The Raven & The Wolf

Chapter Thirty-One

Drew looks at me when they’re gone. “I wanted to talk to you, Natasha.”

I give him a curious look; it’s not unexpected for this to happen, but it’s surprising that it would happen this way. “What would you like to talk about?”

“Your magic is reaching a dangerous peak, Natasha. If you don’t find a way to work with your overloads, it will kill you. At your current level, an overload that resulted in your death, would be catastrophic.” He put his hand on my uninjured shoulder. “It could wipe out half of the country.”

I take a deep breath and nod. “I know, and it’s debilitating. I’m getting my ass kicked out there because I cannot access my magic.”

Drew nods, expecting that. “You do know that we live almost directly next to the Ancient Stream?”

I nod. “Yes, the boy who was the anchor originated from the village before yours.”

He smiles, “Exactly. Our ancestors chose to rebuild because, at first, we considered magic a curse, and were desperate to remove it from this earth. We analyzed and documented everything that we have learned from studying the history of the Fates, Sheiks, Illusionists, Magicnites, and Servants of the Fates. There has been a lot lost in ancient magic, that has been found because of our research.

“I tell you this, because we’ve found documented ways to flow your magic through the earth, like a filter. It slows the amount of magic you use, which will decrease your chances of an overload. Also, there is a spell you can use, to transfer overload into another container. Whether it is a human, or inanimate object, is up to you. The downside to this, is if it is found, your magic can be stolen.”

“And if Ari gets one of my stones, he can steal my stored overload.” I say, closing my eyes. I shake my head and open them. Let’s not have that happen again. “Teach me how to filter it.”

Drew nods. “From what I have studied of your magic, its quite unique. The one we use to pull our protective shield from, is my main source of the study. It radiates power, and it’s quite enchanting. It’s never ending, and it’s grown stronger instead of weaker. It also seems to absorb magic if ever in a weaken state. The only quality that this is found, is in earth magic.”

I nod, agreeing with him. “My magic does rival the earth’s strength.”

“It does, only the earth’s magic is its own. You cannot use the earth’s magic to flow through you, and you cannot touch the earth’s lifeline since its magic will try to overtake yours, because it views yours as a threat. That is something you need to learn how to work around when attempting this technique.”

I rub my face. “The second anytime a physical part of me touches the earth, I feel it.”

“That’s good. It means you have strong earth ties. Now, if you truly are as strong and as skilled as everyone thinks you are, you’ll be able to do this. It’s the same principle that you are taught in your masteries, only you’ll be doing it quickly and every time you use your magic.”

I groan, “And no one has done this, since Articus?”

Drew shakes his head. “No one else has come close to his level for centuries. By learning this technique, he was able to ground his magic and live a relatively peaceful life until the Fates recruited him. Though it’s true that he capped out at the highest known level, until you, at age eighteen; it is believed that if he lived with your circumstances, he’d exceed your level by leagues. To be honest Natasha, if you had been trained under him, and lived in an age where magic was more aggressively used, you’d be more powerful than him. Or you could have been equals. It might explain why Articus is currently trying so strongly to overtake me.”

I stiffen while my eyes go wide. “Articus?” Great. Can’t I recover in peace?

Drew nods. “Ever since I put my hand near your heart, I can heavily sense him. He’s drawn to you with such intensity, that it’s terrifying.”

“How are you blocking him?” I ask, shying away from his hand just a little.

“To be a good healer, you have to have a settled soul. That means complete acceptance for your past, and whatever lies in your future. There can be no hate or anger in your heart, or an emotion you understand. Sickness preys on these kinds of emotions. While Articus is strongly influenced by these emotions, he cannot enter me. My body rejects him.”

This is starting to weird me out a little. “Okay, can you see what he wants this time?”

“Mostly your death.” Drew reaches and touches my strap, gently lowering it. He smirks. “He’s also attracted to you.”

I shudder, “Great, now I’m something a ghost fancies.”

He chuckles while he touches my sutures with care. “He also seems to like your sense of humor. However, what seems to drive his lust for your blood, is greed.”

I raise my eyebrow. “There is only one thing that can motivate a Servant like this.”

“If you’re talking about his freedom, I suspect you’re on point in that guess.”

I lick my teeth as I soothe my anger. I’ve learned my anger has a great influence over my magic, however, it doesn’t allow me to control my output. That especially includes while I’m recovering from overload. “Interesting. Hopefully, he knows that he’s fighting an impossible battle.”

“Which is why he’s enjoying it,” Drew tells me, giving me a sobering look. “This is a game to him Natasha.”

“And I’m a tough opponent.”

“You’re worse than tough, you’re overconfident. Your strength is impressive Natasha. However, it’s also blinded you to what is being told around you. I know most of that is for your protection, which in turn, is also for ours. You need to find that balance and open yourself to be more receptive of the things around you. If you don’t, you might be able to survive your battle with Ari, but Articus will get you in the end.”

I take a deep breath, leveling my anger some more. “You’re right about that. My power limits me, and will likely hurt us in the end. The end result of an overload is what scares me. However, you’re not wrong. I can’t expand my skills, or magic, because it will mean your deaths. I don’t care about my own. I’ve been terrified of Ari since I was six. I had to let go of that fear, to stop non-stop overloads when I was thirteen. Death means nothing to me now, other than a stop to these infuriating overloads.”

Drew looks me over, “You’ve met acceptance, which explains why Articus hasn’t yet taken over you to force an overload.”

I nod as I notice something. “Likely. I’ve never felt him try if he has. You seem more receptive than me, so that might explain how you can sense him.” I give him an appraising eye. “You’d make a fine Master, Andrew.”

He gives me a smile, “That’s a high compliment coming from you. It’s your level of power that prevents you from feeling his magic, Natasha. As I mentioned earlier, your power level exceeds his tremendously. That’s likely why the Fates made him that deal.”

I snort, “He’s a fool to take them up on that offer, if you ask me.”

“Why do you say that?”

I answer with care, sensing an outside influence in the direction of this conversation. “Well, logically, they lied and tricked him once to force him to be a Servant; so what is going to stop them from lying again and keeping him? He’s bound to them for eternity, and cannot harm them. If I were him, I’d place my bets on someone who appears to be a particularly big threat to them. Emotionally, if this is the worst fate he’s ever received, why would he want to put that on someone else? I get it’s for his freedom, but after what they did to him the first time, and with their reputation, I wouldn’t trust them with a simple favor, let alone something that important.”

Drew grows a thoughtful look on his face as he thinks that over. “You cannot hurt them, as you are a guardian, Natasha.”

There it is. I smirk. “I knew you’d likely read that text I’m looking for.” He stiffens while I give him a knowing look. “Articus has been influencing your research, hasn’t he?”

“How did you know?” Drew asks, his face paling.

“No one your age is that well researched in this particular field, when you had no involvement in it before now. Especially with someone who has your responsibilities.” I look him over, “You may know how to heal a body, but I know when something is being influenced on the outside. How else do you think I’ve managed to avoid a lot more overloads?”

I lean in closer to him, putting my free hand on his knee. “Now, what I need to know, is he helping, or hurting, us?”

“I-uh-I,” Drew stammers, staring at me.

“Take your time,” I say, patting his leg before pulling away.

There is a knock on the door before Gedric’s head appears, giving me a hesitating smile before speaking. “How is it going in here?”

“I think I broke your dad,” I tell him while Drew is still stammering.

That takes him off guard. “You broke him?”

“I pointed out that he’s being influenced by Articus, and now he’s like this,” I say while motioning to him.

“Articus?” Gedric asks, stepping into the room then quickly shielding his eyes. “Are you decent?”

“Unless you consider a bare shoulder indecent, than you’re fine.”

He lowers his hand while giving me a sarcastic smile. “I’ve seen worse out of you.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh ha ha,” I deadpan. “Can you fix him?”

Gedric looks him over. “I’ve only seen this when he’s trying not to get angry, or when my mother told him she was pregnant with my sister.” He answers my surprised look. “They were done having kids and halfway through the steps of permanent sterilization. It’s nearly impossible to get pregnant once you reached that stage.”

I chuckle, “I would act like this too.”

“Now why is he doing this; since he obviously couldn’t have gotten you pregnant.”

“I think it’s because he’s a little shaken. He was so sure that Articus wasn’t controlling him. There is more than one way to influence someone, and manipulation is one of them.” Drew locks eyes with me, realizing that there is truth in my words.

I speak with a calm tone. “The only way to avoid being manipulated by a Servant, is to always believe that their end game is in their favor. No one is above a Servant’s influence. They’re basically magic with bodies. With how I’m going, I’m not far behind that, and that’s exactly why he won’t take me over. If he does, it’ll kill me, but it’ll destroy his plans. He can’t kill me until I make a deal with the Fates. If he forces my death with an overload, I’ll reject them out of spite. He knows this, because he was the same way.”

I put my hand on his knee, “Do you know how the Fates tricked Articus into making a deal with them?”

Both Drew and Gedric look me over. “No,” Drew answers.

“Love,” I say simply as I straighten; pleased I seem to have snapped him out of his shock. “What you said is true, Drew. Articus was once so powerful, that if he had not capped, he would be vastly stronger than even I. However, he did have a weakness. Love. The Fates orchestrated an attack on his village, putting his family, children, and pregnant wife in danger. They did this by simply making Mordecai create a magical hotspot in the earth, putting every single person in that village into magic overload.

“Articus was smart and resourceful. He thought he could outsmart the Fates by asking for their aid in cooling the earth’s sudden increase in magic, removing that hotspot since it was too dangerous to relocate that many people facing overload. That had to be the first step, since that would create back to back overloads if left unresolved. His bargain was that in exchange for their help, if he did not save every single person in that village, he would agree to be a Servant. The deal was struck, and Mordecai dispersed the hotspot that he had created; unbeknownst to Articus.

“Here is the dark part. Articus did, indeed, remove every single ounce of overload from every villager. When he called upon Mordecai to show him that his task had been completed, his wife fell down to the ground, dead. Articus had failed to remove the overload going through his unborn son, as well as two other pregnant women in that village. Articus had failed to perform his end of the bargain, so his life was immediately forfeited.”

The boys both stiffen while I close my eyes, trying to shake the horrid story from my mind. I open my eyes to look at them once more, sensing a heavier air. Articus is indeed listening. “In his anger, Articus has now become the most ruthless Servant there is. I can’t say that I fault him for that, if I’m honest. He died because of his love for his village and family; which is what drove that deal to protect them.

“I do hope he knows that his two surviving children grew to be outstanding people. I should know. I’m descended from one of them.”

“What?” Gedric demands while Drew gives me a bewildered look.

“There is a reason my family’s magic lines are so strong; and have been protecting the raven that I wear for centuries. We’re descendants of a man with almost incalculable power, if he were to never reach his magic peak. Articus, also once bore the raven mark.”

“How do you know this?” Drew demands, looking as if I have just stabbed him.

“Master Brin was gifted the owl upon his birth. This allowed him to see outcomes and possibilities that could pass. Since he saw that I would be desired by the Fates, we spent every spare moment we had in studying the Fates and their Servants. Master Brin was able to track down my family’s lineage, all the way to a couple of generations before Articus. So needless to say, I have been molded, guided, and prepared for this to happen since I was six. This is not something I was unprepared for. It’s just really bad timing for me at the moment, since now two forces of pure evil are trying to kill me.”

I flip my hair in a bit of annoyance. “So unfortunately, while my education excels in the Fates and the Servants, I was left with a bit of a gap in my knowledge about the marks I now wear; which is why I’m here. So now that I know you, Drew, know what text I’m looking for, will you take me to it?”

Drew looks me over as if I’m a battle warrior. “Su-sure.” I’ve got to stop scaring people when I need their help. First Gedric, and now his father.