Sylvan's Rebirth: Part Four

Sylvan descended the stairs and looked around, unsure of where to go, when the powerful aroma of cooking stew hit her nose, making her mouth water. She followed the scent towards the kitchen, paying little attention to her opulent surroundings. The kitchen was cozy and warm, filled with the scents of stew and fresh bread. A large bowl of stew sat steaming on the simple wooden table in the middle of the kitchen, fresh bread on a plate beside it, just begging to be dunked into the hot liquid. Unable to control herself, Sylvan rushed to the table and sat down, snatching up the bread and thrusting it into the stew, letting the bread soak up the broth for only a moment before taking a big bite. She moaned in bliss, savoring the rich, deep flavor of the stew on her tongue. After finishing the rest of the bread the same way, she grabbed her spoon and started on the tender meat and vegetables, taking her time and enjoying each bite: even though she was ravenous and the delicious stew tempted her mightily, she knew that if she ate too quickly it would just make her sick. As she finished off her first bowl of stew, picking up the bowl and drinking the last of the juice, Sylvan noticed Anya watching her, a pleased smile lighting up her face. Sylvan looked at her sheepishly before offering her the bowl. "It's really good. May I have another, please?"

"Of course!" Anya chuckled, taking the proffered bowl back to the kettle and refilling it. "You can have as much as you like." She put the now full bowl back on the table, her face serious now. "So long as you live here, you'll not go hungry. You have my word on that."

Sylvan smiled and thanked her before starting on the second bowl, taking her time with this one and really savoring it: she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten this well and never wanted this joy to end. She finished the second bowl and stopped, her stomach satisfied and very full. Leaning back in the chair, her hands on her belly, she spent several minutes just enjoying the warmth spreading through her body.

Her reverie ended when the beast-man who had rescued her entered the room. In the warm light of the kitchen she could get a much better look at him than she had in the dark, cold alleyway. He was tall and handsome, with bright golden eyes and rich brown hair, his goat-like legs covered with dark, shaggy brown fur down to his glossy black hooves. He wore a simple purple vest and loincloth, the plainness of his clothing at odds with the luxury of his home. His ivory horns were polished, the fire in the hearth reflected in their sleek surface. A smile brightened his face when he saw Sylvan at the table, awake and fed. "You're awake! Wonderful! How do you feel?"

She smiled back. "I feel much better now." Her expression turned serious and she struggled to keep her voice even as her emotions welled up within her. "Thank you for saving me and taking care of me. No one has ever done anything like this for me before and," her chest hitched with a barely controlled sob. Wiping away the tears welling up in her eyes, she looked away for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to apologize for," he said softly, sitting beside her and taking her hand comfortingly. "You've been through a lot the past few days- anyone would be distraught."

She nodded and gave him a little smile, which he returned happily. "Do you feel up to talking for a bit? I'm sure you have many questions, but I don't want to overwhelm you. If you'd prefer to rest, that's perfectly fine."

"I'm up to talking for a bit, I think." Sylvan turned to Anya. "Thank you for the wonderful meal and all of your kindness. You have no idea how much it means to me."

Anya smiled, picking up the empty bowl as she replied, a warm smile on her face. "It was my pleasure."

The satyr stood and offered his hand to Sylvan, "Shall we move this to my study? I think you'll find it to be a bit more comfortable in there." The young woman nodded and allowed herself to be led out of the aromatic kitchen and back up the stairs, their stone cold beneath her bare feet, past the bedroom where she had awakened in just a few hours earlier, and into a large room just down the hall. She stopped and gaped as she got her first look at the well appointed room with its lavish furnishings and deep, plush rug; a large desk that was intricately carved from a lustrous golden-brown wood and polished to a high shine, littered with scrolls and parchment, an inkwell and well-used quill in front of its high-backed chair. But it was the glossy wooden shelves lined with books too numerous to count that were the most amazing to her: books were a rare and expensive luxury, even the noblemen she had stolen from hadn't had as many as this one room contained combined!

"Please, make yourself comfortable," her host invited, gesturing to a large, cushioned chair that looked as if it could swallow her whole. "If you choose to stay here, you will be free to borrow and read any tome in here at your leisure."

Shaking her head, she spoke softly as she sat in the luxurious chair. "Oh, I don't know how to read. I've just never seen so many books before!"

"You can't read?" he shook his head, saddened that literacy had yet to take hold among the populace as he summoned forth a small flame to light the kindling in the fireplace, wanting to combat the chill and make the room more comfortable. "I'd be happy to teach you if you like. But for now, I'm sure you have questions. Ask me whatever you like and I shall do my best to answer." He moved the other cushioned chair so that it was facing hers and sat down, settling in for a long conversation.

Sylvan bit her lip, winced and thought better of it, then asked the questions at the forefront of her mind before she lost her nerve: "Who are you? What are you?" Realizing how that sounded, her cheeks and ears burned with embarrassment and she lowered her eyes, her hands clasped in her lap.

Leaning forward and gently patting her hand he replied, "That's a perfectly valid question. Corvus Balefire, at your service." He bowed slightly in his seat as he introduced himself. "I am a satyr, one of the last of my kind in this land, so it's not surprising that you've not seen one of us before."

Sylvan smiled shyly and met his gaze for a moment, happy that she hadn't offended him with the awkward question. Then her brow furrowed and her expression turned serious as she asked her next question: "I... Why did you save me? Not that I'm not grateful- I truly am, believe me- but no one else even gave a second look when those men were attacking me. I've lived in Riverend my whole life and never heard of anyone stepping in and helping a stranger."

Corvus frowned. "That's very, very sad. But to answer your question, I heard your cry for help through the Aether."

"The Aether?"

"Yes, the Aether. It's the spirit energy that surrounds this plane of existence. Those with magickal potential can use it to communicate with each other."

Sylvan shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know any magick. If I did, I wouldn't have needed rescuing, you know?"

Now it was Corvus' turn to shake his head. "You may not know it, but you have the potential. I can sense it in you, and it is strong. You have the potential to wield True Magick, just as I do."

"So that's why you saved me? If I didn't have this... power, you would have left me to my fate?"

"No, no, it's not like that. If you didn't have the power in you, I wouldn't have heard your cry for help at all. I was here when I heard you call out. Riverend is hundreds of miles away."

"That's... I..." She shook her head, at a complete loss for words.

"I know that this is a lot for you to take in, especially on top of what you've been through. If you want to stop for now and let this sink in, we can."

Sylvan looked up at him, leaning forward, her eyes alight with an eagerness Corvus recognized immediately: she wanted to learn. "Tell me about magick. If I have this power, I want to know all I can about it."

He grinned, more than happy to sate her curiosity. He began by telling her about the hedge witches and wizards and their reverence for nature. They used their magick to protect their sacred places, utilizing elemental spells such as fire and lightning, and to communicate with wild beasts. Then there were the battlemages, those skilled in using magick to attack their enemies, often demonstrating talent in manipulating elemental powers during their youth. These mages were often employed by kings and queens to serve as personal guards and given education and training to that end. Hedge witches and battlemages were often born with the ability to use magick, but some learned individuals would use special rituals to summon a Spirit and make a pact with it in order to gain powers. Enchanters created many of the magickal devices used to make life easier, everything from light crystals and water pumps to powered armor and weapons and golems, "living" statues used as guardians. The Enchanters' Guild was established recruit, train, and help enchanters sell their wares. All of these magick users, though somewhat rare compared to the rest of the population, were common compared to the last two groups: healers and sorcerers.

Those given the name "healer" were those gifted with the power to manipulate flesh, blood, and bone. They could heal even the gravest of injuries by merely laying hands on the injured person and concentrating their magick on stimulating the body to heal itself much more quickly than would normally be possible. Though many used their powers to help the sick and injured, there were some who took a darker path and abused their gift. The individuals who used their abilities to profane the dead, resurrecting corpses and creating terrible "flesh golems", were given the name "necromancer" and shunned by all.

Finally, the sorcerers were those who could use powerful magick called True Magick. One of the things separated them from the other magick wielders was the magnitude of their powers: where battlemages could cast a fire spell over a small area and attack a few people, sorcerers could blanket an entire battlefield in flames. Teleporting across vast distances without enchanted Guidance Stones, entering the realms of Spirits, and near-immortality were other abilities only sorcerers possessed. They could tap into the energies of the Spirit Realms and use them to fuel powerful spells that far exceeded what even the most powerful of witches or mages could do. Their command over magickal energies also made them capable of powerful enchantments: including the enchantment of potions, something not even the most experienced, most skilled enchanters could do. By infusing a mixture with the proper energies, hidden properties could be teased out, turning a simple tonic into a philter with powerful healing capabilities, a tincture into a potion that allowed the user to see in near darkness, or an elixir into a potent antidote for poisons both manmade and natural.

Corvus leaned back, looking at Sylvan, trying to gauge her reaction to the considerable amount of information he had just hit her with. She was curled up in the chair, her legs tucked beneath her as she leaned against the arm of the chair looking thoughtfully into the fire. After several moments of silence, she spoke, her tone soft and reflective. "You say I'm one of these sorcerers? Or that I have the potential to be one, at least? If that's true..." she trailed off, losing herself in thought again, resting her chin on her hand thoughtfully. "If that's true, I never have to worry about being attacked or going hungry again, do I? My life is going to be much better now, isn't it?" She looked over at him, her eyes questioning. "Will my life be better now?"

"Yes," he replied. "Once you develop your powers, you will honored by kings and queens, they will seek your aid and counsel and reward you handsomely." He gestured to their surroundings. "The King gave me this estate when he named me Duke of Dragon's Rest and the surrounding lands. Many of our brethren serve in similar capacities across the lands. Then there are those who teach battlemages and apothecaries, lead covens of hedge witches, or simply live in seclusion and spend their time absorbed in their studies and research. What you do with the power and knowledge I will be sharing with you is pretty much up to you, so long as you abide by the Sorcerers' Creed and not abuse your powers by using them for evil."

Sylvan nodded thoughtfully. "I've spent my life being mistreated by those who used their strength and power to get whatever they wanted from those weaker than them. I could never do that to someone else." She paused for a moment. "I wish to learn- reading, magick, everything you can teach me." Despite the excitement and conviction in her voice, she couldn't stifle the yawn that escaped her lips.

The satyr smiled. "Tomorrow. You need to take some time to rest and recover before we start your education." He stood and offered her his hand again, which she gladly accepted as she rose from her seat. Corvus escorted her back to her room where she was surprised to see that the bed had been made, the linens replaced with fresh, clean ones. A tray with a crystal pitcher of water, a tall glass, and a plate of delicious-smelling baked treats had been placed on the bedside table. Several dresses and a nightgown had been carefully folded and left on top of the dresser.

"She thinks of everything," Corvus chuckled softly. Before he left her to rest, he showed her how to use the light crystal and made sure she was comfortable.

After the satyr left, Sylvan changed into the nightgown Anya had left for her. The cloth was so soft and light it was almost like she was wearing nothing at all if not for how warm it made her feel. She pulled back the blanket and sat in the bed, treating herself to a small snack and glass of water before turning in. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, the first day of her new life.