Ebudae Read Free Page B

with runes
written in each circle using liquid yucerm, a weak metal that could
channel vast amounts of magical energy. It was expensive, so she
didn’t use it for very many things. It was necessary for that
particular rune circle though. It was where Ebudae practiced
casting all her spells. If something did go wrong, then the
circle would absorb the energy of an errant spell, preventing it
from destroying the caster. It would also protect the rest of the
building and everyone in it from a cataclysmic error.
    Pelya stepped into the center of the circle
and turned to face Ebudae. Putting her hands together in front of
her, Pelya closed her eyes and took deep, level breaths to clear
her mind. It was a difficult task for many students to be able to
concentrate on magic, but Pelya had refined her mental abilities
throughout a childhood of weapons drilling. It served her well with
magic.
    A few moments later, Pelya’s eyes opened and
she rested her arms at her side. When Ebudae encouraged her, the
warrior girl began slowly, but self-assuredly, performing the
gestures of the spell. At the same time, she spoke the words,
making certain to pronounce each inflection precisely.
    Wisps of Pelya’s hair that had escaped the
braid fluttered back as a magical wind blew against her face. It
affected only her, leaving everything else in the room alone. A
soft, white glow of energy formed around her hands as she neared
the end of the casting.
    Pelya’s hands rose to either side of her
head with the last gesture. As the final word was spoken, the
supernatural wind reversed direction and hit Pelya in the back. She
kept her balance against the force as the white glow soaked into
the pores of her face and head, disappearing with a shimmer of
light in her eyes.
    Pelya took a deep breath and let her arms
relax down to her sides. She let it out before slowly walking out
of the circles. Ebudae grinned at the look of awe on her friend’s
face. “It feels amazing, doesn’t it?”
    “Yes! Everything I see is sharper, like all
of my senses work twice as well.” Pelya blinked a couple of times.
“I see what you mean about the egg shell, but the inside is soft
and velvety, not slimy like egg . . . stuff.”
    “Egg stuff?” Ebudae rolled her eyes. “I see
that it doesn’t matter how clear we make your mind, you’re
obviously going to remain a barbarian all your life.”
    “Hey!” Pelya thwapped her on the shoulder.
“I am not a barbarian, you brat!” They laughed and shoved each
other playfully before relaxing on the couch. Pelya turned her head
left and right. “This is amazing,” she said in an awed voice. “It
feels good, like I can handle anything. It also feels private, like
no one could ever see what I’m thinking.”
    “That’s what it does. It still takes energy
out of you, but nowhere near as much as a lot of other spells that
protect the mind, and tiredness doesn’t hit you until after a few
hours when the effects start to wear off.” It was one of Ebudae’s
favorite spells and she used it every day for the last year because
she liked how sharp it made her mind feel. She was so in
tune with it that the effects lasted all day, wearing off only when
she went to sleep.
    “I’m hungry ,” Pelya said. Magic took
a lot out of a person and the spell was a strong one, meaning that
she would need three or four meals worth of food to compensate.
After that, Ebudae knew her friend would collapse from exhaustion
and sleep until morning before demanding a large enough breakfast
to feed multiple people.
    “Alright, let’s get some food.” They headed
down to the kitchen.
     
    Chapter
2
     
    The green glass that made up the large
conservatory was rare and expensive. Beautiful plants filled the
room with fragrant aromas. Fortunately, it didn’t overpower the
delectable tastes of the excellent breakfast the girls shared with
Pelya’s father and Ebudae’s grandmother the next day.
    “So, where do the two of you plan on