9 Be sure to never pay a price you can't afford

VOID CLAN – NIHIL 152

It was cosy. The bed was so warm. It was the last month of winter, the last month of the year, but it was still very cold outside. There was only one fire downstairs, so Evdokiya's room also was very cold. She didn't want to leave the blankets, but she heard her mother's voice. She also smelled a delicious breakfast. Tough decision.

Well, she was hungry, so she rolled up her blanket all around her and put on some thick socks. In the dining room, the fire was burning peacefully. Ingmar, her older brother, was already sitting at the table as usual. He always found a way to be the first in the kitchen, all pampered up, ready to help. It got on her nerves.

Her mother laughed seeing her rolled up like this and sat with her. Her father was also there, helping with the food. Sweet chestnuts creme and applesauce. She loved sweet chestnuts, so she was quite happy. She focused on that, and ignored her brother.

After eating, they began preparing the day. Who would do what and who would go with whom. Ingmar always tried to go with their mother, because he wanted her to teach him magic. She always told him that they would start once he reached fifteen, but he never listened, saying that he was eight and a grown up already.

Her father had more or less stopped his career as a soldier once they were born, so he could take care of them. He still had some responsibilities here and there, however. Sometimes he left for a day to the barracks, but that was quite rare. Her mother was absent much more often; she was a priest, and she regularly went to the capital or some other places, to discuss some matters with her superiors or to shut herself down from the world.

Today was one of those days when father had to work, so they would stay with their mother. She asked them what they wanted to do while he was preparing himself to go. Once again, Ingmar pushed it a bit and asked to learn magic, even insisting once or twice when faced with her firm refusal.

Her mother suddenly stopped smiling and slammed the table. Her voice was filled with a burning rage that did not fit the situation. "Enough!! Why do you never listen to me?! You want to learn? You do ? Them come, come with me, you'll learn! It'll be fun, you see! See how I can make it fun!!"

At these words, their father rushed back, ran to her. He hugged her, as he often did, but Evdokiya noticed that he grabbed her with a bit more force, and that he seemed much more caution, with the look in his eyes more worried than loving and tender.

He spoke to her softly, but she could still hear him. "Hey, I have an idea. Honey, why don't you focus on yourself today? You could do things you like and relax. Wouldn't it be great? I can bring the children with me and trust them to someone. It's been a while you haven't had a full day to yourself to.... relieve the pressure."

He turned to them. "Don't you wanna come to the barracks with me? You'll get to see swords and horses, how fun would that be?" He said with a big smile on his face.

Evdokiya could see her mother panting a bit, as if she had trouble breathing. She glanced at her brother coldly and ran to their mother, who patted her head lightly, as if distracted by something. She seemed to have calmed herself a bit as she said: "Yes, that's a good idea. Go with your father. I have some stuff to handle for work."

"Why can't I stay with you, mum?" She insisted. She really didn't want to leave her in this state. "You got problems?"

Her father answered in their mother's stead. "Everything's fine, Ev. Your mother just needs to rest a bit." He looked at his wife, his brows frowned ever so slightly. "Don't you?"

Evdokiya saw something in her mother's eyes, and she felt her hug becoming a bit cold. It was scary, she didn't know what was happening but she didn't dare ask. She just knew that it felt unsafe, and that she didn't want her mum to be like this. The feeling quickly dissipated, so she thought that she had imagined it.

Before she could think about it any further, her mum tightened her grasp and said in a reassuring tone."Yes, that's it. I have to organize a retreat, and someone in the village asked me to research a spell for them, so it would be too much to watch over you. Also, your father doesn't go to the barracks that often, you should make the full out of it! Just go and enjoy. If you behave correctly, I'll come and read something to you both tonight."

They nodded their head and followed their father. They had to walk one hour in the swamps. Their father needed half that time alone, but they were much slower. Ingmar had gotten used to the swamps - they surrounded the whole village after all – but Evdokiya still stumbled more than what was reasonable. After a while, her father took her on his shoulders, despite her brother's protests. "Why does she always get her way..." he grumbled.

Once in the quarters, they got the choice. They could either see the stables, the armory or the young soldiers' training. Ingmar asked to see the horses, and she asked to see the weapons. Their father thought for a moment, then decided to ask two young officers to watch over them, so they could each go see what they wanted.

The one to show her around was named Frey. He explained to her how the swords were forged, the difference between parade and battle swords, what made good shields and armors. He told her which weapon was preferred in what situation, and so on.

Once he finished, she asked him. "Are there swords for magic?"

He thought it over before answering."Mm, well, I'm no expert, but... As far as I know, you can't do magic with swords. However, you can enchant them. There are a lot of enchanted swords. You use runes, most of the time. Any mage can enchant a sword so it doesn't break as easily or so it is sharper. But some powerful mages are able to cast powerful enchantments."

Evdokiya saw him shivering before he went on. "Some are... terrifying. There are some that kill on the spot even if you were only scratched by the blade, some that are able to turn sunshine in devastating flames. The more powerful the rarer. But never as rare as we'd wish. Our commander tells us that he used to pray Kmir before every fight, so he wouldn't meet a runic sword or spear. Well, sorry for that, it's not a pleasant talk."

"No please! It's fascinating."

He seemed to notice her sparkling eyes, because he paused for a few seconds before telling her. "... Wait here."

He came back with a sword in an old scabbard. A black Wyvern - the clan's emblem - was carved in the hilt. "This one's Bane. It belonged to my father. He was a great sword master and a great mage, once one of the highest commander in the void clan's army. Once Bane tastes someone's blood, they can never again escape its eyes. He died soon after the end of the War."

He took off the sheath, the blade was made of steel, and black runes ran through it. "Anyway, this was his heritage. He found and countered many spies with it. He took blood from every of his men, so no traitors could escape him."

He gave it to her but maintained his grasp. It was indeed too heavy for her, but less than she had expected. She wondered why her father didn't have one like that. "It's so pretty!"

He smiled."Thanks. He'd be glad that someone like you admires it, rather than having it be stored with the old things, waiting for a war to start so people remember its existence... I can't look at it too much, though, reminds me of too many things I'd like to forget." He suddenly stopped and looked a bit uncomfortable, realizing how young the child he was speaking to was.

"I can have it, then?"

He laughed at her genuine question."You're a bit young, girl." He looked at the sword, then at her."You know what? When you reach seventeen, come back. If you beat me in a fight, Bane will be yours. It's a deal."

He messed with her hair, and she saw on his wrist the same square patterns than on her parents' necks. A shadow rune. She decided that she would like him, then. The only people with a light rune that she knew were Kirill's parents, and they were scary.

"Hey, Ev, how was it? Did Frey perform his duty correctly?"

"It was great! He showed me his father's sword!" She didn't tell him about the deal, as if it was a secret between Frey and her. Her father looked at the man and then at her. He sent him back to his exercises then squatted in front of her.

"I've also seen that sword. Every day, for twenty years. I've served under his father's command, and fought at his side. It was a pleasure and an honor. Did he tell you about the sword itself?"

"Yes, he told me that it drinks people's blood to localize them and gather Intel about them."

He smiled, but a bit of a sad smile. "Yeah, that's about it."

He took her by the shoulders as he grew more serious."You see, Ev, blood magic... it's powerful. But it's as dangerous as it is powerful. You have to control it, focus for every second so it doesn't control you. It is exhausting. I haven't experienced it, but I've seen it happen with Frey's father. Blood magic, or also called black magic, might bring you more power than any other. But it takes something in return, something within you. I don't expect you to understand, but try to remember what I'm saying. You're smart, but that's something only years can teach you.

His father... without him, we might have lost more battles than we could take; he was a really, really great man. He should've died in full glory, in the battlefield, a spear in the heart. But instead, he just... didn't adapt to peace. He kept Bane at his side, but this sword needs blood. He became crazy, and killed himself with it. I personally think that, without being able to drink enemies' blood, it wanted its owner's.

... What I'm trying to say, is that... Well, it's good that you're interested in such things, in the sense that covering your eyes and pretending it doesn't exist won't help you with anything. But try keeping your distances, okay? Nothing's free, be sure to never pay a price you can't afford. It's too much of a sacrifice."

It might have been too many words, but she nodded her head anyway. "I promise I'll remember. Does that mean that mum and you sacrificed something?"

"We all sacrifice something at some point, Ev. Mostly time, experiences with loved ones, possibilities. That, you can get over. Sometimes, blood, or life. Mages know this concept very well, though members of other clans try to pretend it doesn't exist, casting all the blame on black mages when they all do that, thinking our clan is evil, because it makes it easier to avoid seeing the evil in themselves. Your mother might tell you more about it, one day, but don't push her. She has enough to concern herself with."

They walked back home. When they arrived, Evdokiya noticed that, once again, her mother had bandages all over her wrists.