Chương 18: The wizard's niece

Ch 18: The wizard's niece Silas, it turned out, could literally grow as many things as Felix wanted. The only limitation was his mana, but he said he had a 'pretty good pool' and seemed awfully proud about it.

"You're sure you're not running low?" Felix said around a mouth full of carrot. Silas snorted.

"Proper earth wizards can make a whole field flower from seeds. With a little help from a waterpool. Though the soil can be a problem." A waterpool. Like Isa? As Felix ate the magic fruits and vegetables and listened to Silas, he made a kind of mental decision: no more treating these people like they were half nonsense. Some of the things he'd seen already were pretty amazing. But this random kid just growing food out of pots was one of the craziest things Felix had seen in his life.

It changed his thinking somehow. Made it more real. Whole fields? With one earth mage? If that was true, these people could utterly transform the world. They could save whole nations from drought, from starvation. What else could they do? What else could Felix do?

"Silas," he said, tossing a third or fourth apple core on the table.

"That was the most magical meal I've ever eaten. Thank you." The kid looked genuinely pleased, and not at all aware of any kind of 'magic' joke. He set down his bags of seeds and potted plants, lovingly stroking a few leaves and stems like they were old friends.

"It's my specialty. But…" he shrugged.

"There's plenty of food on the island. It's seen as the least valuable form of earth magic." Felix shook his head and scoffed, and the kid's tone and whole body language changed. His posture transformed, a kind of slouched curve to his shoulders that Felix recognized well. This was a boy who'd had his fair share of torments in life. Another one Felix's boyhood friend would have said was 'unlucky', just like them.

"Look at me, kid." Silas almost cringed as he looked up. Felix dropped his feet on the floor and met his eyes.

"I'm not making fun of you. Got it? Where I'm from, people would kill for a mage like you. Wizard, whatever. They'd cover you in gold and make temples to you and literally worship you. I'm not kidding." Now it was Silas' turn to snort. He looked away and Felix thumped his foot to get the kid's attention.

"I'm telling you. I've never even heard of an earth mage, kid. I didn't know that was a thing. Where I'm from, little girls starve in the street. Whole towns vanish if there's a bad harvest. We kill each other over fish." Saying it made him picture countless scenes of suffering he'd seen over the years, and his mind drifted far away. When he looked back Silas was wide eyed.

"That's…horrible. Surely your water wizards could help with crops and drought, at least. And…" he tapered off as Felix shook his head.

"We don't have those, either. None of it. Our magic…it destroys, kid. Or it stops other people's magic from destroying. That's all it does. That's all we know about." Silas stared at his plants awhile, finally clenching his teeth as if he'd made some decision.

"I'd like to help them, one day. Maybe when I'm finished school. They don't need me here. I could go and grow food for whoever needs it on the outside world. I've always wanted to see it, see all the living things. Though…" he shrugged.

"I don't know what my family would say." I do, Felix thought. But he smiled and slapped the boy's shoulder. He was a good kid, that was obvious. Maybe he'd been picked on but he hadn't known a day of real suffering. He was too genuine and timid and down on himself, but Felix couldn't think less of him for that.

"I already owe you, Silas. But can you do me one more favor?" The young man nodded a bit too enthusiastically and Felix winced.

"I'm supposed to go to High Wizard Hasha. But I have no clue where he is. Think you can show me the way?" The kid shriveled a bit whenever he wasn't talking about magic. But he nodded and shrugged his skinny shoulders.

"Sure. I mean, I know where he is. No problem." Felix nodded and stripped off his clothes, putting on the ridiculous uniform. It was too small and clearly made for someone shorter and fatter, so it hung loose at the gut and only made it to his knees. Silas literally giggled before covering it with a cough.

"I'm sure they can…make one your size later." Felix sighed and went for the door. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ** As Felix walked the halls with Silas, and eventually the courtyard, he lost his earlier power of invisibility. Girls and boys of every age stared and giggled or smiled when they saw his uniform.

"Uh, listen kid. I don't want to make your life more miserable. You might get shit for being seen with me. You know? You can just tell me where to go." Silas shook his head and looked confused.

"Oh, it's no problem." He shrugged like it should be obvious.

"I don't have any friends to lose. I'm an outsider here like you." It was said so plainly it almost made Felix cringe. But he just nodded and kept walking. They crossed the well trimmed grass and walked to an even nicer building on the far side. There were older men and women here, sitting in lounges or wandering the nearby halls.

"All the rooms will be labeled," Silas said helpfully, gesturing at the door.

"Yeah. Can't read at all. But I'm sure I'll figure it out. Thanks, kid. I'll see ya later." Silas looked at the building and the people inside with obvious fear. But just like with growing food for the needs of the world, he seemed to steel himself and brave the obstacles. He led Felix inside without a word, marching to some kind of tall desk before clearing his throat.

"Excuse me." His voice wavered, and the older woman behind it stared at him, and then Felix, like two species of bugs.

"The student wings are on the east side."

"I'm here to see High Wizard Hasha," Felix said, saving the kid. He leaned on the desk and the woman was clearly ready to roll her eyes before she really looked at him.

"Oh. The king's guest. I'm sorry, you're expected." She gestured down a particular hall. Silas looked like he'd scored the winning goal of some game.

"King's guest?" he said, a bit too loudly.

"Are you important?" Felix smiled politely at the old lady, then put a hand on Silas' back and led him on.

"Just tell me which door is the high wizard, alright? Then maybe go entertain yourself awhile."

"How would I? I told you I don't have any friends. I'll probably just go back to my room and talk to my plants." Felix sighed and pat the kid's shoulder. After about five fancy doors, they reached the end of the hall to an even fancier door, covered in symbols and obvious water waves.

"Yeah, I think I got it," he said before Silas pointed.

"Thanks again." Not sure what else to do, Felix walked up to the golden door and knocked, sending Silas scurrying away. He didn't hear anything and worried he might be in for a useless day of wandering before the thing clicked. With his enormous belly sweating through his silk shirt, the High Wizard of House Anshan pulled open the door and swept Felix with his eyes. His mostly bald pate now had hair sticking up wildly. He still had a bandage on his hand from trying to 'wipe' Felix's mind.

And he wasn't wearing any pants.

"You look ridiculous," said the fat wizard, with no other greeting. Felix damn near burst out laughing.

"Well come in. There's a draft, for heaven's sake. Hurry up."

"You again," Felix said, after he'd come in and closed the door. The 'office' was shockingly large. It had two floors, and was filled with furniture and scattered books, what looked like empty bottles and plates with scraps of food. High Wizard Hasha was a total slob.

"Of course it's me again," snapped the wizard.

"There's only one High Wizard. Come and sit…" he looked for an empty chair that didn't have a stack of plates or books, but clearly didn't see one.

"Oh who cares, just sit wherever." Felix looked around the room, seeing quite a lot of taste and interesting things beneath the filth. There were beautiful paintings on every wall, exquisite vases and other works of art displayed in corners and up in view on a balcony.

"I assume it's unusual for a high wizard to treat some foreign acolyte, that's all."

"It's not unusual," Hasha almost snarled, pausing for a wet cough before sitting at his desk.

"It's completely unheard of. But if I were you I'd best not start thinking you're special."

"I don't."

"You'll get the same treatment as any other boy," Hasha said like Felix hadn't spoken.

"You'll go through the forms, the runes, all the basics. But I'll have my assistant mostly…" the wizard stopped like he'd forgotten something important.

"Lina? Where are you? My guest has arrived."

"Coming, uncle!" A youthful, feminine voice, then some kind of crash sounded above. It continued with a kind of stagger step of thumps, then a book bounced down the stairs. A teenage girl chased after it, like the book might try and physically escape.

"Would you be careful with my things, for god's sake." Hasha rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, uncle. I was carrying too much." The girl was maybe fifteen, wearing a slightly disheveled student uniform that for girls was apparently a long shirt and skirt, her dark hair tied back. She was thin and pretty and didn't look anything like her uncle.

"Did you bring the practicums on numerology, symbology, and foci in that ponderous stack?"

"Yes, uncle." Hasha grunted and looked at Felix like he wasn't sure why he was still there.

"So, you see? You'll be taught by a fifteen year old girl. And I expect even then you won't keep up." He looked him up and down.

"We'll…get you a new uniform. Feel free to wear whatever you like. Tell him where to eat and shit and where all the student nonsense is, Lina."

"Yes, uncle." Lina looked at Felix and smiled politely, pushing up her spectacles.

"Oh, and Felix," said the wizard, like the name caused him physical pain.

"You're powerful, we all know that. I'm not going to insult your intelligence, whatever its quality, by pretending the king isn't keenly interested in just how powerful. But right now your power is like that of a frightened bull. And if you aren't trained and civilized I fully expect you to break everything you touch." Felix stared, not entirely disagreeing with that assessment. The word lifestealer echoed through his mind, the inferno in the center of his 'soul' fortress swirling like it was taking a bow.

Hasha watched him and grunted in what could have been anything from indigestion to approval.

"Your test indicated you're both a fire and water mage. In his infinite wisdom, my brother has decided I shall instruct you on water spells. But we'll have to bring someone in to teach you fire. We don't do that particularly well here. Do you have any questions?" Felix had quite a lot of questions, actually. But he suspected asking them now wouldn't do him much good, and he knew he'd have a million more in a couple days. When he shook his head, the high wizard seemed to get a little calmer.

"You're to check in with me every few days." The man made an unpleasant face.

"And if you need anything… well, oh I don't care, honestly. Just ask Lina. I'm a busy man, as you can see. Now off you go. Come back slightly less ignorant than you are, please, and we'll get along." It seemed Felix was dismissed. Lina zipped past him with steps so small she seemed to float, focused on and struggling with her stack of books.

Felix wanted to help her but feared he'd send her sprawling, so he just smiled politely at the high wizard (who was already looking at some paper on his desk), and followed the girl into the hall.