleep. He knew the old man was covering for him and didn't want to give the mage any fuel for his argument. The boy felt the wagon shake and light fell on his closed lids. He lay there breathing steadily with his eyes closed. The light went dark and the wagon shook once more.

"He's asleep huh?" The dry raspy voice spoke with a rude tone. "Just like I said he would be ya ninny." Lionel could tell the old man was growing grumpier. "I haven't felt an ounce of magic, I think your ticker is broken."

"Sir, I swear I felt... some.. th...."

The voices slowly drifted into the distance. Lionel lay still with his eyes closed. He didn't feel physically tired, but his head was still hurting from where he received the "Gift". As he lay there thinking his mind slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Lionel awoke quite some time later to the wagon rocking back and forth. He opened his eyes and saw the sunlight diffused through the canvas.

"About time. I thought I was gonna have to give ya mouth to mouth." Lionel was startled. The geezer was staring directly at him from the driver's bench. The man began to whisper. "Before you do anything else... I was going to say stupid, but you exceed the meaning of the word.." The pale, paper thin, skin of the man's face scrunched up slightly, he appeared disappointed. "Before you even do anything else brainless we need to talk, but not here."

Lionel looked down. He felt ashamed, the old man had warned him, yet he still chose to try using magic. "I'm sorry" was all that came out.

"Sire, we are almost to the capitol. Is the boy awake yet?" Lionel could tell the voice was Isaac. It appeared the man was riding a horse along beside the wagon.

Lionel felt surprised hearing what Isaac said. The capitol was supposed to be a week away from the fort. 'I wonder how long I was out for?' He was sure it hadn't been a week.

"Aye, he just awoke but a moment ago." Drindle was looking beside the wagon at the unseen man. Lionel got up and climbed on to the driver's bench beside the geezer.

"How are you son? You gave us all a scare back there." Lionel noticed that Isaac had a salt and pepper shade of hair. He appeared slightly older with the sun shining brightly.

"I told you he was fine. He was just sleeping off the results of a potion, I gave him." Drindle spoke cutting Lionel off. "I get sick of being bothered and wanted some peace. He's lucky enough to still be riding in my wagon." The old man elbowed Lionel as he spoke. The boy understood that Drindle was nudging him to follow along with the made up story.

Isaac didn't appear to believe the old man but eventually responded. "Yes sire, I was just wondering if there were any lingering effects, from the.. uh.. potion.." The commander spoke while eyeing Lionel keenly.

Lionel replied with a curt. "I feel fine."

The hazel eyes of Isaac never left the boy's when he spoke again. "You look well rested, lad. I haven't slept well for quite some time" He turned his head to look at the ancient man. "Can I get one of those potions for me?"

Drindle barely glanced at the riding figure before replying. "My potions are too strong for you, besides we will be to the capitol, Kylia, by nightfall."

Lionel glanced at the dejected Isaac. The older man seemed upset by the fact Drindle's made-up potion was too strong for him, but not for the boy. A sheepish expression seeped on to the boy's face before Drindle quickly nudged him.

Lionel looked in the direction the wagon was headed to change the subject. There were two more horses with two rider's ahead of the wagon. Lionel recognized one of the figures to be the old mage Gil'ead. The other figure was of a big burly man with long curly hair. He hadn't see that man before. Lionel's attention on the new figure was cut short though. His eyes were drawn to a large, shining, white marble pillar rising vertically out of the distant horizon.

He couldn't understand what the white pillar was so he finally asked the grumpy man beside him "What is that?" was all the boy could muster.

Drindle followed the boy's gaze and spoke. "That is the castle of Kylia"