Page 22 of A Conduit of Light
“I’mtoo busy in the fauna section,” remarkedFiguerah. “Forexample, did you two know that quiphits here are different colors according to what season they were born in?”Figuerahlurched upward. “Aquiphit born in winter will have a pure white coat, while one born in the summer will be dark greens and browns to blend in with the underbrush.”
“Andwhat does a quiphit in autumn look like?”Ashasked, chewing on a sweet blade of grass, one arm tucked behind her head, resting on her beast’s soft belly.
“Allbrown and gold—just as you’d imagine.Ithink it’s fascinating we get to see the animals here,” she admitted, petting her lumen’s head and scratching her ears. “Ithink that’s what my memoir will be about beforeIleave.TheFascinatingFaunaofFelgrenForestbyConduitFiguerahAttima.”
Clairanniagrinned in agreement and added, “Ithink mine will be about the healing plants inFelgren.AlreadyI’vediscovered new uses for the bark of an aspen tree.There’sa whole copse of them not far from the lumen den.”
Ashthought for a moment. “ArcaynenIsle’sBestHealingTinctures:AGuidetoMedicineinFelgrenForestbyConduitClairannia…wait, what’s your second name?”
“It’sLynns.Andthat title isperfect,Ash.Youhave a way with words.”Shestretched her arms up, popping them loudly. “Whatdo you think your memoir will be about?”
“Magiclanguage.Theuse of names of things.Originsand meanings.”Shestood and brushed the grass and dirt off of her green skirts. “Namesare important, after all.Likethe title of a story, or the first line of a song—the last line of a poem.”
Figuerahgrinned impishly and began,
“Solong as you keep to your bed at night,
Shewill not harm you, she might, she might.
Don’tlet your anger in your heart or your head,
Herdarkness will find you, and you will be dead.
TheBlightressmay find you, and you will be dead.”
Ashlaughed aloud and nodded. “Yes, even nursery rhyme lines are important.Especiallythe ‘dead’ part in that one.”
Hertime inViridiswas spent on the list of materials given to each of them every morning byBaronRevich, but at every opportunity, she headed to theMagicalLanguageHall.OriginsofFelgren, their current course of study, though interesting enough, was all just lore.Mythsand legends of how the magic of their world had come to be.Butthe language of a conduit—that was solid.Afoundation for those who could use it to wield more magic or make it stronger.
Shehad tried out a few of the simpler words for magic enhancement and they had all done what she had intended.Flowersbloomed brighter, their scent sweeter.Waterformed into a sphere above her hand and flame burst to life at the end of her finger—a more dangerous spell, she realized, in a library.
Sheknew her interest in the conduit language had another purpose as well.Stillthe doors ofViridisaccepted her answer of not having a name that suited her.Shemade sure each morning that she was the last one through the doors, her embarrassment real enough withoutFiguerahorClairanniahearing it.
“Well, my fellow lovely channelers, it’s time to get back.Viridisawaits us again.”Figuerahwhistled to her lumen who had run off at the sight of a possible snack and groaned. “BaronRevichis killing me with these leaf exercises.”Sherolled her shoulders, pushing on the nape of her neck at the tension left there.
Thepast four daysBaronRevichhad been relentless.
“Channelers,” he’d spout, having led them to a new type of tree each morning with fresh enthusiasm. “Ineed you to bring me a seven-leaf stem with length being the bottom of your palm to the tip of your middle finger.Itmust show variation in its color, light to dark green, and it must be fully intact, no notches or holes in the leaves.”
Thatmorning he had brought them to an enormous mahogany tree, its foliage far too high to inspect by eyes alone.
TheBaronshad taught them to feel the trees, not just see them.Theyhad been trained to close their eyes, seeping their way into the heart of each one, asking it for what they sought before it would eventually be brought to them, floating lazily down to their outstretched fingers, encased in their magic.
Ashhad watched asClairanniaandFiguerahraised their arms above their shoulders, their magic flickering out of the tips of their hands, as their conduit rings sparkled and shined, willing the tree to give them what they wanted.
BaronRevich’seyes always landed on hers in these sessions, challenging her to show him what she could do.Herstubbornness was insatiable as she’d pretend not to notice.She’dfollow the movements of her fellow trainees, even though, without much thought at all, she knew exactly where the branch she was looking for hung every time, with every single tree.She’dpretend to struggle obtaining it, though.Afterall, the idea of making theBaronwait was a pleasant one.
He’dinspect each of their bounties before nodding and moving to the next and the next until their arms could barely hold upright any longer.
“Iwonder,Ash,” he had mumbled to her that morning after requesting a willow leaf exactly half eaten by a caterpillar, holding hers up to the sunlight. “Youare always last to produce whatIask, yet yours is always the mostperfect.Ifyou’re not careful,Imight just think you have the most talent here.”He’dwinked at her then, his grin lighting up half of his face.
Itirritated her beyond rational thought when he did those things, always ignoring her attempts at indifference.
“Ooh, maybeIcan find a book about salves inViridisand make one for our shoulders.”Clairanniagrinned giddily, bringingAshback to the present, climbing up onto her lumen to ride back to the den.
“Whew,I’mglad we have a medicus conduit trainee with us, rightAsh?”Figuerahhad both hands on the side of her lumen’s face, the wolf’s long tongue hanging happily out the side of her mouth.
“She’scertainly proving useful, isn’t she?”Ashquipped,Clairanniathrowing a twig in her hair.
