Rising of a Mage by J. M. Fosberg Read Free Book Online Page B

The wizards who walked by didn’t even know I was using magical flames. I kept them in the pit with the wood so it just looked like I was making regular fire to ignite the wood.”
    She looked back at the flames and they began to dance again, shaping letters—RIAH. She smiled, stepped next to him and took his hand in hers. The flames went out and when she looked up she was staring into his eyes.
    Very softly he said, “That is why I missed our session last night, but I think it will be very useful to us when we leave here and are travelling the world together.”
    Neither of them had ever mentioned doing anything of the sort, but they had both thought about it. And then he leaned down, put his arms around her and put his lips to hers. Her heart raced, her blood boiled and her head went dizzy. He took his lips from hers and she just stayed there. With arms wrapped around each other, she lay her head on his chest.
    Gabriel watched the whole event transpire from his office. He often worried his young apprentice would push himself too far, but he was quickly realizing that his apprentice was going to push himself right past him and be on his way to a more capable master in a short time. With a smile, he went back to his desk to deal with far more menial tasks.

Chapter Five
    A Pair

    A nwar woke in the morning, went for his run, came back, washed, and stopped in the commons to eat something on his way to Master Gabriel’s study. They talked about the book that Anwar was currently studying. Master Gabriel had insisted he work on one book at a time, saying there were more than enough topics in one book to discuss. So their mornings were spent with Anwar studying and discussing different topics with his teacher. Gabriel was amazed at how much he learned in these discussions and how often his apprentice had proven one of his conclusions on a topic to be incorrect. In the afternoon they would work on new magic practice. Anwar had magic and they showed each other different ways they had learned to change the magic to do something different. Anwar continued to push himself, and the only time he wasn’t studying was when he was training with Mariah or during meal times, which he now spent with Mariah, as well. Anwar was training with Mariah; he was better now than she was. He figured he won about eighty percent of the time. But, as they were training that day, she was working very hard, scoring a lot more hits then he thought she normally did and he thought maybe it was more like sixty-forty. After two hours of sparring with each other, Mariah worked some minor healing spells and healed them both, removing all the bruises and soreness. Feeling exhausted but relieved, they headed back inside. They went to their separate rooms, washed and changed, and met in the commons for the evening meal.
    “I have been thinking about going hunting again,” Mariah said.
    “Yes” he replied.
    “Yes, what?”
    “I’ll go with you,” he said, without looking up from his meal.
    “And who said I would take you with me.”
    “No choice—you go, I go.”
    She smiled. “Thank you. Anwar.” She paused and then said, “Do you remember when you talked about us leaving Kampar together? Were you serious?”
    He looked up this time. “If you want. We both plan to leave this place, and, in a few years, we will have exceeded what Kampar has to offer. Besides we both want to see the realms, and who better to go with than my best friend, who just happens to be studying to be a priest of healing and isn’t the worst with a bow.”
    “The worst? I’m the best here in the guild and I can outshoot most of the tower guards in the city.”
    Anwar laughed. “yes, yes, I know. You never seem to let me forget how accomplished you are.” He laughed again. She liked it when he laughed. He did not often show emotion and, when he did, it made her feel like he trusted her enough to open up around her. It had been six months since that night in the woods and now