Chapter Text
“Faster, Argos!”
Azem leaned forward, willing her familiar faster through the air. His fluffy, golden ears and braids whipped in the wind as he cut through the aether currents, his mistress holding on with practiced expertise.
Time was not on her side if she wanted to prevent disaster.
The woman who held the fourteenth seat of the Convocation of Fourteen had been milling about the region in search of adventure, pausing for a meal and to listen in to discussions of an upcoming festival. She took a sip from her glass and smiled at her server, who bowed lower than was necessary, making her chuckle lightly.
The peace was suddenly broken as a white-masked woman threw open the door, gasping for her breath as her eyes darted from face to face. They settled on Azem’s black mask, and an expression of relief followed.
“Azem! You have to help, Alalia is doomed!” The woman gestured wildly through her labored breathing.
Azem frowned and stood from her seat, placing a comforting hand on the other woman’s shoulder.
“Of course I will help. But please – do tell me, what is happening, specifically?” Her mind raced with possibilities and a hit of excitement. It had been days since the last time she got to fight, and she was growing restless.
The woman shook her head as though she couldn’t believe her own eyes. “I was there, visiting a friend who was tending the fields, when a great beast emerged from the woods!”
“What manner of beast?”
“It must be a new creation, for it is not one I have seen before,” the woman replied, shaking her head again. “It was huge, furred, and had several horns. It immediately started uprooting the vegetables.”
Her last line was laced with aggravation, and Azem had to resist the urge to laugh. Instead, she took the woman’s hands, interrupting the continuing rant about crop production that year.
“Worry not, my friend.” She flashed a dazzling smile, her teeth as white as her flowing mane. “I shall seek out the creature and ensure it does not cause harm to anyone. Or any more of the crops,” she added.
And so, Azem nodded her farewells and walked outside. She summoned forth Argos in a flash of light, and the pair rushed into the sky in the direction of the farming village to the north.
They mostly followed a brick road below, which wound comfortably through a mighty pine forest. The crisp smell enveloped Azem like a hug, and she was in her element.
No doubt, the creature had been one of the new creations released in those woods some time ago. Why it would turn to terrorizing the townspeople and consuming their crops, she couldn’t guess; those were the kind of things peer review in Elpis was intended to prevent.
Perhaps it had been a natural occurrence to incite the creature?
Shortly, the trees below turned to farmland, golden wheat and emerald stalks. Azem noted that, despite the conducive weather, she could spot nary a farmer preparing for harvest.
What she did spot were deep rivets in the easternmost field, the crops flung askew.
Azem directed Argos towards the disturbance, and he complied.
Once they were above it, the evidence of the beast’s revelry was clear. Huge pumpkins had been smashed and then trampled with massive feet bearing hooves. Toothmarks marred the sides of other crops, and a fair number of otherwise unharmed gourds had been severed from their vines prematurely. Strangely enough, Azem recognized blackened edges on some of the remaining leaves, singed.
Whatever the beast was, Azem estimated that its hooves alone were two fulms wide. The beast could easily be fifteen fulms long, it had been hungry, and possibly magical. She grimaced. Even if it were a herdbeast of some sort, the damage caused to the environment pointed to it being in a frenzy. Produce aside, anyone trying to stop it could easily be harmed. If it did have horns as described, it likely knew how to use them. If it had fire magic… well, she’d have to see that for herself.
But where had it gone?
Footprints in the loamy soil started to lead in the vague direction of the main village, but stopped at the edge of the field where the earth grew compacted and grassy.
Her concern mounting, Azem summoned her sword from the aether and voiced the command for Argos to go forth, but lower to the ground. If the creature was in the village, she thought that surprising it with a sleep spell to the face might be the easiest way to prevent further damage. The sword was a backup plan.
She doubted that this situation warranted summoning any of her friends, but it remained an option if she needed additional hands to avoid casualties.
If she were blessedly wrong, and the beast had not gone to the village, checking on the people and getting them indoors or evacuated would still be a good step, at the very least.
As they reached the first building, a tiny brick home, Azem pushed Argos to land before deftly sliding off of his back to the ground.
At this proximity, she could hear some kind of commotion at the village square. She motioned for Argos to stay and remain quiet, readied her sword, and then strode out from behind the stone wall to see what awaited her.
It was not what she expected. Not by a malm.
The beast was indeed there in the village, and her empty hand raised reflexively, a blue glow enveloping her palm. When she recognized what was happening, though, she lowered her hand with bemusement.
A half-dozen villagers were there, people of varying heights and hair colors, but all dressed in the same black robes and white masks. They chattered amongst themselves emphatically, but with only mild upset, despite – or because of – the huge beast which was slumped to the ground before them.
Azem immediately recognized it as a fairly recent concept produced by the Words of Loghrif. Loghrif had gushed about it at the Convocation’s last meeting after Azem had regaled her with a tale from her most recent adventure. Azem had to admit, seeing the creature now, it was indeed impressive.
It was a huge boar, with horns and tusks that were an unsettling length. Its shoulders, even collapsed to the earth, were already taller than anyone in the crowd. It did appear to be far more bony than she would have imagined, with ribs and hip bones clearly visible under its skin, but its eyes were closed, and a peaceful expression rested on its face. It breathed slowly, snoring with each inward breath.
She assumed it had not been so peaceful before it was knocked out, judging by the welt marks and burned hair adjourning its gaunt side.
Atop the beast’s back sat a small girl, also adjourned with a black robe and white mask, who fussed over a particularly deep gash in the creature’s side, a grimace almost comical on her small face. She had short, wavy hair in a dark violet tone. As Azem approached, she noted that the girl’s robes were quite dirty and torn in places.
“Oh, Azem!”
At once, murmurs of excitement and interest spread through the crowd, interrupting the prior deliberations.
Azem smiled brilliantly again, nodding to those who she recognized.
“Hello, friends! Pray tell me, what occurred here?” She motioned broadly to the beast. “I was told that your village was facing disaster, and yet it appears you managed things full well on your own.” Azem was only slightly disappointed.
A man next to the beast crossed his arms. “It certainly would have been a disaster, had not Iris predicted it and stopped it. Now the only issue is what to do with the thing.” His accompanying shrug indicated his relief that a Convocation member was there to make the choice and carry it out for them.
“Iris?” Azem’s eyes shifted again to the girl atop the boar. Predicted it?
The girl had been staring at Azem’s black mask in awe. Hearing her name, she blinked before speaking.
“Oh, yes, that’s me!”
Patting the boar’s mane a final time, she clambered down its shoulder, taking care not to touch its injuries.
The boar continued to snore. The sleeping magic used to bind it was strong. Stronger than Azem would expect from a child, surely.
Azem’s eyebrows raised as Iris marched up to her, a determined set to the child’s mouth. Azem was certain that, if she could see them, the girl’s eyes would be glowing fiercely.
“Um. Please, Mistress Azem,” the girl dipped her head respectfully before continuing, “The monster didn’t mean any harm.” She glanced back at the creature, her mouth turning to a concerned frown.
“Iris says that it hurt its tooth and could not eat what it was created to,” a woman added. “So she says we can’t kill it, and she perched herself atop the thing until now, protecting it.” Looking back at the speaker with a frown, Iris nodded before turning back to Azem.
The girl only came up to Azem’s hip – so young, and small even for her apparent age, but Azem could sense that she had aether that rivaled most of the adults around them.
Considering the condition of the beast, the girl also had at least some vague idea of how to use it.
Azem frowned and looked to the boar, uncertainty and fascination lacing her thoughts in equal measure. I must need have Emet-Selch look at this girl. I can only imagine what he would see.
“Please, Mistress Azem,” the girl said. “You know healing magicks, do you not?”
Azem paused before nodding. “Of course.” She again eyed the boar.
Whether it was true or not that a tooth was the culprit, she assumed spending a small amount of aether to ensure the creature was healthy would be worth the trouble. Judging by its malnutrition, she wouldn’t be surprised if its prior rampage was caused by a health issue.
The crowd parted as Azem strode forward, only stopping once she was directly in front of the great beast, standing between its intimidating tusks. Each of its exhales was warm and moist, and Azem’s nose twitched at the earthy smell.
“So, can you heal it? And its other wounds, too?”
Azem nodded, kneeled, then placed her hand on the boar’s snout, which rested on the ground. It was warm and prickled with coarse hair. She closed her eyes.
Let us see what ails you.
Aether rushed to her hand and flowed into the creature. Along with it, her consciousness probed, starting with the visible wounds on its outside. It had superficial bruises, burns, and cuts that she directed her healing magic to, but there was nothing severe. Azem continued her scan. The beast was no longer hungry, for the time being, its belly full of pumpkin and other soft produce. Its joints were fine. Its lungs breathed comfortably. Its ears and eyes were healthy. Its mind was fogged from the sleep spell placed on it, which she wisely left alone.
When she directed her magic to the boar’s mouth, her eyebrows raised. Its back teeth along one side were shattered, likely from a blow it sustained at some point in the last few weeks. She poured aether into the cracks, reconstructing the teeth, and the sleeping creature sighed in relief. Azem opened her eyes, ceasing the aetheric flow.
She patted the beast’s snout lightly before standing. Her heart ached in sympathy for how much pain the creature must have felt.
“...It is done,” she said out loud, looking to the girl who was all but hovering in anticipation behind her.
Iris squeaked in joy. “Thank you, Mistress Azem!” She bowed deeply, and Azem waved it off with a smile.
“‘tis nothing.”
Azem then turned to the crowd, still watching in anticipation. “It did indeed have a damaged jaw.” She noted that most of the crowd took the confirmation in stride, then continued.
“If I properly recall, this concept was designed to consume the needles from coniferous trees in the forest to reduce the risk of fires. Given the damage, I can only assume that its teeth were unable to grind the needles as necessary, driving it to desperation…and shortly after, your crops.
“I will see to it that the beast is returned to the forest, now that it is well, but I cannot guarantee it will not come back again now that it has had a taste. Fortunately, I also seem to recall that Loghrif told me most of her herbivores had natural repellents available to prevent them from seeking crops. I will reach out to her and see what she recommends for wild boars.”
One of the farmers nodded. “Much appreciated, Azem. We shall await your word.” As the crowd began to disperse, another man shouted to Iris, whose attention had returned to the beast – admiring its shiny new skin and hair free from burns.
“You’re lucky that Azem showed up when she did, Iris.”
Iris shrugged disinterestedly, not bothering to turn and face the man.
“I already said ‘thank you.’” Pausing for a moment, she turned again to look at Azem, who was watching the interaction with an eyebrow raised curiously. “I do mean it though. Thank you! I’m not great at healing magicks…” She scowled.
Azem nodded. “But you are with other kinds?”
“Mhhm, I guess. Explodey ones.”
Azem covered her mouth to withhold a laugh. “And you can foresee the future?”
Iris nodded. “Sometimes.”
Azem was fascinated, but sighed in mild disappointment when the boar snorted in its sleep, reminding her of its existence.
“I would love to continue talking, but our friend here needs to go back to the forest. Would you care to join?”
Iris’s mouth opened in excited shock and she expressed her enthusiastic agreement.
Azem chuckled, then waved her hand lightly, drawing the three into a blue and white portal.
As the flash of aether faded, the trio found themselves just on the border of the forest, farmland and the village at their backs.
“Ah, here we are!” Azem cheered, glancing at her charges.
The parts of Iris’s skin that were left exposed by her mask and robe were slightly green, but she still stood, to Azem’s delight. Teleportation magicks like this which did not employ aetherytes were generally only useful for short-range travel, and most often employed by members of the convocation, since they required much of the user’s aether. It wasn’t something many individuals had the opportunity to get used to, so Iris had done well not to vomit instantly.
“Now, release your hold on the creature’s mind so that it can wake up.”
Shaking her head slowly – not in dissent, but as if to dismiss the aether sickness – Iris held out a hand to the beast. A flash of violet aether was all it took for the beast’s breath to hitch and a great, bloodshot eye to open. Its eye was as large as Iris’s head. It squealed in confusion, shaking its head, but Iris kept her hand outstretched.
Azem held her own hand ready behind her back, prepared to reinstate the spell if needed, but stood steady to observe.
A moment longer and the boar calmed, finding its bearings, and turned to consider the girl warily.
Iris smiled warmly at it, her hands still outstretched.
“I am sorry I had to hurt you to help you. Full glad am I that you are feeling better now, though.”
As if it understood, the creation snorted and shook its head gently.
Iris took a cautious step forward before petting the top of the boar’s snout.
It huffed warily, but didn’t gore her with its tusks, which Azem considered an impressive success, all things considered. Azem let the aether gathered in her palm dissolve again.
Smiling wider, Iris stepped back and withdrew her hands, lacing her fingers behind her back.
“Now, go back home! And do not dare to come back into the village, or else you risk becoming someone’s – a lot of someones’ – dinner!”
The boar blinked and grumbled, but then shook its mane a final time as it raised to its feet. One more snort and it lumbered off into the woods.
As the beast faded into the dappled darkness, Azem turned her attention back to the strange girl at her side, who was still waving her farewell.
She could be a fantastic Loghrif someday , Azem thought. But the girl’s way with animals was not her most unusual apparent trait.
Azem raised her hand to her mask, lowering it without trepidation. She turned to Iris and the smile on her mouth shone equally through eyes the color of the ocean.
“Iris, would you care to tell me more about what you foresaw happening today? I am really quite curious. I know not anyone else with future sight.”
Iris’s mouth hung open for a moment before she scrambled to pull her mask off, too. Bright silver eyes so light to almost seem white glowed with excitement as she nodded quickly.
“Last month, I saw the boar hurt his tooth when he rolled down a rocky cliff. Then I saw it eat all the stuff the farmers were growing.” She frowned. “I saw it ate the entire field, and squished whatever it didn’t. Everyone was so sad. I think a few people were trampled trying to stop it. I didn’t get any dinner. A lot of people had to travel to Amurot, and I knew it would be weeks before we could come back.”
“But that is not what happened,” Azem said, tilting her head and raising her hand to her chin thoughtfully.
Iris shook her head dismissively.
“What I see does not always actually happen. The future can always be changed… except when it can’t be.” She raised an eyebrow and looked up as if the words she was searching for might be found hanging from one of the trees like an apple. She looked back at Azem after a moment of silence, a satisfied look on her face.
“I can see possible futures. All of them, sometimes.”
Azem’s eyes widened. “Can you do that whenever you choose?”
Iris snorted. “Of course not.”
Azem pressed her lips together to withhold a laugh. “When does it happen, then?”
“When I sleep. Or when I space out. Or randomly. Not every time. Maybe a few times a day.”
“That is… still a lot,’ Azem stated, at a rare loss for words. Her young companion shrugged.
“They are not always useful ones like this, though. Knowing my mother may make candied fruit tomorrow, maybe. Knowing that Elene might kiss Solon in a few months – that does little to help anyone right now. Especially he changes his mind about visiting Amurot at the same time as she in a few weeks. Then maybe he marries Teris instead.”
“I suppose that does make it difficult.” Azem considered a moment. “How far in the future can you see?”
“Only a few centuries, maybe? But usually they are only only a week or so away, if they happen at all.”
This was overwhelming to Azem. She had heard rumors of precognition before, but never actually met one with the skill. She could see that it was more like to be a curse than a blessing at times, considering its fallibility, but it had still been enough to grant this child the knowledge necessary to save a village from destruction. Her aetherial capacity for battle magic was impressive enough to set her apart on its own.
Still, Azem had a remaining question.
“So, why were the other villagers so harsh towards you?”
Iris sighed and crossed her arms, looking to the ground where her heel dug into the dirt.
“They do not believe me until it happens, as often as not.”
Azem nodded, understanding. When the future one sees is variable, she could imagine it would be difficult to trust. What was a truthful premonition last week, that the village would be destroyed by a rampaging creature, was fiction today – thanks to the prophet’s action.
“So you generally keep your visions to yourself until you are certain they are to occur?”
Iris nodded. “If I can correct anything by myself, no one has to know when I am wrong.” She frowned again. “I didn’t used to keep them as secrets, though, so the villagers are already fed up with me.”
Azem crossed her arms and hummed in thought. What a life it would be, drawn from place to place as you foresaw possible disasters, striving to right wrongs no one could yet know. Her eyes glinted as an idea crossed her mind, and she looked up to see Iris grinning at her.
“You take me with you.”
Not a question, a statement.
Azem didn’t restrain her laugh this time. “Did you see it as a possibility?”
Iris lowered her head slightly, mumbling her words. “I did, a few months ago. That’s why I was so excited to see you before.”
Azem’s eyebrows ascended to new heights before settling again where they belonged, a bewildered smile still playing at her mouth.
Iris spoke once more, raising her eyes to meet Azem’s.
“But it just became a certainty.” Her eyes seemed to be seeing far more than the details on Azem’s face. “All the possible futures I saw, all of them, require me to go with you. You already made up your mind, and so did I.” Her silver eyes sparkled. “That does not happen super-often.”
Azem laughed and reached her hand out to ruffle the odd girl’s hair.
There was still the matter of convincing the girl’s parents that it was in the best interest of the star that their daughter be allowed to become Azem’s apprentice, but Azem didn’t imagine it would be too difficult a sell, especially considering Iris’s visions.
“Well then, Miss Iris,” Azem said, already considering the endless possibilities of this new future. “It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance and gain you as an apprentice on the same day. I am Venat.”