Kingdom of the Weak

5. Opposite Magics

Remian turned to the dark figure laying down on the ‘empty’ bed next to him as Kairos went off to find him some food. “What are you doing here?”

“Taking a break.” Death answered. “I’ve was rather busy last night.”

Remian’s face fell. “How many? How many died because of me?”

Death paused, counting. “Three.”

“Three? Who were they?” Remian regretted losing control to such an extent.

“Irontusk, Third Boar Alpha of the Iron Bristle Boar tribe. He was fighting Markus and Max when you burned a foot-wide hole in him with your light bolt.” Death began. “Ssi-ruuvi,  two-headed Acid/Venom Serpent of Forktwig Marsh. They were trying to provide Irontusk some support. A bit more and they could have killed Markus.”

“Wait. They were Wilds? Are you saying my Light spell killed Wilds?!” Remian stared. “Not humans?”

“No humans were harmed by your magic.” Death said. “Although a lot of them couldn’t see for a few minutes. Some of them were injured while trampling around blindly, but for the most part, your Light Spell saved them by scaring away all the Wilds.”

“Scaring away… I did that?” Remian gulped. “What happened to my Light Spell?”

“I think you overdid it.” Death surmised. “By several magnitudes of power. As if I didn’t have enough work already.”

Kairos came back with hot soup. Remian filled his stomach while Kairos reminisced. “You know, power like that doesn’t come by often. The only ones I know who can do something like what you did are those guys who have seen God and lived.”

Remian supped quietly. He did sort of fit the description himself. If the Church of Celestial Light knew about it, how many priests would attempt to see God that way? Probably not many. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. “Can you teach me more? Other than that Light spell?”

“Not really. Light and healing is all Priests are really good for, and Rhema can teach you healing spells better than I can. My forte lies in studying the sacred texts. I’m more a historian than a warrior priest.”

“What’s a warrior priest?”

“Oh, some of our Order support the Iron Legion and take up arms at their side. There is a famous group of warrior priests called ‘Paladins’. Some call them holy knights or some such. But me, if I joined the Legion, I’d be more of a chaplain instead of a Paladin, staying back at camp rather than fighting in front.”

“I see.” Remian ate in silence for a minute, taking it all in. “This power I have… is it just for Light magic?”

“I have no idea.” Kairos admitted. “You’ll have to try and see for yourself.”

“And how would I do that?”

“You’ll have to learn other types and test it out.”

“Where would I learn other types?”

“Around here?” Kairos paused. “I don’t think anyone here teaches magic. Other than myself, Rhema and the airship crews, I don’t think anyone even knows magic.”

Death snorted. “Try telling that to that Kage guy from last night.”

“Who’s Kage?” Remian asked Kairos.

“Kage? The Shadow Slayer of the Circling Raven Gang?” Kairos turned and pointed. “He’s THAT guy.”

Across the hall was a figure completely covered in black, showing only an eye-slit. He was sitting in a chair talking to one of the patients in bed.

“Based on what I saw last night, that guy uses Shadow magic.” Death mentioned. “Could be a good compliment to Light.”

“If I learned Shadow magic from Kage… won’t it mess with my Light magic?”

“No.” Kairos said.

At the same time, unseen and unheard by anyone else, Death said, “Actually, they would complete each other, but don’t let anyone know I told you so.”

Remian didn’t wait. He walked right over. “Kage?”

Kage turned to him and observed him. He recognized Remian. “The light-caster?”

Remian nodded. “Yes. Could you teach me Shadow magic?”

Kage frowned. “The darkness is not revealed. It is only experienced.”

With that, Kage disappeared. Literally just faded into a shadow that vanished in the morning light.

“Don’t take it personally.” The girl he was visiting advised Remian. She was young, in her early teens, with messy red-hair. “He’s always like that.”

“Ah.” Remian held out his hand in greeting. “I’m Remian, agent of the Iron Legion.”

“Mindy, barmaid at the Raven Tavern.” She shook his hand. “You’re welcome to come by for drinks sometime. Bring your Legion friends and spend some coin at our place!”

“I don’t have coin to spend.” Remian shook his head. “But I can get you some meat, if you don’t mind buying from a trapper.”

“We can do that. We can even buy some old items off your hands.” Mindy offered. “There’s plenty of stuff left behind by dead people in the wilderness. We’re not picky and we offer good coin. Of course, we also expect you to spend some of that coin buying our drinks.”

Remian stared. “That was the smoothest recruitment offer I’ve ever heard from any of the gangs.”

Mindy grimaced. “It was that obvious?”

“No, and that’s why it was so smooth. I almost joined your gang by accident.” Remian marveled.

“Why don’t you?” she asked.

“Because I want you to join MY gang!” Remian said.

“You have a gang?”

“No. But we can start one.”

Mindy burst out laughing, then held her side. “Ouch, too soon… my wounds are going to reopen at this rate. Ow…”

“Uh… I guess I better not bother you any more…?” Remian scratched his head. “I can still come by to sell meat, right?”

“Tomorrow.” Mindy leaned back, breathing heavily. “Just give me the day to recover.”

“Didn’t the nun use healing magic on you?” he asked.

“She did, but there were so many injuries, and only one of her, so…”

Remian got the idea at once. “Hold on. I’ll go find the nun and then I’ll be right back.”

Very predictably, Rhema did not entertain his requests to help Mindy out. She was, however, willing to teach him a basic healing spell, as long as he used it to treat the injured for the rest of the week.

“Fine! I’ll work for it!” Remian rolled his eyes, and set down to learn.

Two hours later, he was back in bed, collapsed from over-exhaustion. Even after two hours, he still hadn’t quite gotten the hang of any of three basic healing spells.

Death laughed at him. “It’s not so easy to steal people from my hands, you know. You basically have to fight me for them.”

“Couldn’t you… go easy… on me?” Remian heaved for breath.

“Not really, no. I have standards to keep.”

“Not even for my own case?” Remian groaned.

“ESPECIALLY for your case. Why do you think I’m always hanging around you?”

Remian sighed. “So much for using healing magic on myself.”

“Healing magic of this level? That nun couldn’t save a drowning bunny if her life depended on it.” Death snorted. “The most she can do is make people feel better, ease exhaustion, recover faster, maybe ease a headache or two. Everyone who came in here with a critical injury is dead already. Why do you think I’m hanging around here?”

“I thought you needed a break!”

“And why was that break necessary, do you think?” Death shook his head. “That nun needs to go back to school and apologize to her teachers profusely. Yours was the only life she saved all night, and only because it was exhaustion that nearly killed you.”

“For her saving my life, I am immensely grateful.” Remian looked at him sideways. “I don’t suppose you have anything to do with that?”

“Me? Why would I go easy on her just to let you off?” Death snorted. He did not meet Remian’s gaze. “Besides, what have you done for me?”

“For you? I thought I was easing your workload?” Remian mentioned. “Unless you want more work?”

There was a short pause.

“Is that it?” Remian’s eyes widened. “All this time you were complaining about having work to do, but what you really want is more work?”

“It’s… complicated.”

“What’s complicated about it? Does more work mean more pay? That’s why you want more work even though you keep complaining about it?”

“Something like that.”

Remian shook his head. “So what do you want me to do, run around killing everything I see?”

Death chuckled. “As if you could! With your capabilities, it would be you I’d be working on before anyone else. It’s not like you’re an expert in death magic.”

At that, Remian froze. He slowly turned to look at Death, not daring to voice the idea that just popped into his head.

Death saw the look on his face and froze. “No way. Nuh-uh. Not going to do it.”

“But it’s what you want, right? More work, more pay.” Remian pointed out.

“Teaching you death magic is going to be a hassle in itself, more work than simply reaping lives! What ‘pay’ would I get from such an effort?”

“You get more work in the end?”

“No way! Forget it! I’m not going to teach you how to order me around!”

Remian hesitated. “It’s too late. I think I already know how.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really.” Remian said. “It’s because of what you told me earlier.”

“Which is?”

“Healing magic means fighting with you for lives. So the opposite of that…”

There was a sudden, chilling silence.

“Well, too bad. You still can’t use healing magic to save your life.” Death mentioned.

“Not yet, no. And besides, who’s to say?” Remian shook his head. “I might very do much better with the opposite of healing magic.”