| SORCEROUS SIGNALS |
| Written by Abigail Carter / Artwork by Holly Eddy |
| Split Second |
Another branch stung Ryal's cheek. He could hear the
muffled curses of the others, and the rasping, hollow
breathing of their quarry.
"He's just ahead," Shennan said.
Ryal didn't take his eyes off the trees. The man
stumbled into the light of a glade. Ryal acted
immediately, dropping powders at his side, and
whispering the words of power. A cage of air slammed
the man to a halt.
Their quarry didn't pause; frantically, he threw himself
at the bars, yelling for freedom, help, mercy. He would
get none.
They drew around the prisoner, disgust and loathing
on their faces; but they were wary. Ryal fiddled with
the powders in his pockets, as ever, putting off the
inevitable. The men turned to him, drawing the
prisoner's attention with them. It was no good; simply
avoiding their eyes didn't mean they weren't expecting
him to act. He straightened, his face set.
The prisoner had tears in his eyes. "Let me go. I did no
harm."
They all said that. They all seemed to mean it too.
"You don't understand," the prisoner stammered. "It
was for their benefit. They just couldn't see."
It always was. They never could. Ryal remained
impassive to the pleas, the explanations. It wasn't
relevant. This man's very existence was against the law; that was all that mattered.
"Please." The man sank to his knees, shaking. "Don't."
From around his waist Ryal pulled a chain, with manacles at each end. Manacles created to deaden power.
Ryal took a step towards the prisoner. A mist of ice enveloped him. Tiny icicles stung where they hit. Ryal
resisted the urge to slap at them. It was just an illusion. This man was good. With a whispered word, and
a hiss of powders, he banished the haze.
He took another step. Cockroaches crawled out of the ground and ran up his legs, over his fingers, into
his mouth. Eerie to see them, but feeling nothing, Ryal spoke the word and dropped the powders. The
insects disappeared.
He took another step. Vines wrapped themselves about his ankles, snaking up to his torso, binding his
arms to his side. Word breathed, powders fell. They faded.
Ryal reached the cage. With a word and a dusting, he banished it.
The man rose sharply to his feet. Ryal touched him, and froze him in place.
Ryal paused, but he had no choice; Innates had no place in society. Taking the manacles he clicked them
over the man's wrists. The spell negating with the movement.
The man fell screaming to the ground.
Ryal watched him. It wouldn't last long, with the Quietening; the pain would dull. Never cease entirely, but
it would soften.
It had to be done.
Ryal raised his eyes from the prisoner, to see shock and fear in the eyes of the men he had hunted with.
Shock and fear directed at him. He rubbed his hands on his shirt. Damn them, some things never changed.
An Innate had been Quietened. Ryal had done his duty.
The one separated from his power, screamed on and on.
* * *
The path was overgrown, narrow, and well used. Well used by people who were trying to hide the fact it
was well used.
Shennan grimaced. “Are you sure?”
Ryal wrinkled his nose. “Yes. Magic is being used to hide their presence, so I'd say these are the people we
are after."
“Not just one mage then?”
"Over thirty people using the path, how many are actual mages—who knows?”
"And we have just you."
"I'm trying not to think about that."
There were eight of them altogether; Shennan the sergeant, Ryal their mage and six watchmen. They
were practised in working as a team. They’d originally been selected to deal with an Innate over four years
previously, now they seemed to be together more often than not. In the last month, four key members of
the town's council had been killed by magic. Each death different. Each death cruel. Ryal himself had seen
the last victim. It had not been nice.
Ryal looked at the six men. Each scanned his surroundings, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He
winced. He was fairly sure swords were going to be of limited use on this journey.
Despite their vigilance, the attack came as a total surprise. Ambushers slipped from the bushes, as if they
had been moisture on the leaves. Ryal hadn’t sensed a thing.
The first he knew came from the sound of a sword slicing through air behind him. “Caras,” he yelled, a
shield of air coming to his arm as powders fell to the ground. The sword bounced harmlessly back.
Where had they come from?
Ryal flinched as another swipe hit his shield. He cursed. The blade came again. He dodged to one side, his
hand touching the chest of the attacker. "Sela," he gasped, and the man fell to the ground; asleep.
Another took his place. Ryal pointed, spoke, and powders fell. The man stumbled, unable to walk on the
roiling ground beneath his feet.
Ryal struggled to assess the situation. Now what? Where is Shennan?
A quick glance confirmed his presence to the right. Liam stationed himself on the other side. Practised
manoeuvres, keep Ryal safe, give him time to weave his spells.
Right, ten more men to our six. I need to distract them, to even the odds.
To aid Jered, he unbalanced the attacker with an ankle-twisting vine. The man fell howling with surprise.
Jered finished him off, ready for the next.
To aid Shennan, he sent a blast of air that rocked his attackers off balance. Shennan took full advantage.
This is all too slow.
Outnumbered, he could see the men sweating from their exertion.
What can I do?
More powders fell, and this time Ryal focused on the enemy’s swords. "Shera." The metal began to
shimmer, a haze enveloping them. Men yelped as the swords became too hot to hold. It provided enough
of a distraction for Shennan's men to finish off the battle.
Ryal swayed where he stood. Magic took its toll.
Liam rounded on him. "Where did they come from?"
Ryal flinched, “I don’t know. I felt nothing."
"That’s what you’re for, isn’t it? To feel the magic?"
"But there was no magic to feel."
"Those men weren't hiding under the bushes. There had to be magic involved." Liam had a tendency to be
tetchy after a fight.
"I'm telling you there wasn't. If a mage had been nearby, hiding the men, I'd have felt his presence. But I
didn't."
"Well, surely it's possible a mage teleported them from a distance?"
"Yes, but I'd have felt that too."
"So what are you saying?"
"That I felt no magic because a mage didn't do this." He spoke as he thought it through. "The only
possibility is that an Innate did. Their magic is different; internal. I don't feel it. I think that's how they
were able to surprise us."
Liam pulled a face. "Oh, come on. Innates don't fight battles. They are old ladies telling fortunes, and mad
uncles who poison tea with their words. They are young men who use illusions to trick others into
mending their apparently scurrilous ways, like the one we caught the other day. They are ordinary people,
with twisted gifts, trying to hide their skills until someone spots them and turns them in. They are much
too afraid of the Quietening to tell others of their existence. There is no way an Innate would help others
to attack us."
Ryal shrugged. "I'm just interpreting the facts."
"Not much use then are you?"
"Come on, Liam.” Ryal tried to make peace. "Don’t tell me you’ve never been ambushed? Sometimes the
attackers are just better."
Ryal took a deep breath, as Liam turned away. The attack had unnerved him too, and he would dearly
have liked a proper explanation for what had happened. He rubbed his eyes. They felt gritty and sore.
Sighing, his gaze fell on Jered, who crouched plunging his knife repeatedly in the grass verge to clean it.
Jered looked up and their gazes locked.
“You still won’t kill them will you?" He said. "Won’t go that final step and get your hands dirty.”
“Leave him alone.” Shennan frowned at him.
“Why should I? We carry the curses of the dead, all of us...” his eyes narrowed. "Except him."
Ryal tensed. “I’m not like you. I didn’t choose this. I was given this task, and I do it, but no one told me I
had to kill.”
Jered opened his mouth to speak again.
“Leave it.” Shennan ordered. “Or maybe he’ll put the manacles on you.”
Jered closed his mouth, and they all turned away. They were hard men with a hard job to do. They teased
and they killed. They’d all seen things they would never talk about, and they had at times done worse. But
the Quietening still unnerved them, even if they weren't actually responsible for it themselves.
Independent men, none of them liked the thought of separating a man from his inner power, to leave him
permanently in pain and at the mercy of his family's care. It unnerved Ryal too. But what could he do?
Ryal waited as Shennan studied each of them in turn, drawing them in. “We move on.”
They didn’t get much further that day. Their nerves stretched to breaking point; not so much from their
exertions, but from the constant vigilance they found necessary to keep up.
They ate in almost silence until Haran leant over, holding out a mug of water. “Here, heat this for me, will
you?” Sprinkling the powders beside him, Ryal spoke a word. The liquid began to shiver then bubble.
Haran grabbed it back. “Hey, that’ll do; I want to go to sleep soon; don’t want to be blowing it all night.”
The others laughed. Tight bursts, their eyes never stopping their watch.
They turned in early. Ryal sat, idly throwing twigs and dried grass into the fire. His unique ability to detect
magic meant that, at a time like this, he kept the whole watch. His mind roved constantly around the
camp. He touched Jered’s sharp angry mind; never satisfied, never at rest. Shennan’s mind, calm and
relaxed, just as it always was. The others’ thoughts dormant as they slept, little more than shadows. He
sighed. Nothing there. Liam shifted behind him and Ryal turned. _No, there really was nothing there_.
“Ryal, stop jumping at shadows.” Shennan spoke softly.
Ryal ran his hands over his face. “This is a waste of time. I sensed nothing before. I feel useless.”
"You aren’t useless."
"I didn’t sense them."
"It doesn't matter, we still need you in a fight."
Ryal glared at Shennan’s back. Great, now I’m getting the speech.
It was Shennan’s biggest insult, ‘the speech’. You only got it when he thought you were a hopeless case.
Shennan laughed softly through the stem of his empty pipe. “Now that I have you feeling totally sorry for
yourself, do you think you might pass me a cup of something hot and stop moping quite so audibly. Your
sighs can be heard for miles.”
Despite himself, Ryal laughed back.
They sat in companionable silence for a moment, before Shennan spoke again. "My daughter is getting
married in three days. Let's be done by then, hey?
"Fair enough. I can imagine you with a daughter, apple of your eye."
"What about you, any family dates to get back for?"
"They're dead. A sickness I was lucky enough to avoid by being away from home. Simple and tragic."
"I'm sorry."
"It was a long..." Ryal turned, sensing something. Hard and fast, a wave of magic sliced through their
minds. The men screamed, clutching at their heads. In pain, but not dead, as they should have been. Ryal’
s magic shielded them. Just. For a second he registered the same intense agony as the others. But unlike
them he could fight it.
With one hand he forced himself to sprinkle powders onto the ground, but inside he withdrew into his
mind and reinforced his barriers.
Right, let's see what you’ve got. I’m betting you didn’t expect to attack for long.
Focusing, he drew power from within and began to push back. He screwed his eyes tight at the power
required.
You’re strong.
Ryal pushed harder, gradually he gained ground. The attack began to weaken.
Good, this is working. Now it’s just a question of which of us is stronger. Ryal pushed again and again.
Around him he could hear gasps of relief as the attacker let go of the watchmen’s minds in order to resist
Ryal’s. His own pain intensified.
Oh, no you don’t.
Once again Ryal pushed, and the attack wavered. He pushed once more and the spell fell apart. The mind
in charge of it swiftly withdrawing.
Ryal grinned.
Now let’s see who you are.
He latched himself onto the retreating mind. It wasn't just one, it was two. One carrying the other.
The dominant mind registered shock, then surprise, then amusement.
Ryal followed that one, as the mind slipped back into its rightful place Ryal looked through its owner's
eyes. The man stood gazing into a bowl of glass-still water, another man leaning over his shoulder. The
owner of the other mind?
The dominant man was dark haired and thin faced, ordinary. But, his eyes were flat, unemotional, like
pools of black ink. Ryal shivered back from the sheer force of them.
“Well, hello there.” The man spoke the words out loud. “This is a surprise.” His next words rang in his
head only. Only for Ryal. :But it explains a lot.
Ryal reeled. :How can you know I'm here?
The man laughed. :This is priceless.
:Who are you?h Ryal tried to ignore his words, and take back some control.
:Very well, if that is the way you want to play it. My name is Corsha and I lead here. Your name is?
:None of your business.
:Oh, Ryal, I can read it as plainly as if it were written across your forehead.
Ryal couldn't think of a reply.
:Don’t you want to know how it all works?
Desperately, but Ryal wasn’t going to admit it.
:You were wrong, there are no mages here, just Innates. Innates like me. My ability is to scry. Using any
reflective surface, I can send my mind to any place I have been, and believe me I have been to many
places. The bonus is, not only can my mind travel but, I can carry the minds of others with me. You've
just seen that for yourself.
:That’s how you were able to send a new spell each time you attacked us?
:Exactly.
Beyond, Ryal could hear Shennan calling. His voice held a note of command Ryal struggled to ignore.
But Corsha still spoke. :Of course we hadn’t expected your talent, didn't realise we had to account for it.
:What do you mean?
Shennan tugged at his concentration.
:Your talent. Your gift. Your curse. We hadn’t expected you to be one of us.
Ryal let go with a snap, and suddenly, Shennan’s face was the one before him.
“Finally you’re awake. What were you doing? Where were you?”
Ryal stared at him numbly. “What?”
“Where were you?”
“I...I need to think.”
“And I need answers. Are we safe? Is it over?”
Ryal had almost forgotten the attack. “Yes. Yes.” He thought about it properly. “For now. It is over for
now.”
Shennan leant close and hissed. “Pull yourself together. The men don't need this.”
Ryal ran his fingers through his hair.
“You’re shaking.”
Ryal held his hands out firmly in front of him. “No, look, steady as a rock. It’s over. We’re fine. I’m fine.
It’s over.”
“What happened?"
"I need a drink, a moment to think, then we'll talk."
Shennan gazed at him, before nodding and giving the necessary orders.
Ryal knelt by his pack pretending to re-pack it, pretending the others were not scrutinizing his every
move, pretending he wasn't acting strangely and worrying them.
Corsha knew. Corsha knew. How long would it be before the others knew? How long before he made a
mistake and forgot to sprinkle the powders, or speak the word? How long before they realized his spell
casting was too fast? Too accurate.
It made him a first-class liar.
It made him everything the men he travelled with feared the most.
It made him in need of Quietening.
:Not a nice process, Quietening, is it?
Ryal jumped, Corsha was back. :How can you contact me? You have only one ability and it's not
telepathy?
:I told you, I can scry, Corsha agreed. :I can go to anyplace I've been. Well your mind and mine have
been connected. It is familiar to me now. I can enter whenever I like.
Ryal shuddered.
“What is it?” Shennan never missed anything.
“Sorry," Ryal rubbed his brow. "I'm just tired, that's all." Shoving the pack aside he joined them by the
fire. They needed some kind of explanation.
He accepted a mug of something hot from Liam and cradled it in his hands. “When we were attacked just
now. My mind followed the attacker.”
“Is that possible?” Luckily it was Jared who asked the question. They all automatically negated his
questions as bullying.
Technically it wasn’t possible.
“Of course it is.” Liam shushed him. “He just said it.”
“It is complicated, but I managed it.” Just a small lie.
Laughter rang through his head. :Just a great whopper of a lie.
Ryal ignored Corsha. “The people we are tracking are Innates, not mages.”
:Telltale.
Shennan whistled. "More than one Innate? It's been a long time, since Innates dared to gather."
"Just because fear of the Quietening should keep them isolated; doesn't mean it does."
"That man we caught recently, was he part of the group?"
"Maybe."
:I'll miss him, but he did complain.
Ryal struggled to think past Corsha. "We thought it was a mage killing our councillors because of the
different methods of attack, but the fact there is more than one Innate, means they have more than one
skill to draw on. Their leader can scry, take his mind to places he has been. When he has located what he
wants he can share the image with others, so, while his skill is limited to scrying, he can channel and carry
the skills of others through it. He carried one man's mind so he could teleport the soldiers to us, and then
he was able to carry another's when they attacked our minds. The possibilities are endless.
:And don’t we know it.
Ryal clenched his hands around the mug. The constant commentary in his head distracted him. He needed
to finish fast.
:Tell them about you. Tell them about our connection.
“Innates. I should have known," Jared, said. "Quietening is too good for them.”
Ryal spilt his drink, failing to notice.
"But why are they killing the town councillors?” Shennan asked.
"I can only guess.”
:Oh, very good, now you can pass off my explanation as guesswork not fact. Very well. Let’s see how
long you can keep this game going. How many lies will it take to undo you? We retaliate now, because
we are strong enough to do so.
“It has taken them a long time to gather a group."
:Nice analysis. Now we have the power, we want to be heard. We kill a few, the rest start to listen.
“The killing was to get our attention. They kill our leaders and we negotiate. I suspect as other Innates
learn of the cause, their numbers will begin to grow. It isn’t going to be long before they become a real
threat.”
:Yes. A threat to all.
Ryal stopped; his mind spinning, he half expected himself to be swaying.
“So where does this leave us?" Shennan asked. "We are going after a group of Innates. You can’t sense
the magic because it is internal. So, we are defenceless, exposed and expected. And we have only one
mage, to...however many.”
“Yes.”
“But we each have a set of manacles," Jared said. "We can suppress their talents with those.”
“That is only eight." Shennan said. "Is that going to be enough? We suspect there are a lot more than
eight people at the end of this track.”
Ryal took the question to be directed at him. “I think the fight is only in a few, the rest I hope are just
there for the sanctuary."
“You hope,” Jered said.
Ryal shrugged. “If we have any sense we’ll go back for reinforcements.”
“And give them time to come up with even worse ambushes? No." Shennan straightened his shoulders.
"We do this, and we do it alone.”
Ryal nearly smiled, seeing the men's hate and uncertainty directed at someone else for a change, was
rather nice.
* * *
The next day, Ryal concentrated on putting one step in front of the other. He concentrated on answering
the questions directed at him, when they were directed at him, and he concentrated on keeping his face
blank. And inside he roiled. He faced the beginning of his end. When the watchmen reached Corsha,
Corsha would tell them what he knew, and Ryal would be Quietened with the rest of them. He placed a
hand on his stomach, trying to alleviate the queasiness. Will this end the lies and guilt? Will the deception
be over? Can I fight this? Probably not.
By midday it began to rain. It rained so hard the trail became slick. It felt like walking on ice, two steps
forward, one slide back.
:Do you like my damp present? Corsha asked. I have a nice lady here, who can control the weather.
Ryal wiped rain from his face, flicking it to the ground. :You're wasting a great deal of energy to achieve
mere discomfort in the men.
:It is not me who is expending the energy. And who says it is wasted?
Ryal assessed his damp clothes, rubbed raw patches of skin and his general feeling of depression.
Perhaps, it wasn't.
The rain stopped at nightfall. When they made camp Jered sent Ryal to find the firewood.
Ryal cast about helplessly in the trees. Great. Thanks for this Jered. Now if we spend a cold wet night, it
will be all my fault.
Ryal's mind quested into every nook and cranny, riding the air in search of dry wood. For every moment
of his life, his mind was constantly on the move. A circle of awareness with a radius that varied by mood,
need and setting. In a situation like this he kept his mind at full stretch. He felt the movement of the wind,
the trees, and the leaves. He was aware of moisture in the air, and the ground, and the very particles that
combined to make rock. It was an incredible feeling.
But, even with his attention as dispersed as it was, he didn't find much. Eventually he gathered a handful
of wet sticks and squatted over them.
:So what are you going to do? Corsha asked.
Ryal froze. :Go away.
:But I’m interested. How does your skill work Ryal? You’re a telepath aren’t you? In both senses of the
word? Empathic and kinetic. You can read minds and you can manipulate your surroundings? Am I
right?
:Leave me alone.
:You can affect everything around you with your mind, is that right? You live constantly in the minds of
others don’t you? Listening to their thoughts, always surrounded by sound.
:Go away.
:Tell me what are you going to do?
Ryal couldn’t help himself. :Dry the wood.
There was amusement in Corsha’s voice. :How?
Ryal’s hands had already slipped in his pockets, the powders resting in his palm.
:There is no one here. All you need to do is concentrate, use your kinetic telepathy, and draw out the
water. Why are you preparing the powders?
:Because.
:Because what?
:Because they might see me. They might be there.
:How can you bear to live like this? Always hiding behind a lie?
:Because it is better than the alternative.
:But we can be the alternative. We can give you the freedom to be yourself.
:You are killers.
Corsha made an indelicate sound. :Only out of necessity, and not all of us have taken this task. It is not a
requirement. Besides, however neatly you hide behind the deeds of your companions, you were as guilty
of the deaths of my twelve men as if you had held the knife yourself. You were there, and you
didn’t stop them.
:It was necessary.
:My point exactly.
:It is not the same. They would have killed us.
:Being Quietened is nearly death. You of all people should know that.
Ryal shuddered with guilt and fear. He knew it.
:Join us, Corsha continued. :We can offer you a place to live away from the need to Quieten others, and
away from the threat of being Quietened yourself. Your skill and the practice you have had at using it,
make you so powerful. The perfect ally. Such a waste to have it dampened and lost.
:We must all be Quietened. We all go insane in the end. There is no getting around that.
:But insanity can be gentle as well as dangerous. Here we care for those whose minds are addled; we
don't squash their skill and leave them in pain. Just think Ryal, you could be free, respected and cared
for. Join us.
Ryal's heart beat quicker. :Go away.
To his surprise, Corsha did.
Ryal glanced around him. He could see no one. But his nerve broke and he sprinkled the powders and
spoke the spell.
Coward.
The word echoed in his head, and he wasn’t sure whether it had been Corsha or himself who had spoken
it.
Ryal returned with the wood. Jered made no comment, but from his mind Ryal pulled a jumble of grateful
images at the prospect of warmth; and disgruntlement Ryal had succeeded. Ryal counted it a victory, and
refrained from mentioning it.
The next morning, he sat by the fire, aware of warm air, of the faster motion of particles, and the rising of
the heat. For a moment he could relax. The men's minds were focused on food, tea and packing.
Ordinary, peaceful pastimes.
He returned to Corsha's words. A group of Innates; all working together, looking after each other,
caring. A tempting picture. And I'm on my way to destroy it. He threw the dregs of his tea away. But
their group is headed by a man who sees death as a tool, not an abomination.
He picked up a stick and began to draw a face in the damp patch the tea had made. I can't believe I'm
even considering the possibility of Corsha's idyll. It's a fantasy. An impossible dream. He drew a down-
turned mouth in the circle. Real people always get in the way. Still, it might have been nice.
Ryal yawned, he'd taken his all-night vigilance again. He hoped they would reach their destination that day.
He couldn't do much more of this.
:And, if you don't find us, we shall take full advantage of the fact.
:Go away. Ryal repeated, but his heart wasn't really in it.
:Why become a mage?
:It's called hiding your abilities. He wasn't proud of himself for resorting to sarcasm, but he was tired.
:But if you can concentrate hard enough to hide your telepathy behind conventional magic, surely you
can concentrate enough not to use it at all?
:Being a mage is closest to what I am, it makes sense.
:You know you don't have to be reviled. If you'd chosen not to help the city watchmen, you wouldn't
have had to live with the hateful thoughts that must be directed at you.
Ryal ran his fingers through his hair. Had he really chosen to join the watch because he felt he deserved
to be hated for his Innateness? He didn't know.
:Join us Ryal. You don't need to be loathed.
Ryal had to be careful not to laugh out loud. :And you'd like my power on your side wouldn't you?
:We've been through that. Of course I would. But, you don't have to be a killer to be free.
:There are no other options. I hide until I'm discovered. You are a fool to say otherwise.
:You are thinking about what I said.
Ryal used the stick to poke at the fire. :It's too simple.
:Why? It is just the way I've said it. You are the fool to narrow your thinking.
:Oh okay, let's list the options shall we? One. I could join with you to help in killing those who won't
respect us. No, I don't think so. Two. I could join your group, kill you (which, by the way, still leaves me
as a killer), and take over. I could tell your little band of fugitives if they didn't live happily ever after on
my terms I'd Quieten them. That would certainly make me a better person. So, no, I think I'll pass on
that one as well. Three. I could go out in the wide blue yonder alone, wandering the ever-expanding
countryside in search of a mythical 'somewhere' where Innates are accepted or unknown. But no, I
thought the idea of these 'options' was to prevent myself from going insane. Or four. I could turn myself
in and be Quietened. He paused. Yes. That seems to be the best option; no one has to die for me to
succeed in it. I'm just going to wait as long as I can before I have to. It isn't a case of 'if' but 'when'.
I've just got myself into a nice, comfy, righteous rut that I haven't got the courage to get out of. But
coming out of the rut one day, is the only option.
:So why don't you give yourself up?
Ryal sighed. :Because I haven't the courage of my convictions, I'm not strong enough to live up to
them. It is all very well knowing Quietening is the right option; it is quite another thing to surrender to
it. So far there has been no single reason strong enough to make me stop. I'm not killing anyone.
Hollowing Innates from their abilities yes, but not actually killing. And the others have pretty much
accepted I won't use my magic to kill on the job, so the issue has never been forced. Then there's the
fact in my guise as mage, occasionally I do good. It feels as if the balance is being evened.
:If they didn't try to regulate us, there would be no need for you to do the unpleasant things that need
to be balanced.
:Innates are driven crazy by their powers. They think their powers make them better than others. It is an
indisputable fact. Your actions seem a nice reminder. So, you might as well say if we were born with
wings we could fly. It just isn't relevant.
:But you've forgotten the last option. Five. You could join us.
Ryal stabbed the stick into the grass. :You killed four men.
:To get attention.
:There are many ways to get noticed.
:Show me. Show me how to do this right.
Ryal began to fiddle with the stick again, idly peeling away the bark. :Don't be ridiculous.
:You'd give up on the chance to live free, just because you think I won't listen? You are thinking about
it. What should I have done?
The stick snapped in Ryal's hands and he threw it away. :Don't pretend you care, but fine, how would I
have done it? Doctored the water so people became sick, ruined crops, created a plague of frogs.
Created irritations that would have eventually drive people mad enough to listen. But not killed.
:Good. Let's do it your way. Now.
Corsha withdrew for so long Ryal began to question if he had heard him correctly. When he came back he
brought the woman who had caused the rain the day before.
:This is Karrie. She can manipulate water. The rain, the river. We will do as you suggested. Raise the river
to flood the crops. Come, watch us, guide us.
:You can't be reasonable, don't pretend you can.
:Watch and see.
Corsha carried them to a section of the river where its sides were particularly low. Karrie spoke to the
water. The river began to gush, far too much for the banks to contain. Higher and higher it rose until the
water broke over, into the field.
:You see. Ryal said. :Now the crop will be spoilt. But there will still be enough wheat, from other farms,
for the Town to compensate the farmer when they realize you did this.
:True. But does the farmer deserve his compensation? Does he deserve to live at all? His daughter was
an Innate, and he had her Quietened at the age of four.
Ryal could hear voices raised in fear. The yelling of one man, trapped within the swollen waters.
Ryal panicked. :Stop the water, pull it back. Karrie, quickly.
The flood rose steadily. The voices became more urgent.
:Karrie. Pull back.
There came an anguished wail, and then the water drew back in one swift torrent, taking the farmer with it.
Ryal’s heart pounded. :You are as bloodthirsty as he is. That was a perfect example of Innate craziness.
Why didn't you stop?
Karrie's voice echoed in his head, strained and soft. :Because Corsha said he'd kill my son, if I did.
Ryal took a shuddering breath, focusing on the woman properly for the first time. He should have realised,
fear tinged her mind, desperation and anguish. He shivered, hugging his arms tight around himself,
despite what the others might see.
:I'm sorry. Ryal said. :My vanity caused this. I believed he could be changed, just because it would have
given me my freedom.
:We all did. Karrie whispered.
:I'm coming for you Corsha, and when I get there, I will destroy you.
:I don't think so. Corsha chuckled. :I want you, Ryal. Your ability to manipulate your surroundings is one
I could have such fun with, and unlike the pathetic specimens I have managed to surround myself with
so far, you are skilled and practised. You not only have a vast, incredible ability, but you know how to
use it. I want you. So if you are not prepared to come willingly, and I did try to recruit you in as
pleasant a manner as I could, I'll have to kill your men, until you do. One by one. We could start now.
For a moment Corsha let Ryal into his head and Ryal glimpsed a man leaning over Corsha’s shoulder as
they both gazed into the bowl of water.
No. Frantically, Ryal began to scan his surroundings. Shennan picked up on his movements. “What’s
wrong?”
“They’re going to attack.”
“Draw in," Shennan ordered. "Hold steady.”
Corsha sent fire elementals. And they came fast.
It is in the split second a man reveals his true self, when there is no time to think, and all he can do is
react. His decisions are driven by his subconscious, the essence of his being, his heart and soul.
Ryal reacted. He dropped no powders and he spoke no words. If the others were going to live, there was
simply no time. Water. He quested with his mind, gathering moisture from the rain-drenched plants and
ground around him, shaping it into shimmering walls around them. The fire beings hit with a sizzling
gurgle, and were destroyed. He braced himself, waiting. Then pain saturated Ryal’s mind. One of the fire
beings had passed through. Liam screamed in agony.
No. Ryal shut out the pain in his head and began to move, but Jered grabbed his arm.
“I saw you.”
“Let go, he needs me.”
“You’re dangerous.”
“Right now, I am.” He wrenched his arm free of Jared's grip.
Liam, I have to get to Liam.
The others moved towards him. He cursed. He hadn’t time to argue. Using air, he shoved them all away
hard, before setting a shield in place between them.
Hurry, hurry. Shock can kill as surely as the burns.
Ryal knelt at Liam’s side, placing his hands on his chest. Once again he drew on his kinetic telepathy,
manipulating the air molecules, pulling them away to create a vacuum around Liam’s body, leaving his
mouth clear. Now the burns could not progress. Relaxing slightly, taking his time he began to heal the
skin. Liam screamed until unconsciousness mercifully took over, but still Ryal worked.
Nearly done, nearly done. There.
Exhausted Ryal leant back on his heels.
He had done it. Finally revealed himself. I’m free. I've stepped out of my rut.
I should drop the barrier.
The men didn’t move.
Ryal rose to his feet, than staggered in shock and pain as Shennan punched him in the face. "You
deceiving Innate bastard."
Ryal wiped away blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. His defences shattered, his mind wide
open. Ryal rocked at the force of Shennan’s feelings. Thoughts of instilled hatred towards Innates, of
distrust and caution. Thoughts of past camps where Ryal had made him laugh and cooked him dinner.
Thoughts of the magic users, and Innates Ryal had helped him to capture. Thoughts about how little he
knew of the man standing before him. Thoughts about the impossibility of making a decision on what to
do next.
Ryal couldn’t meet his eyes. “Yes.”
Shennan dropped his fist. “I suppose I knew. You were just a little too good. At times, just a little too
fast.” Disappointment now coloured Shennan's thoughts.
Ryal shook his head. He didn’t know what to say. But Jered did.
“He should be Quietened. We have the manacles. We can do it now."
* * *
The others stared at Jared in horror. Ryal focused on their conflicting emotions. They were grateful he'd
helped Liam, terrified of Innates. They didn't know what to think, but Quietening a man they travelled with
seemed wrong to them.
“Fine. Do it.” Ryal gasped, involuntarily stepping away from his old friend, but Shennan's eyes were as
cold as his thoughts, as he clung to his ideals of regulation and rule. Ice-cold determination to do what
was right. Forget personal feelings. Follow the law. Just as Ryal did.
Jered moved forward, but faltered. Ryal almost laughed, he didn’t need to be Innate to know what Jered
was thinking, it was written all over his face. He was thinking about Ryal’s skills.
Ryal tried to concentrate, work out if any of them would be on his side. But he reeled from the mass of
confused thoughts around him.
“Oh, for goodness sake. He has never hurt us.” Shennan took the manacles from Jered.
Jered's thoughts were tinged black with hatred. “Except just now.”
Shennan stopped, turned and glared. Everything in his head jumbled again.
Ryal spoke up in his own defence. “I was afraid you’d stop me from helping Liam. I hadn’t time to explain.”
“Exactly.” Shennan agreed.
Jered didn't. “But perhaps Ryal was wrong. He should have taken the time.”
“I couldn’t take the chance.” Ryal said.
“You made an assumption.”
“Yes.”
“That is always the way with Innates. They presume to know best. They think they are better than us,
that their powers make them uniquely able to make decisions for the rest of us.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
:They can’t think for themselves. Look at the mess they’ve made of it. Destroying what they don’t
understand. Leaving us forced to hide and murder to get our voice heard.
:No. That’s just your choice.
Ryal concentrated on speaking his next words out loud. "I would have known when I was turning. At that
time, I planned to turn myself in."
Shennan grimaced. "Your logic denies the very definition of insanity, Ryal. At what point do you know you
are insane?"
:They are going to destroy you, Ryal. Your nice, non-magical friends. They are going to turn you in and
watch you cease to be. Watch you become an insane gibbering shell. Is that what you want?
Ryal struggled to think.
:Of course not. If you were prepared to let your conscience be your guide you’d have done it years ago.
You want to live, whole and respected. Just like us. Our only crime lies in us wanting to stay as we are.
“Ryal?” Shennan was using that tone with him again.
“What?’
“You weren’t listening.”
:He’s ruining you. Controlling you.
“Ryal.”
:You should be the one in control.
Ryal cracked under the strain. He felt himself drawing in his power. He didn't want to be Quietened. He
didn't want to be wiped clean like an empty slate. He didn't want to be ruled.
"Ryal?"
For a second Ryal turned all of his anger and frustration into power and looked at Shennan.
:Well done, Ryal.
"No."
Clenching his teeth against the power he held out his wrists out to Shennan. "Do it. Do it now, before I
do something terrible. Quickly, please do it now."
:Release it Ryal. Destroy them.
:No! You are the one who should die.
Ryal gathered his mind, his very identity and moved out. The manacles clicked into place.
Shennan gazed at Ryal puzzled. Just for a second, before Ryal had crumpled in pain, Shennan had seen
him flash a calculated smile, then grimace with confusion. "Ryal?" He asked.
* * *
Karrie, standing by Corsha, saw disappointed pity, replaced by relief. "Ryal?"
Corsha's body grinned. "Yes. We'd better get out of here. Find somewhere Shennan and the men don't
know about. Maybe then we can be safe."
Karrie grinned back. "Maybe we can.”
muffled curses of the others, and the rasping, hollow
breathing of their quarry.
"He's just ahead," Shennan said.
Ryal didn't take his eyes off the trees. The man
stumbled into the light of a glade. Ryal acted
immediately, dropping powders at his side, and
whispering the words of power. A cage of air slammed
the man to a halt.
Their quarry didn't pause; frantically, he threw himself
at the bars, yelling for freedom, help, mercy. He would
get none.
They drew around the prisoner, disgust and loathing
on their faces; but they were wary. Ryal fiddled with
the powders in his pockets, as ever, putting off the
inevitable. The men turned to him, drawing the
prisoner's attention with them. It was no good; simply
avoiding their eyes didn't mean they weren't expecting
him to act. He straightened, his face set.
The prisoner had tears in his eyes. "Let me go. I did no
harm."
They all said that. They all seemed to mean it too.
"You don't understand," the prisoner stammered. "It
was for their benefit. They just couldn't see."
It always was. They never could. Ryal remained
impassive to the pleas, the explanations. It wasn't
relevant. This man's very existence was against the law; that was all that mattered.
"Please." The man sank to his knees, shaking. "Don't."
From around his waist Ryal pulled a chain, with manacles at each end. Manacles created to deaden power.
Ryal took a step towards the prisoner. A mist of ice enveloped him. Tiny icicles stung where they hit. Ryal
resisted the urge to slap at them. It was just an illusion. This man was good. With a whispered word, and
a hiss of powders, he banished the haze.
He took another step. Cockroaches crawled out of the ground and ran up his legs, over his fingers, into
his mouth. Eerie to see them, but feeling nothing, Ryal spoke the word and dropped the powders. The
insects disappeared.
He took another step. Vines wrapped themselves about his ankles, snaking up to his torso, binding his
arms to his side. Word breathed, powders fell. They faded.
Ryal reached the cage. With a word and a dusting, he banished it.
The man rose sharply to his feet. Ryal touched him, and froze him in place.
Ryal paused, but he had no choice; Innates had no place in society. Taking the manacles he clicked them
over the man's wrists. The spell negating with the movement.
The man fell screaming to the ground.
Ryal watched him. It wouldn't last long, with the Quietening; the pain would dull. Never cease entirely, but
it would soften.
It had to be done.
Ryal raised his eyes from the prisoner, to see shock and fear in the eyes of the men he had hunted with.
Shock and fear directed at him. He rubbed his hands on his shirt. Damn them, some things never changed.
An Innate had been Quietened. Ryal had done his duty.
The one separated from his power, screamed on and on.
* * *
The path was overgrown, narrow, and well used. Well used by people who were trying to hide the fact it
was well used.
Shennan grimaced. “Are you sure?”
Ryal wrinkled his nose. “Yes. Magic is being used to hide their presence, so I'd say these are the people we
are after."
“Not just one mage then?”
"Over thirty people using the path, how many are actual mages—who knows?”
"And we have just you."
"I'm trying not to think about that."
There were eight of them altogether; Shennan the sergeant, Ryal their mage and six watchmen. They
were practised in working as a team. They’d originally been selected to deal with an Innate over four years
previously, now they seemed to be together more often than not. In the last month, four key members of
the town's council had been killed by magic. Each death different. Each death cruel. Ryal himself had seen
the last victim. It had not been nice.
Ryal looked at the six men. Each scanned his surroundings, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He
winced. He was fairly sure swords were going to be of limited use on this journey.
Despite their vigilance, the attack came as a total surprise. Ambushers slipped from the bushes, as if they
had been moisture on the leaves. Ryal hadn’t sensed a thing.
The first he knew came from the sound of a sword slicing through air behind him. “Caras,” he yelled, a
shield of air coming to his arm as powders fell to the ground. The sword bounced harmlessly back.
Where had they come from?
Ryal flinched as another swipe hit his shield. He cursed. The blade came again. He dodged to one side, his
hand touching the chest of the attacker. "Sela," he gasped, and the man fell to the ground; asleep.
Another took his place. Ryal pointed, spoke, and powders fell. The man stumbled, unable to walk on the
roiling ground beneath his feet.
Ryal struggled to assess the situation. Now what? Where is Shennan?
A quick glance confirmed his presence to the right. Liam stationed himself on the other side. Practised
manoeuvres, keep Ryal safe, give him time to weave his spells.
Right, ten more men to our six. I need to distract them, to even the odds.
To aid Jered, he unbalanced the attacker with an ankle-twisting vine. The man fell howling with surprise.
Jered finished him off, ready for the next.
To aid Shennan, he sent a blast of air that rocked his attackers off balance. Shennan took full advantage.
This is all too slow.
Outnumbered, he could see the men sweating from their exertion.
What can I do?
More powders fell, and this time Ryal focused on the enemy’s swords. "Shera." The metal began to
shimmer, a haze enveloping them. Men yelped as the swords became too hot to hold. It provided enough
of a distraction for Shennan's men to finish off the battle.
Ryal swayed where he stood. Magic took its toll.
Liam rounded on him. "Where did they come from?"
Ryal flinched, “I don’t know. I felt nothing."
"That’s what you’re for, isn’t it? To feel the magic?"
"But there was no magic to feel."
"Those men weren't hiding under the bushes. There had to be magic involved." Liam had a tendency to be
tetchy after a fight.
"I'm telling you there wasn't. If a mage had been nearby, hiding the men, I'd have felt his presence. But I
didn't."
"Well, surely it's possible a mage teleported them from a distance?"
"Yes, but I'd have felt that too."
"So what are you saying?"
"That I felt no magic because a mage didn't do this." He spoke as he thought it through. "The only
possibility is that an Innate did. Their magic is different; internal. I don't feel it. I think that's how they
were able to surprise us."
Liam pulled a face. "Oh, come on. Innates don't fight battles. They are old ladies telling fortunes, and mad
uncles who poison tea with their words. They are young men who use illusions to trick others into
mending their apparently scurrilous ways, like the one we caught the other day. They are ordinary people,
with twisted gifts, trying to hide their skills until someone spots them and turns them in. They are much
too afraid of the Quietening to tell others of their existence. There is no way an Innate would help others
to attack us."
Ryal shrugged. "I'm just interpreting the facts."
"Not much use then are you?"
"Come on, Liam.” Ryal tried to make peace. "Don’t tell me you’ve never been ambushed? Sometimes the
attackers are just better."
Ryal took a deep breath, as Liam turned away. The attack had unnerved him too, and he would dearly
have liked a proper explanation for what had happened. He rubbed his eyes. They felt gritty and sore.
Sighing, his gaze fell on Jered, who crouched plunging his knife repeatedly in the grass verge to clean it.
Jered looked up and their gazes locked.
“You still won’t kill them will you?" He said. "Won’t go that final step and get your hands dirty.”
“Leave him alone.” Shennan frowned at him.
“Why should I? We carry the curses of the dead, all of us...” his eyes narrowed. "Except him."
Ryal tensed. “I’m not like you. I didn’t choose this. I was given this task, and I do it, but no one told me I
had to kill.”
Jered opened his mouth to speak again.
“Leave it.” Shennan ordered. “Or maybe he’ll put the manacles on you.”
Jered closed his mouth, and they all turned away. They were hard men with a hard job to do. They teased
and they killed. They’d all seen things they would never talk about, and they had at times done worse. But
the Quietening still unnerved them, even if they weren't actually responsible for it themselves.
Independent men, none of them liked the thought of separating a man from his inner power, to leave him
permanently in pain and at the mercy of his family's care. It unnerved Ryal too. But what could he do?
Ryal waited as Shennan studied each of them in turn, drawing them in. “We move on.”
They didn’t get much further that day. Their nerves stretched to breaking point; not so much from their
exertions, but from the constant vigilance they found necessary to keep up.
They ate in almost silence until Haran leant over, holding out a mug of water. “Here, heat this for me, will
you?” Sprinkling the powders beside him, Ryal spoke a word. The liquid began to shiver then bubble.
Haran grabbed it back. “Hey, that’ll do; I want to go to sleep soon; don’t want to be blowing it all night.”
The others laughed. Tight bursts, their eyes never stopping their watch.
They turned in early. Ryal sat, idly throwing twigs and dried grass into the fire. His unique ability to detect
magic meant that, at a time like this, he kept the whole watch. His mind roved constantly around the
camp. He touched Jered’s sharp angry mind; never satisfied, never at rest. Shennan’s mind, calm and
relaxed, just as it always was. The others’ thoughts dormant as they slept, little more than shadows. He
sighed. Nothing there. Liam shifted behind him and Ryal turned. _No, there really was nothing there_.
“Ryal, stop jumping at shadows.” Shennan spoke softly.
Ryal ran his hands over his face. “This is a waste of time. I sensed nothing before. I feel useless.”
"You aren’t useless."
"I didn’t sense them."
"It doesn't matter, we still need you in a fight."
Ryal glared at Shennan’s back. Great, now I’m getting the speech.
It was Shennan’s biggest insult, ‘the speech’. You only got it when he thought you were a hopeless case.
Shennan laughed softly through the stem of his empty pipe. “Now that I have you feeling totally sorry for
yourself, do you think you might pass me a cup of something hot and stop moping quite so audibly. Your
sighs can be heard for miles.”
Despite himself, Ryal laughed back.
They sat in companionable silence for a moment, before Shennan spoke again. "My daughter is getting
married in three days. Let's be done by then, hey?
"Fair enough. I can imagine you with a daughter, apple of your eye."
"What about you, any family dates to get back for?"
"They're dead. A sickness I was lucky enough to avoid by being away from home. Simple and tragic."
"I'm sorry."
"It was a long..." Ryal turned, sensing something. Hard and fast, a wave of magic sliced through their
minds. The men screamed, clutching at their heads. In pain, but not dead, as they should have been. Ryal’
s magic shielded them. Just. For a second he registered the same intense agony as the others. But unlike
them he could fight it.
With one hand he forced himself to sprinkle powders onto the ground, but inside he withdrew into his
mind and reinforced his barriers.
Right, let's see what you’ve got. I’m betting you didn’t expect to attack for long.
Focusing, he drew power from within and began to push back. He screwed his eyes tight at the power
required.
You’re strong.
Ryal pushed harder, gradually he gained ground. The attack began to weaken.
Good, this is working. Now it’s just a question of which of us is stronger. Ryal pushed again and again.
Around him he could hear gasps of relief as the attacker let go of the watchmen’s minds in order to resist
Ryal’s. His own pain intensified.
Oh, no you don’t.
Once again Ryal pushed, and the attack wavered. He pushed once more and the spell fell apart. The mind
in charge of it swiftly withdrawing.
Ryal grinned.
Now let’s see who you are.
He latched himself onto the retreating mind. It wasn't just one, it was two. One carrying the other.
The dominant mind registered shock, then surprise, then amusement.
Ryal followed that one, as the mind slipped back into its rightful place Ryal looked through its owner's
eyes. The man stood gazing into a bowl of glass-still water, another man leaning over his shoulder. The
owner of the other mind?
The dominant man was dark haired and thin faced, ordinary. But, his eyes were flat, unemotional, like
pools of black ink. Ryal shivered back from the sheer force of them.
“Well, hello there.” The man spoke the words out loud. “This is a surprise.” His next words rang in his
head only. Only for Ryal. :But it explains a lot.
Ryal reeled. :How can you know I'm here?
The man laughed. :This is priceless.
:Who are you?h Ryal tried to ignore his words, and take back some control.
:Very well, if that is the way you want to play it. My name is Corsha and I lead here. Your name is?
:None of your business.
:Oh, Ryal, I can read it as plainly as if it were written across your forehead.
Ryal couldn't think of a reply.
:Don’t you want to know how it all works?
Desperately, but Ryal wasn’t going to admit it.
:You were wrong, there are no mages here, just Innates. Innates like me. My ability is to scry. Using any
reflective surface, I can send my mind to any place I have been, and believe me I have been to many
places. The bonus is, not only can my mind travel but, I can carry the minds of others with me. You've
just seen that for yourself.
:That’s how you were able to send a new spell each time you attacked us?
:Exactly.
Beyond, Ryal could hear Shennan calling. His voice held a note of command Ryal struggled to ignore.
But Corsha still spoke. :Of course we hadn’t expected your talent, didn't realise we had to account for it.
:What do you mean?
Shennan tugged at his concentration.
:Your talent. Your gift. Your curse. We hadn’t expected you to be one of us.
Ryal let go with a snap, and suddenly, Shennan’s face was the one before him.
“Finally you’re awake. What were you doing? Where were you?”
Ryal stared at him numbly. “What?”
“Where were you?”
“I...I need to think.”
“And I need answers. Are we safe? Is it over?”
Ryal had almost forgotten the attack. “Yes. Yes.” He thought about it properly. “For now. It is over for
now.”
Shennan leant close and hissed. “Pull yourself together. The men don't need this.”
Ryal ran his fingers through his hair.
“You’re shaking.”
Ryal held his hands out firmly in front of him. “No, look, steady as a rock. It’s over. We’re fine. I’m fine.
It’s over.”
“What happened?"
"I need a drink, a moment to think, then we'll talk."
Shennan gazed at him, before nodding and giving the necessary orders.
Ryal knelt by his pack pretending to re-pack it, pretending the others were not scrutinizing his every
move, pretending he wasn't acting strangely and worrying them.
Corsha knew. Corsha knew. How long would it be before the others knew? How long before he made a
mistake and forgot to sprinkle the powders, or speak the word? How long before they realized his spell
casting was too fast? Too accurate.
It made him a first-class liar.
It made him everything the men he travelled with feared the most.
It made him in need of Quietening.
:Not a nice process, Quietening, is it?
Ryal jumped, Corsha was back. :How can you contact me? You have only one ability and it's not
telepathy?
:I told you, I can scry, Corsha agreed. :I can go to anyplace I've been. Well your mind and mine have
been connected. It is familiar to me now. I can enter whenever I like.
Ryal shuddered.
“What is it?” Shennan never missed anything.
“Sorry," Ryal rubbed his brow. "I'm just tired, that's all." Shoving the pack aside he joined them by the
fire. They needed some kind of explanation.
He accepted a mug of something hot from Liam and cradled it in his hands. “When we were attacked just
now. My mind followed the attacker.”
“Is that possible?” Luckily it was Jared who asked the question. They all automatically negated his
questions as bullying.
Technically it wasn’t possible.
“Of course it is.” Liam shushed him. “He just said it.”
“It is complicated, but I managed it.” Just a small lie.
Laughter rang through his head. :Just a great whopper of a lie.
Ryal ignored Corsha. “The people we are tracking are Innates, not mages.”
:Telltale.
Shennan whistled. "More than one Innate? It's been a long time, since Innates dared to gather."
"Just because fear of the Quietening should keep them isolated; doesn't mean it does."
"That man we caught recently, was he part of the group?"
"Maybe."
:I'll miss him, but he did complain.
Ryal struggled to think past Corsha. "We thought it was a mage killing our councillors because of the
different methods of attack, but the fact there is more than one Innate, means they have more than one
skill to draw on. Their leader can scry, take his mind to places he has been. When he has located what he
wants he can share the image with others, so, while his skill is limited to scrying, he can channel and carry
the skills of others through it. He carried one man's mind so he could teleport the soldiers to us, and then
he was able to carry another's when they attacked our minds. The possibilities are endless.
:And don’t we know it.
Ryal clenched his hands around the mug. The constant commentary in his head distracted him. He needed
to finish fast.
:Tell them about you. Tell them about our connection.
“Innates. I should have known," Jared, said. "Quietening is too good for them.”
Ryal spilt his drink, failing to notice.
"But why are they killing the town councillors?” Shennan asked.
"I can only guess.”
:Oh, very good, now you can pass off my explanation as guesswork not fact. Very well. Let’s see how
long you can keep this game going. How many lies will it take to undo you? We retaliate now, because
we are strong enough to do so.
“It has taken them a long time to gather a group."
:Nice analysis. Now we have the power, we want to be heard. We kill a few, the rest start to listen.
“The killing was to get our attention. They kill our leaders and we negotiate. I suspect as other Innates
learn of the cause, their numbers will begin to grow. It isn’t going to be long before they become a real
threat.”
:Yes. A threat to all.
Ryal stopped; his mind spinning, he half expected himself to be swaying.
“So where does this leave us?" Shennan asked. "We are going after a group of Innates. You can’t sense
the magic because it is internal. So, we are defenceless, exposed and expected. And we have only one
mage, to...however many.”
“Yes.”
“But we each have a set of manacles," Jared said. "We can suppress their talents with those.”
“That is only eight." Shennan said. "Is that going to be enough? We suspect there are a lot more than
eight people at the end of this track.”
Ryal took the question to be directed at him. “I think the fight is only in a few, the rest I hope are just
there for the sanctuary."
“You hope,” Jered said.
Ryal shrugged. “If we have any sense we’ll go back for reinforcements.”
“And give them time to come up with even worse ambushes? No." Shennan straightened his shoulders.
"We do this, and we do it alone.”
Ryal nearly smiled, seeing the men's hate and uncertainty directed at someone else for a change, was
rather nice.
* * *
The next day, Ryal concentrated on putting one step in front of the other. He concentrated on answering
the questions directed at him, when they were directed at him, and he concentrated on keeping his face
blank. And inside he roiled. He faced the beginning of his end. When the watchmen reached Corsha,
Corsha would tell them what he knew, and Ryal would be Quietened with the rest of them. He placed a
hand on his stomach, trying to alleviate the queasiness. Will this end the lies and guilt? Will the deception
be over? Can I fight this? Probably not.
By midday it began to rain. It rained so hard the trail became slick. It felt like walking on ice, two steps
forward, one slide back.
:Do you like my damp present? Corsha asked. I have a nice lady here, who can control the weather.
Ryal wiped rain from his face, flicking it to the ground. :You're wasting a great deal of energy to achieve
mere discomfort in the men.
:It is not me who is expending the energy. And who says it is wasted?
Ryal assessed his damp clothes, rubbed raw patches of skin and his general feeling of depression.
Perhaps, it wasn't.
The rain stopped at nightfall. When they made camp Jered sent Ryal to find the firewood.
Ryal cast about helplessly in the trees. Great. Thanks for this Jered. Now if we spend a cold wet night, it
will be all my fault.
Ryal's mind quested into every nook and cranny, riding the air in search of dry wood. For every moment
of his life, his mind was constantly on the move. A circle of awareness with a radius that varied by mood,
need and setting. In a situation like this he kept his mind at full stretch. He felt the movement of the wind,
the trees, and the leaves. He was aware of moisture in the air, and the ground, and the very particles that
combined to make rock. It was an incredible feeling.
But, even with his attention as dispersed as it was, he didn't find much. Eventually he gathered a handful
of wet sticks and squatted over them.
:So what are you going to do? Corsha asked.
Ryal froze. :Go away.
:But I’m interested. How does your skill work Ryal? You’re a telepath aren’t you? In both senses of the
word? Empathic and kinetic. You can read minds and you can manipulate your surroundings? Am I
right?
:Leave me alone.
:You can affect everything around you with your mind, is that right? You live constantly in the minds of
others don’t you? Listening to their thoughts, always surrounded by sound.
:Go away.
:Tell me what are you going to do?
Ryal couldn’t help himself. :Dry the wood.
There was amusement in Corsha’s voice. :How?
Ryal’s hands had already slipped in his pockets, the powders resting in his palm.
:There is no one here. All you need to do is concentrate, use your kinetic telepathy, and draw out the
water. Why are you preparing the powders?
:Because.
:Because what?
:Because they might see me. They might be there.
:How can you bear to live like this? Always hiding behind a lie?
:Because it is better than the alternative.
:But we can be the alternative. We can give you the freedom to be yourself.
:You are killers.
Corsha made an indelicate sound. :Only out of necessity, and not all of us have taken this task. It is not a
requirement. Besides, however neatly you hide behind the deeds of your companions, you were as guilty
of the deaths of my twelve men as if you had held the knife yourself. You were there, and you
didn’t stop them.
:It was necessary.
:My point exactly.
:It is not the same. They would have killed us.
:Being Quietened is nearly death. You of all people should know that.
Ryal shuddered with guilt and fear. He knew it.
:Join us, Corsha continued. :We can offer you a place to live away from the need to Quieten others, and
away from the threat of being Quietened yourself. Your skill and the practice you have had at using it,
make you so powerful. The perfect ally. Such a waste to have it dampened and lost.
:We must all be Quietened. We all go insane in the end. There is no getting around that.
:But insanity can be gentle as well as dangerous. Here we care for those whose minds are addled; we
don't squash their skill and leave them in pain. Just think Ryal, you could be free, respected and cared
for. Join us.
Ryal's heart beat quicker. :Go away.
To his surprise, Corsha did.
Ryal glanced around him. He could see no one. But his nerve broke and he sprinkled the powders and
spoke the spell.
Coward.
The word echoed in his head, and he wasn’t sure whether it had been Corsha or himself who had spoken
it.
Ryal returned with the wood. Jered made no comment, but from his mind Ryal pulled a jumble of grateful
images at the prospect of warmth; and disgruntlement Ryal had succeeded. Ryal counted it a victory, and
refrained from mentioning it.
The next morning, he sat by the fire, aware of warm air, of the faster motion of particles, and the rising of
the heat. For a moment he could relax. The men's minds were focused on food, tea and packing.
Ordinary, peaceful pastimes.
He returned to Corsha's words. A group of Innates; all working together, looking after each other,
caring. A tempting picture. And I'm on my way to destroy it. He threw the dregs of his tea away. But
their group is headed by a man who sees death as a tool, not an abomination.
He picked up a stick and began to draw a face in the damp patch the tea had made. I can't believe I'm
even considering the possibility of Corsha's idyll. It's a fantasy. An impossible dream. He drew a down-
turned mouth in the circle. Real people always get in the way. Still, it might have been nice.
Ryal yawned, he'd taken his all-night vigilance again. He hoped they would reach their destination that day.
He couldn't do much more of this.
:And, if you don't find us, we shall take full advantage of the fact.
:Go away. Ryal repeated, but his heart wasn't really in it.
:Why become a mage?
:It's called hiding your abilities. He wasn't proud of himself for resorting to sarcasm, but he was tired.
:But if you can concentrate hard enough to hide your telepathy behind conventional magic, surely you
can concentrate enough not to use it at all?
:Being a mage is closest to what I am, it makes sense.
:You know you don't have to be reviled. If you'd chosen not to help the city watchmen, you wouldn't
have had to live with the hateful thoughts that must be directed at you.
Ryal ran his fingers through his hair. Had he really chosen to join the watch because he felt he deserved
to be hated for his Innateness? He didn't know.
:Join us Ryal. You don't need to be loathed.
Ryal had to be careful not to laugh out loud. :And you'd like my power on your side wouldn't you?
:We've been through that. Of course I would. But, you don't have to be a killer to be free.
:There are no other options. I hide until I'm discovered. You are a fool to say otherwise.
:You are thinking about what I said.
Ryal used the stick to poke at the fire. :It's too simple.
:Why? It is just the way I've said it. You are the fool to narrow your thinking.
:Oh okay, let's list the options shall we? One. I could join with you to help in killing those who won't
respect us. No, I don't think so. Two. I could join your group, kill you (which, by the way, still leaves me
as a killer), and take over. I could tell your little band of fugitives if they didn't live happily ever after on
my terms I'd Quieten them. That would certainly make me a better person. So, no, I think I'll pass on
that one as well. Three. I could go out in the wide blue yonder alone, wandering the ever-expanding
countryside in search of a mythical 'somewhere' where Innates are accepted or unknown. But no, I
thought the idea of these 'options' was to prevent myself from going insane. Or four. I could turn myself
in and be Quietened. He paused. Yes. That seems to be the best option; no one has to die for me to
succeed in it. I'm just going to wait as long as I can before I have to. It isn't a case of 'if' but 'when'.
I've just got myself into a nice, comfy, righteous rut that I haven't got the courage to get out of. But
coming out of the rut one day, is the only option.
:So why don't you give yourself up?
Ryal sighed. :Because I haven't the courage of my convictions, I'm not strong enough to live up to
them. It is all very well knowing Quietening is the right option; it is quite another thing to surrender to
it. So far there has been no single reason strong enough to make me stop. I'm not killing anyone.
Hollowing Innates from their abilities yes, but not actually killing. And the others have pretty much
accepted I won't use my magic to kill on the job, so the issue has never been forced. Then there's the
fact in my guise as mage, occasionally I do good. It feels as if the balance is being evened.
:If they didn't try to regulate us, there would be no need for you to do the unpleasant things that need
to be balanced.
:Innates are driven crazy by their powers. They think their powers make them better than others. It is an
indisputable fact. Your actions seem a nice reminder. So, you might as well say if we were born with
wings we could fly. It just isn't relevant.
:But you've forgotten the last option. Five. You could join us.
Ryal stabbed the stick into the grass. :You killed four men.
:To get attention.
:There are many ways to get noticed.
:Show me. Show me how to do this right.
Ryal began to fiddle with the stick again, idly peeling away the bark. :Don't be ridiculous.
:You'd give up on the chance to live free, just because you think I won't listen? You are thinking about
it. What should I have done?
The stick snapped in Ryal's hands and he threw it away. :Don't pretend you care, but fine, how would I
have done it? Doctored the water so people became sick, ruined crops, created a plague of frogs.
Created irritations that would have eventually drive people mad enough to listen. But not killed.
:Good. Let's do it your way. Now.
Corsha withdrew for so long Ryal began to question if he had heard him correctly. When he came back he
brought the woman who had caused the rain the day before.
:This is Karrie. She can manipulate water. The rain, the river. We will do as you suggested. Raise the river
to flood the crops. Come, watch us, guide us.
:You can't be reasonable, don't pretend you can.
:Watch and see.
Corsha carried them to a section of the river where its sides were particularly low. Karrie spoke to the
water. The river began to gush, far too much for the banks to contain. Higher and higher it rose until the
water broke over, into the field.
:You see. Ryal said. :Now the crop will be spoilt. But there will still be enough wheat, from other farms,
for the Town to compensate the farmer when they realize you did this.
:True. But does the farmer deserve his compensation? Does he deserve to live at all? His daughter was
an Innate, and he had her Quietened at the age of four.
Ryal could hear voices raised in fear. The yelling of one man, trapped within the swollen waters.
Ryal panicked. :Stop the water, pull it back. Karrie, quickly.
The flood rose steadily. The voices became more urgent.
:Karrie. Pull back.
There came an anguished wail, and then the water drew back in one swift torrent, taking the farmer with it.
Ryal’s heart pounded. :You are as bloodthirsty as he is. That was a perfect example of Innate craziness.
Why didn't you stop?
Karrie's voice echoed in his head, strained and soft. :Because Corsha said he'd kill my son, if I did.
Ryal took a shuddering breath, focusing on the woman properly for the first time. He should have realised,
fear tinged her mind, desperation and anguish. He shivered, hugging his arms tight around himself,
despite what the others might see.
:I'm sorry. Ryal said. :My vanity caused this. I believed he could be changed, just because it would have
given me my freedom.
:We all did. Karrie whispered.
:I'm coming for you Corsha, and when I get there, I will destroy you.
:I don't think so. Corsha chuckled. :I want you, Ryal. Your ability to manipulate your surroundings is one
I could have such fun with, and unlike the pathetic specimens I have managed to surround myself with
so far, you are skilled and practised. You not only have a vast, incredible ability, but you know how to
use it. I want you. So if you are not prepared to come willingly, and I did try to recruit you in as
pleasant a manner as I could, I'll have to kill your men, until you do. One by one. We could start now.
For a moment Corsha let Ryal into his head and Ryal glimpsed a man leaning over Corsha’s shoulder as
they both gazed into the bowl of water.
No. Frantically, Ryal began to scan his surroundings. Shennan picked up on his movements. “What’s
wrong?”
“They’re going to attack.”
“Draw in," Shennan ordered. "Hold steady.”
Corsha sent fire elementals. And they came fast.
It is in the split second a man reveals his true self, when there is no time to think, and all he can do is
react. His decisions are driven by his subconscious, the essence of his being, his heart and soul.
Ryal reacted. He dropped no powders and he spoke no words. If the others were going to live, there was
simply no time. Water. He quested with his mind, gathering moisture from the rain-drenched plants and
ground around him, shaping it into shimmering walls around them. The fire beings hit with a sizzling
gurgle, and were destroyed. He braced himself, waiting. Then pain saturated Ryal’s mind. One of the fire
beings had passed through. Liam screamed in agony.
No. Ryal shut out the pain in his head and began to move, but Jered grabbed his arm.
“I saw you.”
“Let go, he needs me.”
“You’re dangerous.”
“Right now, I am.” He wrenched his arm free of Jared's grip.
Liam, I have to get to Liam.
The others moved towards him. He cursed. He hadn’t time to argue. Using air, he shoved them all away
hard, before setting a shield in place between them.
Hurry, hurry. Shock can kill as surely as the burns.
Ryal knelt at Liam’s side, placing his hands on his chest. Once again he drew on his kinetic telepathy,
manipulating the air molecules, pulling them away to create a vacuum around Liam’s body, leaving his
mouth clear. Now the burns could not progress. Relaxing slightly, taking his time he began to heal the
skin. Liam screamed until unconsciousness mercifully took over, but still Ryal worked.
Nearly done, nearly done. There.
Exhausted Ryal leant back on his heels.
He had done it. Finally revealed himself. I’m free. I've stepped out of my rut.
I should drop the barrier.
The men didn’t move.
Ryal rose to his feet, than staggered in shock and pain as Shennan punched him in the face. "You
deceiving Innate bastard."
Ryal wiped away blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. His defences shattered, his mind wide
open. Ryal rocked at the force of Shennan’s feelings. Thoughts of instilled hatred towards Innates, of
distrust and caution. Thoughts of past camps where Ryal had made him laugh and cooked him dinner.
Thoughts of the magic users, and Innates Ryal had helped him to capture. Thoughts about how little he
knew of the man standing before him. Thoughts about the impossibility of making a decision on what to
do next.
Ryal couldn’t meet his eyes. “Yes.”
Shennan dropped his fist. “I suppose I knew. You were just a little too good. At times, just a little too
fast.” Disappointment now coloured Shennan's thoughts.
Ryal shook his head. He didn’t know what to say. But Jered did.
“He should be Quietened. We have the manacles. We can do it now."
* * *
The others stared at Jared in horror. Ryal focused on their conflicting emotions. They were grateful he'd
helped Liam, terrified of Innates. They didn't know what to think, but Quietening a man they travelled with
seemed wrong to them.
“Fine. Do it.” Ryal gasped, involuntarily stepping away from his old friend, but Shennan's eyes were as
cold as his thoughts, as he clung to his ideals of regulation and rule. Ice-cold determination to do what
was right. Forget personal feelings. Follow the law. Just as Ryal did.
Jered moved forward, but faltered. Ryal almost laughed, he didn’t need to be Innate to know what Jered
was thinking, it was written all over his face. He was thinking about Ryal’s skills.
Ryal tried to concentrate, work out if any of them would be on his side. But he reeled from the mass of
confused thoughts around him.
“Oh, for goodness sake. He has never hurt us.” Shennan took the manacles from Jered.
Jered's thoughts were tinged black with hatred. “Except just now.”
Shennan stopped, turned and glared. Everything in his head jumbled again.
Ryal spoke up in his own defence. “I was afraid you’d stop me from helping Liam. I hadn’t time to explain.”
“Exactly.” Shennan agreed.
Jered didn't. “But perhaps Ryal was wrong. He should have taken the time.”
“I couldn’t take the chance.” Ryal said.
“You made an assumption.”
“Yes.”
“That is always the way with Innates. They presume to know best. They think they are better than us,
that their powers make them uniquely able to make decisions for the rest of us.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
:They can’t think for themselves. Look at the mess they’ve made of it. Destroying what they don’t
understand. Leaving us forced to hide and murder to get our voice heard.
:No. That’s just your choice.
Ryal concentrated on speaking his next words out loud. "I would have known when I was turning. At that
time, I planned to turn myself in."
Shennan grimaced. "Your logic denies the very definition of insanity, Ryal. At what point do you know you
are insane?"
:They are going to destroy you, Ryal. Your nice, non-magical friends. They are going to turn you in and
watch you cease to be. Watch you become an insane gibbering shell. Is that what you want?
Ryal struggled to think.
:Of course not. If you were prepared to let your conscience be your guide you’d have done it years ago.
You want to live, whole and respected. Just like us. Our only crime lies in us wanting to stay as we are.
“Ryal?” Shennan was using that tone with him again.
“What?’
“You weren’t listening.”
:He’s ruining you. Controlling you.
“Ryal.”
:You should be the one in control.
Ryal cracked under the strain. He felt himself drawing in his power. He didn't want to be Quietened. He
didn't want to be wiped clean like an empty slate. He didn't want to be ruled.
"Ryal?"
For a second Ryal turned all of his anger and frustration into power and looked at Shennan.
:Well done, Ryal.
"No."
Clenching his teeth against the power he held out his wrists out to Shennan. "Do it. Do it now, before I
do something terrible. Quickly, please do it now."
:Release it Ryal. Destroy them.
:No! You are the one who should die.
Ryal gathered his mind, his very identity and moved out. The manacles clicked into place.
Shennan gazed at Ryal puzzled. Just for a second, before Ryal had crumpled in pain, Shennan had seen
him flash a calculated smile, then grimace with confusion. "Ryal?" He asked.
* * *
Karrie, standing by Corsha, saw disappointed pity, replaced by relief. "Ryal?"
Corsha's body grinned. "Yes. We'd better get out of here. Find somewhere Shennan and the men don't
know about. Maybe then we can be safe."
Karrie grinned back. "Maybe we can.”
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Abigail Carter is a married mother of three children under ten, and
writes during nap times and after bedtimes. She was once an Early
Years teacher in Malaysia, and one day will go back to teaching in
England. It makes her writer friends laugh when she tells them she’s
written a short story and it is 9,000 words long! (British women’s
magazines want 1,700.) She is working on a novel, and hopes that
one day it might make sense to someone other than herself.
writes during nap times and after bedtimes. She was once an Early
Years teacher in Malaysia, and one day will go back to teaching in
England. It makes her writer friends laugh when she tells them she’s
written a short story and it is 9,000 words long! (British women’s
magazines want 1,700.) She is working on a novel, and hopes that
one day it might make sense to someone other than herself.
