Mage, Man

Time passed and I woke to the familiar sensations that stem from hunger, making my stomach grumble. I opened my eyes and moved slowly and carefully into a sitting position. Though there was still painful throbbing all over, I managed the task. I could smell food, but couldn't see any. It was at precisely that instant when the doors opened and in came the lady mage, Lyfa, with a plate of food.

"Oh! Did you just wake up? What perfect timing!" She sang happily.

"Uh, yes, I just woke up. Food sounds amazing." I said earnestly.

She practically floated over to the small end table next to the bed. "We have a quiche, and some cooked greens it looks like and a pudding for dessert. I also brought some water to wash everything down." She gave me a wink as she set the plate next to me and sat on the edge of the bed. It was a veritable bounty and the hunger pangs from my belly cried out in longing.

"Wow, what a spread!" I said, taking it all in. "Sorry for the trouble."

"What trouble? I couldn't make this. August did."

"Oh." I remarked, surprised. I did know he enjoyed cooking but I had never seen him prepare a meal before. I pulled the plate to my lap and took a bite of the quiche which was still steaming. "Wow, it's really good!" I exclaimed.

"Well make sure you tell him that. He takes pride in the things he does." She explained. "We haven't really been introduced, I know you're Lawrence, my name is Lyfa."

"Lawrence Macguire." I said, reaching out to shake her hand. "It's good to meet you without being introduced as 'boy.'" I said.

She grimaced. "I think that was just for Fraust's sake. August was trying to put some distance between the two of you." She explained.

I considered her words. Part of me had wanted to believe that at the time, but it was easier to become angry, something I perpetually needed to work on improving.

"I can't believe how good this is." I changed the subject, motioning to the small quiche with my fork.

"You have had his cooking before, haven't you?" She asked in an airy voice. "I've always known how talented he is in the kitchen."

"No, he always makes me cook the meals." I said, shoving another bite into my eager mouth.

"Surprising." She said thoughtfully. "Well he must really like your cooking then." She added.

I almost gagged because I stifled a laugh as I swallowed. "No. He definitely hates it." I said flatly.

"I doubt that's true." She said with a slight shake of her head.

I shrugged. "Well the fact that he can make this... I have no idea why he puts up with what I bring him everyday." I said.

"Well, that should be obvious by now." She said, giving me a searching look.

I looked up into her green glowing eyes. "I'm sorry?" I asked, puzzled.

I wished that mages could ever be direct in their manner of speaking but they usually implied their meanings and just ended up confusing me much of the time.

"I think he just wants to see you a couple times a day." She gave my arm a squeeze.

I placed my fork down on the plate and furrowed my brow. "He can see me whenever he wants." I said thickly.

"Oh sweetie." She laughed, and it sounded almost like music. "I've known August for a long time, and..." Her voice trailed off and her tone changed to something less serious. "Anyway, I'm not here to meddle in August's business. I am here to tend your wounds."

She hopped up off the mattress and moved to the end of the bed, pulling the covers up to my knees. I looked down, for the first time able to see from where the worst of my pain was radiating. Amazingly, my legs didn't look half as bad as they felt. There was blistered skin and a dark redness, but they appeared to be healing. While I watched, Lyfa placed her hands just above the worst-looking parts of my flesh and began to emanate green light from her hands. It was cool, but also numbing. I could feel my skin twitch and become tighter.

"What are you doing?" I asked, mesmerized.

"This is a simple curative spell. It's meant to remove pain but also promotes the muscle and skin to regrow. I'm glad you didn't see the damage from a few days back." She said soothingly.

"Have I really been out for a few days?" I was incredulous.

"Four, actually, and it was touch and go in the beginning. August never left your side." She said as she continued her spell. "He was so worried."

The old mage was that worried about me? Why should he be so concerned with my wellbeing? He was impossible to understand. If our roles were somehow reversed, would I stay by his side until he recovered? I... honestly wasn't sure.

"Where is the old man?" I wondered aloud.

"He's in his study." She remarked.

"I guess I should have known." I said, returning to my meal.

"He said you'd need something to pass the time while you're bedridden, so he's finding some books for you." She shot me a look that I interpreted to mean, 'don't be rude.'

"Well Mr. Macguire, does that feel better?" She asked as she stood and put her hands on her hips, admiring her work.

I was actually able to wiggle my toes and shift my legs without pain. "Yes! That feels much better!" I declared.

She giggled. "Well, between you and me, I know a little about healing magics. Unfortunately your legs will only feel this good for a few hours, so I can come back if the pain is too much. Okay?"

I nodded. "Thank you, Lyfa."

She gave me a knowing look. "You're very welcome. I won't be too far away, August can fetch me, for whatever reason, if you ask him. Eat all of that, and I'll speak with you later." She pulled the covers back over my feet, the end of the bed, and then slipped out of the chamber.

When August nudged his way into the bedroom sometime later, he was carrying a heavy armload of books and I had finished eating.

"Those all for me?" I asked.

"In fact they are." He admitted. "I thought you might want to stimulate your brain a little, now that you're finally awake." He moved to the side of the bed and gently dropped the book pile next to the dirty plates on the end table near where I sat.

"Your cooking puts me to shame." I said with a raise of my eyebrows. "I don't even know why you eat what I make."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I... I like when you bring me food, even if it is rather bland." He smirked under his beard.

"I am in pain, and Lyfa said I can call on her for any reason. I'm sure she wouldn't like to know her patient is being harassed." I narrowed my eyes at him, then let out a laugh.

"She probably wouldn't be too happy with me." He admitted.

"She said she's known you for a long time." I said.

The mage nodded. "Yes, a very long time."

"Were you two... together?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I was crossing a line or not, but I wanted to know.

"Well... we tried to be, once, many years ago." He gave me an awkward expression.

"What happened?" I pressed. "She seems very nice. She speaks highly of you."

"Lawrence, I, don't care for Lyfa in that way." August said.

"That's too bad." I mused.

August gave a short huff. "We're still good friends. We've helped each other through a lot."

"Do mages do stuff like that?" I asked.

"Like what?" He asked slowly.

I gave a shrug. "You know, get married, make little mages, that stuff." I felt my cheeks redden even as I was asking.

"Yes of course!" He replied irritably. "Do you really feel like I'm so different than you?"

"No. Not anymore. I used to." I said truthfully.

August sat next to me and showed me through all of the books he had brought me. There was a pretty good selection of topics and authors he suspected I might like. Honestly I was pretty excited by the prospect of getting to read all day while August cooked for me and did his own laundry for a change. He had to bring a chamberpot for me which was beyond embarrassing. He also brought a bucket of warm water later in the evening and washed my face, back and chest as I had once done for him. He left the rest for me to do which was probably the same choice I should have made on him. Still, I was aroused while he carefully scrubbed me and even secretly wished it would go further. It didn't however, and I made sure to hide my disappointment. As night came, I was too tired for much, although August sat on the far side of the bed reading one of his heavy spellbooks and occasionally glancing over at me.

As I slept that night I dreamed. In one of my dreams I opened my eyes and could see August, sleeping nearby, snoring softly. He was more handsome in my dream than I remembered, his silver beard lay on the bed between us and I stroked it gently. In the dream he opened his eyes a little and said something I couldn't hear. His deep grey eyes glowed dimly in the small bedroom, casting a small warm sphere of light around his head. I reached out and gently stroked his face. He smiled and kissed the palm of my hand. I edged closer to him and he studied me carefully. I leaned my face ever closer until our noses were nearly touching. As I dreamed, I could actually feel his breath on my face and smell his faint, manly scent. My hand slipped behind his head and pulled his mouth to mine. The heat from his lips was so welcoming, it was the kiss that was stolen from us in the bath that day. I pushed my tongue into his mouth tentatively feeling and sliding against his. His breathing picked up and he soon had his hand behind my neck, keeping us locked together as we tasted each other passionately. Though it was all imagined, it felt so real. I wanted to continue but the dream ended suddenly as I was just too weary from recovery and drifted back into the embrace of deep, dreamless sleep.

CHAPTER 8: CHANGE

In the morning I was delighted to find a plate of eggs and sausage on the small table nearby. August was sitting on the other side of the bed, bespectacled and reading the same book from last night. If there wasn't a fresh plate of food here I would have sworn he had never moved.

"Good morning, Lawrence." He said cheerfully.

"Hi. Did you go to sleep ever or just read all night?" I asked with a yawn.

He smiled. "I slept, not as long as you perhaps but it was mostly restful." He regarded me. "You don't remember anything about last night?"

I thought about his question. "I had a dream..." I recalled aloud, and then blushed as I remembered its contents.

"A dream is it?" He asked with an amused chirp. "What about?"

"I don't really remember." I said quickly.

"No? that's a shame, I can recall mine quite vividly." He said with a stroke of his beard. "My lips certainly remember."

I twisted my head suddenly to look him in the eye. "W-was I awake?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not sure you were entirely awake, but I appreciated the enthusiasm, even if you fell back to sleep shortly after." August said in response. He closed the book on his lap. "It was a nice kiss."

Lord, a 'nice kiss'? Once again I could feel my face go hot with embarrassment.

"I wasn't awake, I didn't know what I was doing." I grumbled.

August frowned. "Why can't you just admit that you wanted to kiss me last night? Hm? That you found me desirable, if only in the heat of the moment?" He sounded hurt.

"Well that's easy, I don't desire you." I hadn't meant it to sound so mean, but it had been said regardless. My mouth always went off before my mind, especially when I was suddenly put on the defensive.

"You don't need to always be so unkind to me." August said as he began to climb out of the bed. "I know we sometimes don't get along, but I thought we were at least becoming friends."

He was obviously wounded by my callous words and I did regret saying them. He hoisted his book under one arm and headed toward the doors.

"August, come on, I didn't mean it like that." I pleaded.

"No, it seemed quite clear to me." He said indignantly. "I'll leave you to your books today, I'll see that Lyfa brings dinner by later."

He left the room, leaving me unhappily alone. The man obviously cared for me, considered me a friend. When the hell did that happen? I grabbed one of the books piled next to me at random and the plate of breakfast. I resolved to keep myself distracted.

Lyfa brought dinner by in the evening and we talked for awhile about nothing in particular. It didn't seem like August had told her about the kiss or me belittling him after. For that at least I was grateful. I expected August in the evening, and I even had something of an apology prepared but he never showed. I guessed he had taken my mock advice from the day before and gone to sleep in my room. I sighed thinking about the too-tall man having to squeeze into my uncomfortable bed. I thought about it longer and decided that there must be other bed chambers I didn't know about, probably hidden like the garden in the walls of the tower. I knew Lyfa was staying here somewhere after all, and the other mages earlier too. I absently scratched my short blond goatee. No need to feel too bad for him then.

It was after the next evening's healing session with Lyfa that she informed me she would be leaving, back to her town, far away from here.

"I'll miss you." I said earnestly.

"I shall miss you too, Lawrence, you were a good patient." She said cheerfully.

"So, does this mean I'm healed? I mean fully?" I asked anxiously.

"You are a strong young man, you responded well to treatment and yes, you are as healthy as can be. But really, you need to go easy for the next few days. Your legs are going to feel weak until you get used to walking on them again." She warned. "I liked getting to know you a bit better, even under the circumstances." She gave me a kind smile but I could see sadness behind it too.

"Everything alright?" I asked her.

She pushed a long curly bit of hair from her face. "You'll be good to August won't you? When I'm gone?"

"Sure, yeah, we're friends after all." I felt strange at the admission, but somehow relieved to hear it as well.

"He's, not as strong as he looks. You could really hurt him. I know he hasn't been completely honest with you. I think he's scared." She said after some thought.

"Scared of what?" I asked in disbelief. "He's a sorcerer, he can literally shoot fire from his staff."

Lyfa frowned. "It's not the spells that make him strong, Lawrence, it's his heart." She leaned in and gave me a hug. With her lips next to my ear she whispered. "Try not to break it."

She gathered herself up and paused in the bedroom doorway. She turned then and gave me a long, hard look. "I think you should start being honest with yourself. Decide what it is you want." And then she was gone.

August didn't sleep in his room that second night either and I was beginning to wonder what he had gotten up to, and I knew I needed to speak with him, at length. Not just to clear the air and apologize for my words, but to find out what was next. I had lived here in the tower for months now and things with August had become strained. I finally realized that he had feelings for me which went beyond friendship and though I didn't mind being physical occasionally, I didn't think I wanted more than that. Lyfa had told me not to hurt him, and I genuinely didn't want to cause him any more pain. I didn't know what would come next, but I determined it would be best if he could take me back to town. Jenna was a better cook than I was, and now I knew that August wouldn't harm anyone who came here. Quite the opposite in fact, he had become seriously wounded protecting me, and cared for me like no one else ever had, save maybe my mother when I was very young. I felt a pang of guilt, thinking about leaving him like this, but I resolved that it was for the best.

Breakfast was again beside me when I awoke the following morning. August had obviously prepared it but not stuck around to make small talk. It appeared that there were also a handful of new books in my pile.

Stepping from the bed proved difficult for me. As Lyfa had expressed, walking, even standing was painful and laborious. I swayed as I took my first few staggering steps from the bed to bump against the wall. Damn but it felt good to be up and active again, even as I winced from the strain. Each step felt like my legs were strengthening again, stretching and loosening. It took a good deal of time, but I was able to wobble my way down the hall to the bathroom. Using the toilet of my own volition and drawing a hot bath proved to be heavenly. I could feel all of the aches seep out of my body as I soaked. After I washed thoroughly and dressed I almost felt like a new man.

While I walked back down the hallway, I decided it was a safe bet that I might find August in his study. As I turned the corner I saw him. He was facing the wall opposite the study door and I was about to call out to him when I saw the wall change and suddenly become open. It was another hidden passageway, much larger than the garden tunnel. I ducked back behind the corner of the wall and watched with great interest. The passage through the wall swirled as August stepped through and disappeared from sight. The wall rippled and again appeared to be still and stone. I waited a few minutes, unsure what I wanted to do in response. Curiosity got the better of me naturally, and I eased my way down the corridor to the strange wall. I ran my hand over the surface, feeling for the buzz that August had shown me before. After some time, I could just barely feel that peculiar tingling. If I hadn't been concentrating so hard I doubt it would even have been sensed. This doorway was concealed much better than the other. I felt around, hoping for another lever but this particular illusion didn't seem to be quite so easily solved. I pressed my body and hands against the wall until I felt enveloped by the faint tingle. I knew I could move through this door, I had just seen it done. Perhaps it was the conviction, or maybe I just happened to be positioned in the right spot but I suddenly became aware that the wall had swirled open in front of me. The roiling stone revealed a grand staircase spiraling upward in front of me. I quickly stepped through as the wall closed just behind.

The sheer size of the staircase was immediately breathtaking. I looked upwards as I neared the steps. I couldn't even see the top. I was impressed the old mage must have already ascended them. It would have been an impressive feat to climb the stairs in perfect physical condition, but on my weary legs it was almost a monumental undertaking. I ascended carefully and arduously but with determination. If I looked up for too long while I climbed I would get dizzy. I won't lie, I had to stop to catch my breath a few times but I continued upward. As I climbed I could hear loud noises, crashes and rumbling. Was it thunder? It was several more minutes before I reached the top of the staircase, I must have ascended hundreds of steps or more.

The cold was the first thing I noticed after I left the stairs behind and found myself on an enormous terrace. Above me now was the highest pinnacle of the tower. It was open air up here and a biting wind whipped about me forcing me to hold my arms to my chest. There were four large stone-like columns, one in each corner of the terrace holding the high pointed ceiling in place above. Between two of these columns I could make out a wide balcony. There was a brilliant flash across the sky suddenly which could only be lightning and thunder followed almost immediately. It was so loud, so cacophonous, that I clapped my hands over my ears and jumped with surprise.

I looked out from the terrace to the sky which was alive with dark storm clouds. That shouldn't be possible, it could only be mid afternoon at the latest. I pressed forward to the balcony, buffeted roughly by the wind and could just make out August, silhouetted against the black sky. He was wielding his staff, while the sky stormed and rained down lightning. There was a pedestal at his side, on which sat a strange, bronze-colored egg. The thing was about the size of a small barrel and cast its own pale light, pulsating with each forked strike of lightning. A black metal railing edged the lip of the balcony. I realized, to my horror, that it was August creating the violent lightning storm, and once I got my bearings, knew it could only be directed onto the town below.