The Wasting

Chapter 6: Ahanu

After two more weeks of travel and making it across the Telemene plains, the trio crested a hill's ridge, and Ahanu felt his breath pull tight in his chest. He had never seen buildings so tall or seen so many homes crowded together. His horse pranced anxiously under him as awe sparked magic to flood Ahanu's system. The residual waves made the horse nervous. In the center of the sprawling city was a palace carved from black stone with spires reaching for the gods and huge, beckoning archways easily visible even from where they stood miles off. The Magus Knight's Tower. Ahanu thought such stone would reflect the sun into the eyes of onlookers, but there wasn't so much as a glint or glimmer as the rock soaked up the sunrays. He imagined it must be hot within the walls and a burst of cool washed over his skin, putting a shiver down his spine. Beyond the city was such a stretch of water that it disappeared into the horizon. An ocean, Denigan had called it.

"You need to get control of that again," Denigan said, cutting through Ahanu's awe.

"Right." Ahanu inhaled deeply, pulling the cold blue magic back to a dormant state. "They really don't use magic openly here?"

"They—no, they do." Denigan blew out a breath and ran a hand down his mount's neck. "It's just not how you use it. Magic isn't meant to be a flippant emotion. It's a controlled tool, especially among the upper class."

A flush ran over Ahanu's cheeks, and his attention was pulled from the walled city below to Denigan. "It's not a tool. It's part of me, of what I am."

Bimisi put a hand to his thigh, squeezing in warning. He never listened to her warnings when emotion overtook him. Once Ahanu began his passionate appeals, it was hard to make him stop. "I can't be expected to turn away from such an integral piece of myself for some Knight's sensibility."

Denigan tugged his reins and turned to draw up closer to Ahanu. "You wanted a guide, someone who knows Magus City and those within the Tower. You've got me. Either follow what I say or find someone else." The man's nostrils flared, and his shoulders were squared like he was waiting to be punched.

They held each other's gaze, and Ahanu's jaw ticked with a grimace against the retorts that frothed in his mouth. The man could be so frustrating sometimes. His fingers went white around the reins, but then he conceded. "No, I don't want you to leave." He patted Bimisi's hand and she took it back.

"If you two are done, I'd really like to see the inside of that city." Bimisi pushed her horse between them and started down the hill.

"That may be harder than you think. You stand out, and everyone is on edge with the Feverbind." Denigan spoke loudly to be heard over the hoofbeats.

Ahanu followed behind and focused on keeping his magic under control. He could feel threads of it running through him, relaxing his nervous excitement, but it didn't light up along his fingers or blaze colorfully on his skin. It was a step. "You have a plan to get us in?"

Denigan snorted a laugh. "Yeah. I'll do the talking and you just concentrate on keeping your pride in check. Bimisi, make sure your temper doesn't spring up and ruin our chances."

"Right. Just make sure you don't say something stupid and we won't have a problem," she shot back.

Ahanu tensed, wondering if a fight was going to start between them again. Instead, they both laughed. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if he'd missed some connection the two had made.

"I'm the one who'll be getting us into the city, not keeping us out."

Narrowing his eyes at Denigan's back, Ahanu flicked his fingers in his direction and zapped him with a small jolt of electricity. Denigan jumped a little and muttered a curse. Ahanu felt a childish thrill at this.