Mind Forged: Book One of the Enchanters of Xarparion by T Michael Ford Read Free Book Online Page A

I’ve felt no need to return home; in fact, I just want to stay here with her. That thought made me feel a little guilty, as if I was already turning my back on Foalshead and my parents, but something told me that this was where I needed to be.
    “ Don’t be afraid,” Rosa continued encouragingly. “I was secretly hoping something like this would happen but didn’t think it would happen this fast. You see, sometimes over time, a master and an apprentice will form a bond. Not from a spell, but just from their individual magic being so close to each other for so long. What happened is that last night our magic merged together and formed one of these bonds. You must have a very large amount of magic for this to happen so quickly.”
    “ Is it going to be dangerous?
    “ Oh, heavens, no! In fact, this will make life very easy for both of us. Not only will we always know where the other is but, as the bond gets stronger, we should be able to communicate through it. It should also let me show you how the magic is weaved in enchantments. No, I think we are going to be a great team!”
    “ Do the other masters bond to one of their students?”
    “ None of the other teachers can. They all have at least five students each. In fact, most of the other teachers don’t even have apprentices. But as there are only two of us, you automatically get an immediate promotion!” This raised more questions for me to ask later, but for now I’ll try to think basic.
    “ Now, come on, we have a lot to do today. You’re like a toddler just learning to walk. You have spell craft to learn, materials, incantations, and most of all, we need to teach you to eat!”
    “ Hey,” I protested, “I’ve been eating just fine since I was a baby!”
    Rosa laughed merrily . “No, I mean you need to learn to eat like a wizard! Like a pig! Like a dachshund loose in a sausage warehouse! A ravenous beast in starchy robes!” She giggled hysterically and explained, “Seriously, as I explained earlier, it takes a lot of food to provide the energy to cast spells, and the more you cast, the more you need to eat. So you will train to increase your caloric intake and storage capacity. Beware the fat wizard!” She slapped me on the back and herded me out the door, still chuckling.
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    Far in the east, a dark tower settled uncomfortably on a rock promontory along a savage rock shore. Crumbling with age and ridden with decay, the smell alone inside the tower would have killed most heroic men, but these halls were filled with only the dead. One such creature dragged itself through the putrid antechambers until it entered what had been a throne room in a much earlier and more pleasant time in the long life of the fortress. He drew himself up and spoke reverently to a dark figure barely outlined by moonlight on the large chair in the center of the room.
    “ My master, our spies believe the prophesized one has finally appeared!”
    “ WHERE?” boomed a rough voice that dislodged dust from the empty torch sconces that still protruded from the walls throughout the room.
    “ Xarparion, my lord, which is also the current location of the girl!”
    A loud grumbling sound filled the unlit stone halls. “Is that so? It seems they could not protect the children forever. Now is the time! Our caged canary in the coalmine has done her job and she is no longer useful. Send my best assassins; I want her dead without fail.” The creature bowed and then ran off to fulfill its orders, leaving the room silent once more. After a long pause, the voice from the throne grated once more to no living ears.
    “The child of darkness and the child of light , at last. Let’s see what they’re made of.”

Chapter 4
    Alex
    Two weeks have passed and I have gone through more books here than I had ever even seen at home; thankfully the history of enchanters is not a long one. Master Rosa has taught me a lot about