Millennial Mage

Tala looked up as they came out from among the trees in the park, noticing what should have been obvious from outside the city. Oh, yeah. There are no mountains to the north of here. It really changes the whole feel of the place. Not to mention the city as a whole is on more level ground.

-Really, Tala? That’s what you’re focusing on?-

Tala lowered her gaze, taking in the long, residential street.

There were only a few shops that broke up the park-side street: a restaurant, what appeared to be an odds-and-ends type store, and her family’s alchemy shop.

As they drew closer, Nalac still holding her hand, Tala saw that the family store had expanded since she’d been there, seeming to have taken over the homes to the left and right of it.

In this neighborhood, the homes were built close together with no yard in front, but Tala knew there to be a yard in back.

She considered for a moment, before realizing that she couldn’t remember who used to live next to her family’s shop. Huh. Memory’s an odd thing.

-Focus, Tala.-

She stopped in the street, examining the changes, and marveling at how large the store was. “It’s huge.” She spoke almost to herself.

Nalac responded with pride evident in his voice. “Yeah, the family serves the alchemy needs of the whole subdistrict. We’ve bought out the other competitors, and we often have people coming from further than that because we do it better, cheaper, or both.” He grinned widely. “We even have a Healer based out of the left side, there.”

Tala snapped her focus to her brother. “What?” Then, she looked up at the sign, seeing that, indeed, there was a smaller sign hanging below, advertising the services of a healer.

Nalac simply continued his exhortations. “Yeah, anything we can’t cure, or anything that might be serious, the healer takes care of. He’s an older Mage, I guess he’s mostly retired, but he still seems to enjoy the work.”

Ahh, not an Archon, then. She hesitated at that. Well, what is “older” to an eleven-year-old? He might be an Archon, just taking a few years to enjoy the quiet life.

“We have solid contracts with the grow-complex, and Latna is negotiating for the contract to provide emergency aid in the event of a crisis or emergency. It’s practically all she ever talks about. Apparently, it comes with a high requirement for the storage of supplies, but it pays well, just to have a bit larger warehouse that we rotate our ingredients through.” He shook his head, clearly baffled by the ways of adults.

That’s actually pretty clever. Trying to centralize all emergency supplies for the city could go horribly wrong. She almost snorted a laugh. Not to mention the expense of the warehouse, and the manpower to rotate ingredients and other items to prevent spoilage.

Then, what Nalac said settled in. “So…Latna is working in the shop?”

“Mmhmm. We all do, but she and Caln apprenticed with dad. They pulled extra shifts, in addition to studying and jumping through all the hoops, so they’re actually fully registered Alchemists, too, in way less time than it usually takes.” He was beaming again. “We have three full Alchemists working together. The only shop like it in the city.”

With a Healer, too? I can believe it’s the only one like it. Well, honestly she couldn’t believe it was real, not really. He’s working with a Mage?

­-People change, Tala. He was trying to do just that before you left, and we’ve been gone a long time.-

They’d been standing across the street from the shop for nearly a minute by that point. So, Nalac tugged on her hand. “Come on. I’m cold, remember?”

The two walked forward, and Tala felt herself in utter turmoil. She was angry; she felt guilty; she felt hurt. Each step, a different emotion reigned supreme.

Her brother pushed the door open, letting out a wave of warmth and magical light. Has absolutely everything changed?

As the door swung open, a cheery voice greeted them. “Hello, welcome to Karweil Alchemical Solutions. How can I- Oh, Nalac, it’s you.” The late-teenager slouched just a little out of her precisely straight posture of a moment before, her politic smile shifting to one of familial affection. “You’re a bit late. Who did…you…”

Latna locked eyes with Tala, and the girl went mute.

Latna was obviously Tala’s sister, a close mirror in every regard, physically speaking, but her features were a bit sharper than Tala’s, lending her both a tad more beauty and a look of ready judgment. Additionally, her eyes were a deep, startling violet.

Tala cleared her throat. “Hello, Latna.”

Latna didn’t respond, instead just staring at Tala, shocked uncertainty playing across her features.

Nalac called towards the back of the store. “I’m home, and I have a guest with me.”

That broke Tala’s attention, causing her to look around.

The shop was immaculately clean and well decorated. There were a few items on shelves, which were clearly the most requested items, but even they looked more like display pieces than tightly packed inventory.

From her own time working in the shop, Tala knew that most Alchemy concoctions were best when used right after they were created.

The front area wasn’t massive, but it felt roomy with a twelve-foot ceiling and the walls near that ceiling being composed completely of windows all the way around.

A door to the left stood ajar, the Healer’s crest embossed across the upper panel.

Through that door, an older voice floated. “Did I hear Nalac?”

“You did, Master Leighis.”

“That’s wonderful! How did today go? You said they were going to be dropping some kids from pre-magic, today. You weren’t one of them, I hope? Did you bring home one of the other students?” Footsteps sounded as the man talked, and then the door swung open.

As Tala had halfway expected, the man was in his early thirties, at least by the look of him. That meant he could be thirty, or three thousand, for all Tala knew.

“Oh! Pardon me, miss.” Leighis gave a nod of acknowledgement to Tala.

Tala’s mage-sight immediately detected his nature as a Material Guide, a common quadrant for Healers. His aura was that of a Bound with no movement on the road toward Fused that she could detect. So probably younger than fifty, but not by much if he’s followed the standard paths. “Good Master.” She gave a shallow nod of her head.

A frown flickered across his face, and Tala saw power flow through the man’s mage-sight scripts. Leighis’s eyes widened as he saw her with that sense, then he frowned, clearly not understanding what he was seeing.

He’ll see that I am Bound and Fusing, but nothing else, at least not really. His mage-sight scripts didn’t seem to have the delicacy to be able to determine the qualities of her magic just by examining her aura, let alone the facsimile generated by her through-spike. “I am Tala.” She didn’t whisper, but she did pitch her voice so it wouldn’t carry out of the room.

Leighis bowed a bit deeper than he had the first time. “Mistress Tala. To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?” The man was clearly hesitant about something, and his eyes flicked to Latna. “Are you alright, Latna? Is young Nalac in some sort of trouble?”

Nalac turned and waved the Mage down. “No, no, Master Leighis. This is my eldest sister.”

The Archon’s eyes widened again in surprise and understanding. “Oh.” He didn’t seem to be able to bring anything else forward to say.

Latna was still staring at Tala in shocked silence.

A voice floated from the back. “Nalac! What I have told you about bringing home guests without warning?” It was unmistakably that of Tala’s mother.

Nalac rolled his eyes and called back. “Nothing! I’ve never done it before. You’re thinking of Miro.”

“Hey!” Miro’s response resounded from a similar place to their mother’s. “I haven’t done that in a long time.”

“You brought home six friends yesterday!” Nalac shot back. “But that’s not important. Come see who it is!”

That started a clatter of sound from the back, moving their way with chaotic inevitability.

Tala was feeling overwhelmed. The voices were so familiar, but so different than she felt they should be. The faces she’d seen already were filling in the gaps in her memory as she saw each one, and she felt her cycle of emotions become a tumbling turmoil.

Then, Tala’s father spoke, calling from what Tala presumed was a workshop off to the right. “Nalac, we’ve been waiting for you for supper. You really shouldn’t worry us like that.”

At the sound of her father’s voice, Tala felt the turmoil blow away, and all her emotions crystalize down into one: Raw, primal anger. In that instant, her soul, spirit, and physical desires were in perfect alignment.

Even so, she did not give in to her rageful desire to kick down the partially open door and beat the man to death. Just because she wanted to do something, didn’t mean she would want to have done it, or that she’d be glad that she’d done it, once it was over.

Alat gasped. -Oh. Oh!- Still, the alternate interface held back from commenting further.

Tala ignored Alat, her attention moving inexorably towards her father.

This was the man who had discarded her, doing his part to sign her life away without even bothering to talk with her.

That doorway swung open as Tala turned to face it, and her father stepped out, freezing in his tracks as he saw her.

His eyes widened in obvious recognition as well as complete and utter surprise.

At the same time, Tala heard a passel of people pour into the room, joining Latna behind the counter.

There were exclamations along with questioning words as the eldest in the group seemingly recognized Tala, while the youngest obviously had no idea.

She didn’t turn away, afraid that if she took her eyes from her father, the rage would deflate, and she’d break down crying.

Not here. Not now.

His words came out as a whisper. “Tala. You’re…you’re alive.” He shook his head. “Of course, you are. They swore that you were, but still…” His eyes were watering, and his hands were trembling.

“It’s Mistress Tala. You ensured that.” Her tone was biting, and her words sounded petty, even to her own ears. Still, she didn’t look away.

Thus, she saw the flickers of anger across his features, followed closely by deep, soul-level defeat. His head dipped ever so slightly in resignation, not rising again. “Yes, Mistress Tala. Your words are true.”

There was a cacophony of sounds, fragmentary comments, and shushes from behind the counter.

Tala stood straighter, anger bubbling up inside. She clenched her teeth, feeling an ending-seed between them about to shatter, and froze on the spot.

What am I doing? She used her tongue to push the seed back into her cheek. Why didn’t I get rid of that before coming here?

She almost staggered at the backlash of emotions. She turned. “I’m sorry, Nalac. I’ll…I can’t do this right now. I’ll be back, tomorrow.” Get out, get away. I don’t have to come back if I don’t want to.

She turned and took two steps before her father moved.

“Mistress Tala, wait.”

She stopped, and he rushed past behind her. She could hear in his tone and the urgency of his steps that somehow, he could tell that she didn’t know if she’d actually be back.

She didn’t turn as he dug behind the counter, pulling out something that clinked in his hands.

No.

He walked over, stopping a step or two behind her. “It is nothing to the debt you bear because of us…because of me, but it is what we could save, while you were gone.”

Unwillingly, Tala turned around, her eyes immediately locking onto the pouch resting on her father’s extended palm.

“We haven’t been starving by any means.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly. “But we have done our best to be wise with our money, and we’ve worked together to put this aside.” His words had a planned, even rehearsed quality to them.

Her eyes lifted, and she saw those behind the counter, her family, nodding affirmatively.

“Please, if you must go now, please take this with you.”

Tala hesitantly took the pouch and opened it, looking inside.

Her enhanced perception, and Alat, helped her quickly count the meager coins within.

Twelve gold, four silver, and a smattering of copper.

In truth, that was a monstrous sum to a mundane family. Rust, three gold could have satisfied my increased appetite for a year up until recently, while eating exclusively at restaurants.

Even if her visit with Viggo and Ula hadn’t made it clear, this certainly would have. The fact that she’d made this much gold for solely her role as a Dimensional Mage, on her last trip, highlighted just how far she’d moved up the economic ladder.

-Tala.-

I can’t. Not now. No. She ripped Kit off her pouch and threw it at the wall beside the entrance.

Kit stuck, becoming a door instantly, even as Tala pushed it open and slammed it behind her, shutting out the gasps of astonishment from those she’d left behind.

Tala stood just inside her private dimensional space, panting, tears running down her cheeks.

Well, rust.

Terry lifted his head from his spot in the corner and trilled inquisitively.

“It’s fine, Terry. There’s nothing that you can do.”

He flickered to her shoulder and head-butted her cheek, hard.

“No, I’m not lying Terry. I’ll be fine.”

He trilled and head-butted her again, then flickered back to his corner. She easily understood his meaning: ‘Fine, but if you need me, I’m here.’

“Did you get any jerky?”

He opened one eye, then his mouth.

She snorted and grabbed some jerky out of the air, tossing it to him.

He happily snapped it up.

She then grabbed up some rags and wiped her face, blowing her nose to clear it.

-Tala. You’re not focusing on the issue at hand.-

Tala ignored that. What were you gasping about, earlier?

Alat sighed, but then got excited. -When you figured out what you wanted: our soul, spirit, and body came into harmony like never before.-

Yeah, I thought I felt something like that. What of it?

-Fusing.-

Tala’s eyes widened.

-Fusing became trivially easy. We’re almost done.- Alat was ecstatic.

Why only almost?

-…because you are in turmoil again.-

Tala growled. Lovely.

She’d only been in Kit for about thirty seconds, but she was already beginning to realize just how much like a teenager storming off to their room she’d just acted.

And I have to exit back into the family shop… She clearly hadn’t thought her actions through.

-So, for the sake of Fusing, are you willing to go back out?-

And say what, Alat?

-I don’t know, and even if I did, you’d never do it just because I said to.-

Translation: She knew exactly what Tala should say but also knew that Tala would fight her on it, at least without some preliminary prodding.

-Hey, you are coming to understand me better.-

We’re the same person, Alat. All I have to do is think about what I would do, were our positions reversed. She hesitated, then amended. I still think you’re a jerk some of the time.

-Yeah, well. We’re no peach.-

So? What should I say?

Less than a minute after she’d slammed the door, Tala stepped back out, seeming far more composed outwardly, while still feeling in turmoil, internally.

A din of conversation cut off instantly as she opened the door, and all eyes turned to her.

She pulled Kit closed behind her and lifted the pouch from the wall, replacing it on her belt.

Tala closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly into the awkward silence.

“I apologize for that reaction. It was childish.” She still hadn’t opened her eyes. She didn’t want to see her family, while she said what she needed to say. “Father, Mother, I am livid beyond words at what you two did, and that you did not even talk with me about it. The rest of you…I apologize for vanishing without even saying goodbye. I apologize for ignoring all attempts to contact me. I do love you, and I miss you terribly.”

Her eyes opened, and she found and locked onto her mother and father who were standing together to one side.

“I don’t know that I will ever forgive you. That may be a flaw within me, but it hardly matters. There is no trust between us. There is no obligation. Only time will tell if there will ever be a relationship again. Right now? There is none.”

She hefted the pouch of coins, finally allowing her eyes to take in all of her siblings. There was only one missing that she remembered, Caln, and there were two that she didn’t recognize at all, their age seeming to indicate that they’d been born after she left. The youngest looked barely older than three, as she was held by one of her older siblings. Illie, I think? Nalac’s twin. If not, it was Alva. The girls looked very similar after so long an absence.

Leighis seemed to have excused himself from the room in the short time that she was gone. Wise and kind of him.

Tala found Latna, central among the siblings. “Here.”

She tossed the coin-pouch to the young woman.

“If you’re willing, I’ve an idea on how you can use that to earn quite a bit and help all our siblings have a better life. If you aren’t willing…” Tala shrugged. “I can’t make you.” She still didn’t see Caln, or she’d offer him the same, directly. “Please extend the offer to Caln as well.”

Latna finally seemed to have gotten over her shocked silence. “What does that even mean? Are you going to be talking to us, now? We’ve all tried to contact you, and you’ve never responded.”

Tala nodded. “In that, I failed.” She felt that failure as she looked at the veritable strangers before her. “I will read any letter sent my way and respond when I can. I am often away from cities, so it might take a while occasionally, but I will respond.” She closed her eyes, scratching at her temple and trying to hold back tears of frustration, of nervousness, of anger. “I need to go, now. I…” She swallowed. “I’m not in a good place.”

She glared at their parents, briefly, then calmed her rage once more. Neither tried to speak or interject.

“I’ll be back, tomorrow, in the late morning, and I’m happy to talk to any of you, if anyone is interested.” She gestured towards the siblings, specifically excluding her parents.

Nalac nodded. “Thank you, Tala.”

Tala felt a small smile tug at the side of her lips, even as tears broke free, despite her best efforts. “See you tomorrow, titan.”

He grinned back at her, unashamedly. “Oh, I have so many questions.”

“Well, write them down. We’ll talk, tomorrow.”

With that, she turned and strode from the shop, leaving her family behind once again.

This time, however, it was only for a single night.