James Galloway - The Tower of Sorcery

"A Warding Circle," Sevren said. "A mystical construction Mages use to protect themselves from their conjured creatures. Magical beings can't cross a Warding Circle's perimeter. I guess it also works on magical creatures that exist in this world to begin with."

"I guess I could get in, but I couldn't get out."

"No, it should have stopped you from entering as well," Sevren said. "There was some kind of spell placed on it that made it dormant until a magical creature went in."

"So, it was a trap," Tarrin said calmly. "I expected as much."

"Well, don't worry about that anymore," the woman sitting on the chair told him. "The Council is taking steps to see that it doesn't happen again."

"No offense, ma'am, but I'll believe that when I see it."

"You missed that part," she told him. "The Ward has already been raised."

"Ward?" Tarrin asked.

"The Ancients placed a tremendous Ward around the Tower, Tarrin," Sevren told him. "It was woven into the fence. When it's raised, it prevents any magic or magical creatures from entering the grounds. It will stop the Wraiths and other magical monsters that have been attacking you. It also totally absorbs any spellcasting on the Grounds that is not Sorcery. If there are any Wizards or Priests here, their magic is useless. Only Sorcery works."

"So you see, young one, you are much safer now," the woman told him. "Without magic, these mysterious enemies will have a much harder time getting to you. And since we've increased the guard on the grounds, it will be that much harder."

The copper-skinned man took his hands away, and Tarrin felt the magic fade from inside him. "You are perfectly healthy," he announced. "You'll be a little weak for a few hours, but that'll pass with a good meal and some rest. I'll have a proper meal sent to you, but in the meantime, no strenuous activity and stay in your room. Allia, stay with him and make sure he doesn't exert himself."

"Yes, Master Koran Dar," Allia said with a flinty look at her friend.

"Now then, we should leave Tarrin to his rest. Come along, Mathilde."

"Yes, Master Koran Dar," the plump woman piped in a voice too shrill for her size.

Koran Dar and Sevren left the room, Sevren giving Tarrin a reassuring pat on the arm and a promise he'd come back later that afternoon to see him. The dark-haired woman gave Tarrin a calm look, then left without a word. Two men that had been standing outside his door quickly entered and picked up the fancy chair, then spirited it out of the room and closed the door behind them. Allia got up from the stool and sat down on the side of the bed, her white hair falling from behind her shoulders as she leaned over him with a stern look on her face. "You about scared me to death!" she told him in Selani.

"I didn't do it on purpose, believe me," he sighed. "Why didn't you come running in there?"

"Because Sevren wouldn't let me," she grunted sourly. "He's strong for such a thin human. He wouldn't let go, even after I threatened to gut him with a dinner spoon."

"He did the right thing, deshaida ," he told her. "You wouldn't have been able to help."

"I know, but I can't stand aside idly and watch my brother fight for his life," she said in a voice thick with emotion.

"I love you too, my sister," he smiled, touching her cheek with a furry finger. "How long was I out?"

"Not long," she replied. "Master Koran Dar is a very strong healer."

"I wouldn't notice," he said, "I don't even remember how bad I was hurt."

"It was not pretty, my brother," she told him. "The Wraith hurt you badly. You even lost a couple of fingers."

Tarrin held up both paws and wiggled his fingers with a smile. "You can't keep a good paw down," he said with a chuckle.

"I know, they grew back," she said. "Koran Dar was very surprised."

"Well, at least this way, I didn't lose the whole day," he said thoughtfully.

"How well do you think the Sorcerers can defend you?" Allia asked.

"I'm not really counting on them," Tarrin replied, leaning back some. "I think this magical ward of theirs will slow this Kravon person down, but I doubt it'll stop him."

"Wise," Allia agreed. "Always expect the worst. That prevents nasty surprises."

"There's more we need to talk about," he said.

She nodded in acknowledgement. "You should be able to move about by this afternoon," she said. "As long as you don't push it. We can do it then. For now, how about a nice game of stones?"

Tarrin laughed. "Anxious to put me back out, I see," he said with an impudent grin. "Go ahead and get the board. I can lose a few times before this meal arrives."

They were close to the end of the first game when the meal arrived. It was a large affair that took up four trays, but the smell of the food seemed to break a dam of starvation in his stomach, and he attacked the food with wild abandon. Tarrin seemed to understand that it was the healing that did it, both his own regeneration and the strength-sapping healing that the Sorcerers employed, but that didn't make him any less ravenous. He polished off the entire meal and went back to the game, losing to Allia and then starting a new game. At about noon, Koran Dar entered the room and gave Tarrin an exhaustive examination. Tarrin was starting to get a bit annoyed at the prodding and magical searching inside his body. Koran Dar even opened his mouth and took a look at his teeth. "How often do you bite your tongue?" he asked.

Tarrin blinked in surprise as Koran Dar let go of his lower jaw. "I used to bite it alot," he replied. "Sometimes clear through."

"I noticed," he said. "Those teeth look like they could be painful."

Tarrin unconsciously ran his tongue over his altered teeth. They looked more or less human, except all of them were sharp. They either ended in points, or in sharp ridges along molars. His elongated fang-like incisors were the greatest sign of that part the change had rendered on him. "Not really," he said. "Sure, it hurts, but then it heals over."

"I've been meaning to ask you about something," Koran Dar said. "You grew back fingers that you lost in the battle."

"I know, Master Koran Dar," he said, holding up his hand. "I guess we regenerate lost body parts. I know I can regrow teeth. Allia has knocked some of them out."

The tall, dark-skinned man gave the chocolate-skinned Selani a curious look. She smiled at him and reached under her Initiate shirt, then pulled out a simple leather thong around her neck, that had six teeth hanging upon it. Three of them were obviously Tarrin's fang-like incisors. "Just a reminder to my brother for when he gets stupid," she said with a faint smile.

Koran Dar laughed richly. "You remind me too much of home, Allia," he said with a warm smile.

"If I may ask, where is your home, Master Koran Dar?" she asked. "I have never seen a human that looks quite like you."

"I come from the Southern Continent, Sharadar," he replied. "Actually, from a series of islands off the northeast coast of it."

Tarrin made the connection instantly. "You're an Amazon?"

Koran Dar nodded. "I know, we don't often leave our islands," he said. "I, well, let's just say that I decided to avoid an unpleasant marriage arrangement when I was very young. The ship that granted me passage docked in Den Gauche. I discovered I had the Gift, so I found my way here."

"My father told me stories of the Amazons," Tarrin said. "He said-well, you shouldn't be here."

Koran Dar nodded. "I know. I think I'm the only male Amazon outside of the isles of Amazar." According to his father's stories, the Amazons were a race ruled by female warriors. They were fierce and strong, and they ruled almost fifty islands in a large chain of the northeast coast of Arathorn. Amazon law was that all men were property, even men that made their way to their islands by accident. Men were the submissive sex on the Amazon Isles, though they were by no means weak. Koran Dar was a good example of that. He was tall, very tall, lean and graceful, and the way he moved told Tarrin just how strong the man was. "You should stay in bed for two more hours," he ordered. "Just to give your healing a chance to set. Then you may get up and move about, but no strenuous activity for at least a day."