Oath and Kingdom [The Swordbreaker Archives]

Chapter 5: The Bountiful Path

 Amrila led him down a trade road in full view of other travelers. Her bird stayed high above, surveying the path ahead. Maylorn felt exposed on the road, especially as people passed, but he began lowering his guard a little as the days dragged on. Amrila seemed strong, always holding her head high as people passed, assuring them she led the company along. The pair of them drew eyes, a mage, and a sell-sword.

Those few days were silent, both parties deep in thought as they rode on. Even the nights were quiet, both wanting rest more than a simple conversation.

One night, Amrila pulled a few twigs from her satchel and threw them into the fire. It turned the flames blue for a moment, the smoke thickening slightly.

"What did you do?" Maylorn shifted further from the fire, even though it would not have made a difference.

"They help with sleep," Amrila looked up at him with her unnatural eyes. "Even when it is not your shift, you have not been sleeping. I understand that because you do not trust me, but that is not the main reason. You are afraid of being in the open. Being vulnerable."

Maylorn exhaled. "Yes, there is more than one reason why, but I cannot tell you what."

Amrila's bird squawked angrily at him. She turned to it, calming the bird with a simple gaze. "Let me tell you something, Filden. When I was in training, a lot of my mentors found me difficult to deal with. I had no control of my powers. I almost killed people. When I was moved to the college in Scalgoral, I was able to learn better. Not because I understood my abilities, but because my teacher was patient and understanding. She understood what I needed to learn."

"You're a born mage then? They are rare."

"Yes, I was born a mage. But in the mage world, it is not easy. It is harder to control because you do not understand it, where a learned mage will learn about how magic works before they even begin training. My kind is hunted because we are considered dangerous. That is why my kind is rare."

Maylorn did not quite understand why she told him her story, but he understood the threat of being hunted. "So, how do you sleep at night?"

Amrila turned to her bird, who cooed in reply. "During my training, I was forced to spend three days in the wilderness on my own. My maester told me that if I could keep calm and not let my emotions get out of control, it was a good step towards learning my magic. In those three days, I was able to find food and shelter and make my way through the desert. I learned that the wilderness is just as dangerous as men. The more sleep you can get, the better you defend yourself if you are caught off guard. On the last day, I was visited by a phoenix. A bright red firebird. They say if you are approached by one, you are destined for greatness."

Maylorn scoffed. "Do you really believe that?"

Amrila glared at him. "Actually, no. But I will tell you a little secret. If a phoenix approaches you, it is because they are a parent phoenix, and they can smell the soul bind between the person and their hatchling."

"A soul bind?"

"Yes, familiars have soul binds. It is just a different version of a dog's obsession with the person that feeds it and cares for it. Familiars are much smarter than regular animals, though. And a creature like a phoenix that has magic can sense when a relationship will be beneficial. She can sense when people are around, even while asleep."

Maylorn glanced at the bird. If its feathers were a standard phoenix color, he would have recognized it immediately. "But why are its feathers black?"

"Vespera is black because she turned into a Stryx. When she was still in her egg, she sensed being a dark phoenix would benefit the relationship more."