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To Dream of Darkness

A story by DoggyStyle57

Chapter 12, Written December 2011

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Chapter 12 - New world, new rules.

Dark Wind and Asha followed Portia through the fire-rimmed portal. They emerged in a back hallway of the inn, just off the common room. The portal ceased to exist just moments after they finished using it, but before it vanished, Dark Wind had time to note that there was no magical diagram or design on the floor to enable the creation of the portal.

"Your portal spell is different than the one that I know," Dark Wind stated. "You don't need to draw a specific pattern to form it?"

"We can discuss such matters in a more private setting, please. Follow me," Portia said, as she led them upstairs and unlocked the door to her room with a brass key, before touching the lock and releasing a warding spell as well.

Once they were in the room, and the door was closed, the canine mage said, "Let's get a better look at you, shall we?" She made a brief gesture, and four orbs of white light appeared, floating in the air, and providing an even, bright light similar to daylight. "And some privacy, as I said. Do not worry. This does not lock you in my room. It only prevents anyone outside this room from hearing or seeing us," she added, as she cast a warding spell that caused the walls, floor and ceiling to briefly glow, as well as forming what looked like a fine spider web of light over the door and the two windows in the room.

Dark Wind blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light, and said, "And still you use no diagrams or circles. Is magic so very different here?"

"You refer to cabalistic diagrams, perhaps? Something like this? Do you recognize it?" Portia asked, as she seated herself comfortably in a high-backed chair, with her tail curled beside her right leg. With a gesture she formed a complex diagram in the air, which just floated there, as if painted on glass with glowing white paint.

Dark Wind recognized the diagram as being almost identical to the one she knew, and said, "Yes. That diagram should allow a mage to alter a physical object's form, though not its properties. For example, it could be used for turning a silver coin into a silver bracelet, or a piece of wood into a useful wooden object."

Portia erased the diagram with a gesture, and stated, "That's very good. You are correct in the use of that diagram, child. Now that I can see your features clearly, I see you are several years younger than I first thought. May I ask how old you are, and how long you have been studying magic?"

"I am thirteen, M'lady Portia," Dark Wind replied. "My parents both could use magic. I performed my first magic when I was only four, to speak to a feral wolf, and understand what he said. I was tutored in magic for four years, by my parents, and have studied it on my own for five years since then. But please, M'Lady, how can you cast the spells without the diagrams? I can cast a few of the more simple spells with just a phrase, or by saying the spell in my mind, but nothing so complex as a portal, or matter shaping."

"So young? Remarkable. I take it you are on your own, just the two of you?" Portia asked.

"Yes, M'Lady. For five years I have been on my own," Dark Wind admitted. She was uncertain how much to say of her past, and decided to tell only part of the truth. "Our home burned down, and... my parents perished. I had no living relatives I could go to. I could talk to the wolves, and take their shape, and I was friends with them already. So I lived with them, as I studied what I was able to salvage from the ruins of my home."

Portia looked uneasy, and asked, "You are a shapeshifter? Lycanthropes don't usually use magic, unless... Tell me the truth, Darla. Are you, or were your parents, a werewolf?"

"Not as I understand that term, no. I can assume many animal forms and man-like forms, as my father could, and my changing is at my choice, and not tied to the phase of the moon," Dark Wind stated.

"I see. Here it is less common that a mage has that ability by pure means, rather than as a result of the curse of lycanthropy. You will be well advised then to tell no one that you can change shape to a wolf, child. Werewolves are quite unwelcome here, as are vampires," Portia stated, relaxing slightly. She reached into a belt pouch and withdrew a beaded necklace of some sort, and held it out to Dark Wind, saying, "Do you know what this is? Will you hold it for a moment for me?"

Dark Wind looked at the offered necklace. Carved wooden beads resembling roses were interspersed with other beads, and at one point a strand of beads branched off from the main loop, and a small silver crucifix hung at the end of that strand. Dark Wind took it, looked at both sides of the silver cross, turning it between her fingers, and gave it back to Portia.

"Pretty, but I don't know much about that sort of thing. I take it from the crucifix that it has something to do with the church? I think I have seen a priest carrying or handling something similar, but that is all I can tell you," Dark Wind replied.

Portia relaxed considerably, and said, "It is a Rosary. Those who follow the church use them to pray, and it is widely believed that a werewolf or vampires cannot bear to touch one, or bear the touch of silver, which the cross is made of. That is not true in all cases, in my experience, but most werewolves and vampires, as well as many other magical creatures, would withdraw from someone holding a rosary and silver cross out to them. You are Pagan? You don't follow the Church?"

"My mother taught me to revere nature, not a building and idols made by men. She said that Gods certainly do exist, but the church was not the one true way to seek the guidance of divinity. And my familiar, Ashley, has told me that much of what the Church says about Hell is biased and incorrect. Are you a church follower? Is it bad not to be one here?" Dark Wind asked, worried at being in a sealed room with what might be a church mage, even though Portia didn't wear the garments of a priest.

"You may relax, Darla. I mean you no harm, but I did need to test you," Portia said. "The Church and Pagans have an uneasy truce here. It's not a terrible thing to be Pagan, but the King and his courtiers do follow the church these days. Many Pagans worship as they please, in privacy or openly, but many of them also carry a rosary or occasionally attend the church services, to be seen as not opposing the church, or the king. I have no preference, myself. I have seen too much in my studies to say that any one religion holds all the cards. I carry one primarily to use as I just did, to test a possible lycanthrope or vampire. I hunt them, you see. It is one of several things I do for a living."

"For the church? You work for them, as a mercenary?" Dark Wind asked, worried yet again.

"No, I am a part-time bounty hunter. I hunt for whoever will pay the bounty, and only where I believe there is justification. I have hunted werewolves, vampires, and many other kinds of magical creatures that have caused trouble here. Even elementals," Portia said, as she looked squarely at Asha. "But only if they are causing harm, and someone places a bounty for their capture. I am well aware that elementals and other magical creatures can be harmless, if well controlled by their Master or Mistress, or if they choose to cause no harm. I have even known a few werewolves and vampires that restrain their savage natures, refrain from killing people, and manage to co-exist peacefully with the rest of us. Such as they are I will leave in peace. I will admit, however, that what drew me to talk to you in the first place was that I wanted to see if your familiar was the harmful sort or not. I am satisfied that, for now, you are both not my prey."

"I am relieved to hear that. Are werewolves, vampires and other magical creatures so plentiful here, that you can make a living hunting them?" Dark Wind asked.

"Fortunately, no. But the pay is very good when one needs to be caught. Most of the time, I use my magic in a much more mundane fashion, down at the docks. I use my portals to aid the ship captains in unloading their cargos rapidly, and delivering them directly to their buyers," Portia said. "You will find a flagon of red wine on the table, and two goblets. Let us drink to friendship, and to the hope that we never need to become enemies. Pour a measure for both of us, and you may choose which I drink from, so you will know I am not trying to take advantage of you in any way. I presume your familiar needs no such sustenance?" Portia asked, looking at Ahsa.

"You are correct, oh mage. I can eat and drink, for appearances sake, but I have no need to consume your wine, and would prefer not to impose on your hospitality without need, since you seem to be so aware of my nature," Asha replied. "And for what it is worth, I'll handle your beads too, if you wish. They won't harm me at all."

"I will accept that you can, Ashley," Portia said, as she accepted the wine from Dark Wind, took a sip, and frowned slightly, saying, "Not a very good wine, I fear, but passable. I had not been expecting guests, so I didn't bother asking for better than their standard fare when I ordered it with my lunch, earlier today. Still, it is better than the beer here. Now that I believe I can trust you both, I will answer your earlier question about magic, Darla. Those diagrams are quite useful in learning a spell, but in time, and with experience, you can learn to form the image clearly in your mind, and dispense with the drawing of it on the floor. The diagram merely focuses the mind on a complex objective more clearly."

"I see. Thank you for sharing that information with me, M'Lady," Dark Wind replied. She took a sip of the wine. It was not her first time drinking wine. She had consumed it in the village before, when posing as a human in the taverns, as she gathered information. This wine was a little different than what she expected, but not bad. Less dry and bitter than the poor wines that the villagers made for themselves. She took another sip and said, "The wine tastes fine to me, M'Lady Portia."

Portia looked over her two guests, and stated, "Those clothes... They are wrong. They would pass well enough in the dark, or if no one was paying attention, but they are made incorrectly. "

She stood and took off her cloak, and said, "Take a closer look at my dress, and how it goes together. That red part on your bodice should be a separate garment, and not part of the chemise that forms your neckline and sleeves and underskirt. And the skirt should have three layers of cloth, split in the front to show the under skirts. Your garments seem to be all one piece. Did you use a matter shaping spell to reform them?"

"Yes, M'Lady. Our travelling clothes looked worse, I fear. We did not want to be seen at once as foreigners," Dark Wind replied.

"Which you very much are, unless I am greatly mistaken," Portia said. "I felt the power of the portal that brought you here, about half an hour ago, wasn't it?"

"I would guess so, M'Lady Portia. You felt it? From inside the inn?" Dark Wind asked.

"Most people, even most mages, would not have noticed. But making portals is something I do quite frequently. I have become quite adept at their use, and quite sensitive to anyone else's portals that appear in the vicinity of mine. Portals and teleportation spells can conflict with each other, if they accidentally overlap. The results can be very difficult to predict, and can potentially be disastrous. So for one who uses either form of magic a lot, it is wise to be very aware of anyone else using similar spells in your area," Portia said.

"Thank you again, M'Lady. I did not know that," Dark Wind said. "I suppose I should buy us some new clothes, and perhaps a rosary, when the merchants open their stalls in the morning."

"You have funds to buy with? You may want to find a moneychanger first, if you don't want to attract attention as foreigners. May I see some of your coins?" Portia asked.

Dark Wind turned away, and moved as if taking money from a pouch from inside her blouse, though she actually removed the small chest from her necklace, took a handful of gold, silver and copper coins from it, and then returned the chest to its hiding place on her necklace. She turned to face the canine mage and handed her the coins. "Will these spend well here? They are an honest weight in gold, silver or copper, and not alloyed with baser metals."

Portia looked at each coin carefully, noting the visages of human folk that had never been kings or queens in any country she had heard of, and that the writing on the coins was unlike any she had ever seen. "If I had any doubt from just how far away you have come, this eliminates it. You may be able to sell them to a jeweler or a metal smith, but they will definitely draw attention to you, and possibly of an unwelcome sort. You are not from this world at all, are you? I will buy these from you, for their honest value as gold, silver or copper, and pay you in local coinage. If you have more like this, do not try to spend them here, unless you melt them down and sell them as raw metal. And whatever you do, do not try that alteration spell on these coins, to try to make them look like the local coins. You may fool some merchants that way, but counterfeiting by magic is a very serious offense here. They check for it often."

Dark Wind got out several more coins, and they made the exchange. Portia got out a scale and weighed the coins carefully, did some calculations, and then gave Dark Wind a small pouch of coins that she said was fair value. It was fatter than what she took, since there was more silver and copper and less gold in the pouch. Asha watched the whole process, and agreed it was a fair exchange.

"I guess we should get a room then, and take our leave. One last question, if I may, M'Lady? Why are you being so kind to us?" Dark Wind asked.

"Because you show great promise as a mage, and the land can use more mages that can do more than parlor tricks," Portia said, as she released the privacy wards, lit a candle, and dismissed the light spell, before letting them out into the hallway. "You seem harmless enough. And I have a bit of a soft spot for those very far from home. You see, I have also traveled between the worlds, but I have lost my way, and I am unable to find my home again. The first time I crossed through a portal to a different world, I might well have perished, if someone had not been kind to me, as I am doing to you now. Good luck to you, Darla, and to you, Ashley. I have a feeling our paths will cross again. I hope it will be as friends, when we do. Good night."