that place like the plague."
"So you don't object that I'm taking the shore route?"
"Can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I trust you, Captain." Aldous gave one of his rare smiles.
"Thanks." Deciding to throw his mate a rope, he added, "You've not asked why I've not called on our magi."
Aldous shrugged. "You have your reasons. I've never had call to query your orders, Captain, and I'm not about to start now. I'll keep the crew at it, never fear."
Amired clapped his mate on the back and went to take the wheel from Warkist, who was obviously happy to be relieved of the responsibility of steering the ship in the rough seas and was soon striding across the deck away from his captain.
"Stay close, Warkist, in case I need the strength of an extra pair of hands."
He scowled, but quickly answered, "Aye, Captain."
* * * *
Jhond was relaxed, eyes closed, a gentle smile curving his lips, as he worked his way through one of the books contained in the metallic sheet. Ninian had taken to calling it the metallic library in an attempt to give it context in relation to the crystal library.
Ninian was sitting at the table nearby, using one of the crystals from the new supply found in the chest. Ninian had tested each of the six small crystals and was only able to read three of them. The other three Jhond had garnered a reaction to, but he didn't consider them important enough to disrupt his reading to investigate them further at this time. Ninian had discovered Jhond was correct in his supposition that crystals might have been created for the ten prominent mage families at the time of the Withdrawal of magistry.
Of the three Ninian could read, two were linked to two families he'd already traced and of which he kept track: the Zimali and the Doirnan. Ninian had been surprised and delighted to discover a third crystal was for one of the missing two families. If it weren't for the quest they were on, he'd have wanted to follow its pull right away. As soon as their present mission was accomplished, he was determined to track down the Sheryn family.
Ninian was still coming to grips with what he'd experienced when he'd touched the larger crystal, from which Jhond had garnered no reaction at all. In Ninian, it had engendered a strong response, one such as he'd never encountered before.
He decided it was time he linked with the large crystal again, admitting to himself that he felt nervous at doing so, something he'd rarely experienced when using his magi power. Neither could he really explain why he got such a reaction. The crystal was powerful, true enough, but it was hardly the first powerful crystal he'd used, or the most powerful device.
Making himself comfortable, Ninian reached for the calm at the center of his talent. When he felt its perfection, he lifted the large crystal from its place on the scrything board. Immediately, warmth suffused him, and once again, the power of the crystal threatened to overwhelm him. He held onto it firmly, closing his eyes to hone his concentration and allow the power free rein, trying to discover the purpose of the magistry flowing through him, until the heat became so intense he dropped the crystal onto the table.
"Hellas!" he declared, opening his eyes to find Jhond regarding him steadily.
"That's very powerful. I could sense you fighting to control it."
"Control it? I was fighting to discover what it is!"
"You still don't know?"
"I felt its power," Ninian said, adding thoughtfully, "Perhaps the most powerful device I've ever handled, and that in itself is strange for a crystal. Mostly they're informative, pointing the way to use magi power, not the receptacle for the power itself."
"You did say it was one of the largest you've ever seen," Jhond commented.
"Yes," Ninian confirmed, his gaze sliding to the other crystals lying on the table near Jhond. "You still haven't told me what any of those are for," Ninian commented. "Nothing that can help explain this?"
"No, nothing like that.
"So you don't object that I'm taking the shore route?"
"Can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I trust you, Captain." Aldous gave one of his rare smiles.
"Thanks." Deciding to throw his mate a rope, he added, "You've not asked why I've not called on our magi."
Aldous shrugged. "You have your reasons. I've never had call to query your orders, Captain, and I'm not about to start now. I'll keep the crew at it, never fear."
Amired clapped his mate on the back and went to take the wheel from Warkist, who was obviously happy to be relieved of the responsibility of steering the ship in the rough seas and was soon striding across the deck away from his captain.
"Stay close, Warkist, in case I need the strength of an extra pair of hands."
He scowled, but quickly answered, "Aye, Captain."
* * * *
Jhond was relaxed, eyes closed, a gentle smile curving his lips, as he worked his way through one of the books contained in the metallic sheet. Ninian had taken to calling it the metallic library in an attempt to give it context in relation to the crystal library.
Ninian was sitting at the table nearby, using one of the crystals from the new supply found in the chest. Ninian had tested each of the six small crystals and was only able to read three of them. The other three Jhond had garnered a reaction to, but he didn't consider them important enough to disrupt his reading to investigate them further at this time. Ninian had discovered Jhond was correct in his supposition that crystals might have been created for the ten prominent mage families at the time of the Withdrawal of magistry.
Of the three Ninian could read, two were linked to two families he'd already traced and of which he kept track: the Zimali and the Doirnan. Ninian had been surprised and delighted to discover a third crystal was for one of the missing two families. If it weren't for the quest they were on, he'd have wanted to follow its pull right away. As soon as their present mission was accomplished, he was determined to track down the Sheryn family.
Ninian was still coming to grips with what he'd experienced when he'd touched the larger crystal, from which Jhond had garnered no reaction at all. In Ninian, it had engendered a strong response, one such as he'd never encountered before.
He decided it was time he linked with the large crystal again, admitting to himself that he felt nervous at doing so, something he'd rarely experienced when using his magi power. Neither could he really explain why he got such a reaction. The crystal was powerful, true enough, but it was hardly the first powerful crystal he'd used, or the most powerful device.
Making himself comfortable, Ninian reached for the calm at the center of his talent. When he felt its perfection, he lifted the large crystal from its place on the scrything board. Immediately, warmth suffused him, and once again, the power of the crystal threatened to overwhelm him. He held onto it firmly, closing his eyes to hone his concentration and allow the power free rein, trying to discover the purpose of the magistry flowing through him, until the heat became so intense he dropped the crystal onto the table.
"Hellas!" he declared, opening his eyes to find Jhond regarding him steadily.
"That's very powerful. I could sense you fighting to control it."
"Control it? I was fighting to discover what it is!"
"You still don't know?"
"I felt its power," Ninian said, adding thoughtfully, "Perhaps the most powerful device I've ever handled, and that in itself is strange for a crystal. Mostly they're informative, pointing the way to use magi power, not the receptacle for the power itself."
"You did say it was one of the largest you've ever seen," Jhond commented.
"Yes," Ninian confirmed, his gaze sliding to the other crystals lying on the table near Jhond. "You still haven't told me what any of those are for," Ninian commented. "Nothing that can help explain this?"
"No, nothing like that.
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