Chapter 12 #2
“Yes, yes, forgive me. I am terrible with the names of people I’ve just met,” Vex smirked. “In any event, Finley just waxed poetic about your glamours! I would have you glamour me!”
Rhalyf stared at him. “You would want me to use magic on you?”
“Yes, I would see your skills in action! Maybe we could all go as puttering grandmothers together! Little old biddies out for a stroll,” Vex cackled.
“Father, you can glamour yourself,” Declan pointed out as he saw Rhalyf’s expression go very smooth and unreadable as the tension in him clearly mounted at Vex’s poking. “Besides, he has to glamour me, himself and Haera already if we’re going incognito–”
“Actually, I think that we should go as ourselves with the exception of King Vex and yourself, Declan,” Aquilan said. “I promised to visit the Separatists and I would start that outreach now. Stealing in there undercover would not be a good idea.”
“Right,” Declan nodded, understanding what Aquilan was saying. “I see what you mean.”
“I’ve spelled the Adiva to keep up the black hair, green eyes and round ears so keep it on and you should be fine,” Rhalyf cautioned.
“I actually would like to see how a glamour is done,” Declan said. It was time he started to learn about magic. “So I can try it myself.”
“But you said yesterday that you weren’t ready to have another spell placed upon you!” Aquilan looked alarmed.
“I know. But I do feel fine now. I wish to try,” Declan told him.
“Of course, I’ll show you,” Rhalyf offered.
“Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right away,” Haera said kindly.
This had Rhalyf staring at her as if he didn’t know who she was.
She continued, “Glamours are high level magic, Declan. It’s not something you can just see and then do.
There are steps to get there. And, even if you are skilled at other forms of magic, glamours are complicated. I still can’t get them right.”
Rhalyf blinked. “You… you are admitting not being able to do something?”
“Certainly not as well as you, brother. Not in that arena anyway. Your spellwork is brilliant just as Finley said,” Haera told him.
Rhalyf had gone very still. He truly didn’t seem to be breathing. This clearly wasn’t the sort of thing that Rhalyf expected of his sister, which raised all sorts of interesting questions. Declan saw no lie on her face nor heard it in her voice.
Finally, Rhalyf turned towards Declan. “There are books that I can lend you as well as to the theory of magic–”
“I’m not good with books,” Declan cut him off, feeling a form of horror at the thought of having to study again and watch the words swirl uselessly in front of him.
“Declan learns things by doing,” Finley piped in. “Show him a thing one time and he really does pick it up.”
Rhalyf smiled, but Declan could see that he wasn’t at all convinced Declan could do this. But he was willing to try, which was all Declan needed from him. Belief would come when he proved to be able to do a thing. “Well, of course, let me–”
“I’ll show you, Rahven,” Vex said as he suddenly got to his feet in a fluid, graceful movement. “Now watch, Rahven. Watch me carefully.”
Declan stood facing his father. He stayed only five feet away so that he could see everything Vex did. For a moment, he remembered being at the Venomthorn and watching the students cast their first shields.
“... feel the magic in your chest, under your skin!” Vulre had commanded them, walking amongst the rows of students, shouldering one girl roughly who didn’t seem to be paying proper attention. “Then push it out of you! Feel your skin tingle as it passes through? Do you feel it?”
“Yes, Master!” The students cried.
And Declan–who had been hiding amongst the rocks to watch this lesson as he was not invited to participate in it because his magic had not Awakened–had seen blue shimmering light appear on some of the students’ chest, faces and arms. That blue glow pushed outwards from them and formed glowing, magical shields.
Declan had, of course, attempted this himself, following all of Vulre’s instructions, but nothing had happened. His magic had remained out of reach.
But that was no longer the case.
He felt it within him. It wanted to get out. It wanted to be used.
Vex did not speak. He did not explain what he was doing.
He simply did it. His red eyes hooded, his hands came together in front of his chest with his fingertips touching, and then he brought his hands apart.
As he did so, his form seemed to ripple.
The pale-skinned, muscular figure in crimson pants with silver hair and red eyes was replaced by a plump old human man with strips of white hair over his ears, liver spots dotting his bald pate and the backs of his hands, not to mention a pair of chinos and a red, white and black plaid shirt.
A cane with a dog’s head completed the outfit.
“That glamour… that’s…” Finley was blinking rapidly. “That’s familiar–”
“You took the form of Tyler’s grandfather,” Declan realized.
He’d only ever seen a picture of the man in his old house.
The picture was of Tyler as a boy with Roger–that was his grandfather’s name–beside him in that exact outfit.
He’d had a companionable arm around Tyler’s skinny shoulders.
When he smiled–as Vex did now–his eyes were practically hidden by the creases of skin.
The bushy white eyebrows were just as wild as Declan remembered.
“How did you know about Roger Wilde?” Finley looked stunned.
“Father was watching out of my eyes even back then,” Declan answered.
Finley’s mouth opened in an “O” of surprise. “But that means you knew Declan was here…”
“He’s always known I was here,” Declan said quietly.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about this. If Vex had been watching through his eyes, listening through his ears and reading his thoughts that meant his father was interested in him.
Maybe even looking out for him. That voice in his head when he was at the Venomthorn had been Vex, giving him advice and also comfort.
But that would have meant Vex knew about the Leviathan attack too.
He wasn’t sure how long it would take to get from Nhamashel to here.
A rift could have easily brought him to Illithor and then to Earth, but… maybe not. Declan didn’t know.
“I didn’t ever hear his voice, but… how’s this?” Vex’s dulcet tones changed to a rougher, quavery tone. He’d seen a flare of light at his father’s throat when that change had occurred.
Declan tilted his head to the side. “That works. Show me again, please.”
This time Declan allowed his eyes to go unfocused as he watched his father cast the glamour once again. This time he changed from an old human man in flannel to a glowing, golden-haired Aravae with sparkling blue eyes and a captivating smile that so reminded him of Aquilan that his heart caught.
“Ailduin,” Helgrom whispered.
Aquilan’s lips parted.
Vex glowed as Ailduin. Sunlight flooded the interior of the inn.
But it did not hurt. Like when Aquilan sang the other night, this light was gentle and healing.
His father more than just looked like Ailduin–or maybe even Roger–but took something of their personalities and infused that within himself.
“One more time,” Declan requested.
The Ailduin face and form were abruptly replaced with something completely different.
A fairy appeared flitting about before them, glittering dust leaving a trail of light in the air as it fell from her tiny feet.
She zipped around the room, pausing only to linger by the birdcage and stick her tongue out at it.
“Down with fairy prisons!” Vex squeaked in a perfect fairy voice.
“There wouldn’t be any fairy prisons if you all paid your bar tabs equally and didn’t curse my honey brew!” Helgrom shouted at the Vex-fairy.
The Vex-fairy stuck out her tongue at Helgrom and hovered menacingly over the wine bottles, but left them alone when everyone clapped. Vex appeared before them, himself once more, and bowed.
“That was incredible! So many glamours one after the other! And all so different!” Finley shook his head in wonder.
“You put me to shame, King Vex. Never shall I consider myself brilliant at glamours or any magic after seeing that,” Rhalyf said solemnly.
“Do not downplay your gifts, Rhalyf. You are still young,” Vex said with a wave of his hand.
“Now, Rahven, you only need to change three things about yourself. Hair. Eyes. Ears. Can you do it?” He suddenly snapped his fingers and Declan felt the magical glamour lift from the Adiva. “Now, you’re free to try.”
Declan closed his eyes, shutting out the room and the people in it.
He felt the magic within him. It swirled and surged, wanting to be sculpted to his will.
He remembered how he had shattered that tower at the Venomthorn with a single blow.
He also remembered killing all those Leviathan similarly.
He needed the barest trace of magic to do this.
He imagined dipping his fingers into the vortex inside of him.
His hands were now coated with his magic.
It felt icy cold and his hands tingled. He reached up and swiped his fingers over his eyes then raked his hands through his hair before finishing by touching his ears.
He waited a moment for when he was sure the magic had settled and a tiny stream connected those parts to the vortex inside of him before opening his eyes again.
Everyone was staring at him.
Finley half rose from his chair.
Rhalyf and Haera were blinking.
“He did it! First time!” Haera gasped.
“Just by watching. With no building block spells in his quiver,” Rhalyf agreed.
Helgrom nodded slowly as he lit his pipe.
Aquilan laughed and clapped. “My goodness, Declan! You’re a natural!”
But it was his father’s face that he found himself focusing on as Vex said, “More than that, Ailduin. My son is gods’ gift.”
But Declan didn’t think Vex sounded terribly pleased about that.