The stone disappeared into the thick grass and murky shadows with a muffled whoosh. Annev stared at where the darkness had swallowed the rock. After a few seconds, he huffed. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but he had hoped for something more exciting than nothing. Worse, the strangeness of the shadepool still called to him.
With his eyes still fixed on the shifting pool of shadows, Annev bent to pick up a second stone and a bright pain shot through his hand. With a curse, he released the blackthorn he had accidentally grasped and flexed his injured right hand, watching two red dots blossom on his palm. He almost wiped the blood on his tunic then stopped, catching himself before he further stained the beige linen.
He looked down at the soil and dead pine needles covering the forest floor then spied another grey stone, almost twice as large as the first. He moved aside the thorny branch at his feet and scooped up the rock, wiping his bloody palm on the surface of the stone and letting its chill cool his throbbing hand before he hurled it into the void. The stone disappeared into the blackness.
For a while, nothing happened. Then, so subtle he almost missed it, Annev saw a shudder of dark crimson pulse across the surface of the shadepool. Annev blinked, trying to focus on the throb of colour, but it had already gone. The shadow’s surface was undisturbed, just as it had been before he’d thrown the stone.
Annev gritted his teeth. He knew he should go, but instead he ventured to the edge of the shadepool. His heart thudded in his chest, but he forced his foot into the blackness. When still nothing happened, Annev slowly stepped in, his skin growing cold as he waded into the opaque pool of shadows. As he moved, the shades lapped at his knees and then his hips – like wading into the misty mill pond in the fall – but then the darkness grew colder, and Annev had the distinct impression that something or someone was watching him. He grew disorientated, feeling the same vertigo he experienced when leaning over the Academy’s walls. He held his nerve for a moment then hastily retreated.
Free of the darkness, Annev chided himself. He was alone in the woods, and the shadepool was no cooler than any other patch of shadows. Nothing to startle at. No reason to be frightened. Yet even with that in mind, the shadepool unnerved him more than he cared to admit. He glanced once more at the shadows, then he shivered and hurried home.
‘Did you empty the chamber pot?’ Sodar asked the moment Annev had stepped into the kitchen.
‘Yes,’ Annev said, glad he had returned the now empty vessel to the privy before hanging up his game bag and entering the rectory.
‘Good. Wash, eat, and we’ll test your magic.’
Annev groaned. ‘We did that last week.’
‘We should be doing it every day,’ Sodar said, pouring his tea. ‘But I’ve been too busy with my Speur Dún translation.’ He sighed, tugged his beard, and took a sip of tea. ‘I mean to be better about that. Besides, with Regaleus upon us, you should have better luck accessing your magic.’
Annev vigorously rubbed his injured hand in the cold water, washing the remaining blood from his palm, then he splashed his face. ‘Is magic always more prevalent around Regaleus?’ he asked, his face dripping.
‘That’s what I’ve observed.’ Sodar threw him a towel.
‘Maybe that explains the shadepools.’
‘Shadepools?’
Annev nodded as he tossed the damp towel back to Sodar. ‘The places in the Brake where the shadows clump together like pools of water.’
‘Yes, you’ve mentioned them before, though not by that name. Did you see one today?’
Annev rubbed the elbow-length glove covering his left arm and nodded. ‘Near the treeline.’ He paused. ‘Never seen one so close to the village before.’ He recalled how the darkness had chilled his skin and shivered. When he looked up, he saw the priest studying him.
‘These shadepools,’ Sodar said, still watching Annev, ‘you could never get close to them before.’ Annev nodded. ‘So you’ve never interacted with them?’
Annev shrugged. ‘No, not really. Today I got close enough to throw some stones in, but nothing happened.’ Annev felt the priest’s eyes on him long enough that he sensed Sodar knew there was more to his tale. Finally, the old man grunted and turned back to his tea.
‘I’ve never seen these pools myself,’ Sodar said, taking a long sip from his mug, ‘but you may be right about why they are appearing now. The Brake has a queer connection to the shadow realm, and that connection will be stronger during Regaleus. Could be harmless, but I’d steer clear all the same.’ Sodar waited for Annev to reply. When he merely nodded, the priest wagged a finger at him. ‘I need you to say it, Annev. Promise you won’t go near those shadepools.’
Annev swallowed. ‘I promise.’
‘Excellent,’ Sodar said. ‘Now, if the Brake’s magic is stronger this morning, I expect yours will be, too. Not enough time for us to test your glyphs, so let’s try the sack.’ He sat down and pulled a faded green bag from his robes.
Annev moaned and dumped himself into the chair facing Sodar. When the priest frowned at him, he plastered a smile on his face and spoke with mock enthusiasm.
‘Bring out the bottomless bag of disappointments!’
Sodar scoffed, then dropped the empty bag on the table. Annev slid it across the worn tabletop, untied the drawstring and stuck his right hand inside.
‘This never works for me.’
Sodar shrugged. ‘Maybe today will be different.’
‘Sure. Maybe today it will cut off my hand.’
Sodar smiled then took a sip of his tea. ’Doubtful. A hiding-sack is no good if its owner loses a limb whenever they reach inside. In any case, you have to let go of an item before the sack can take it.’
Annev fumbled with the fabric, thinking. ‘Why is it I can use the artifacts the masters give us for training classes, but I can’t get this sack to work?’
‘Because an artifact can be keyed to work for anyone, for certain kinds of people, or for one person in particular. The masters and ancients assume no one at the Academy can perform magic, so they are giving you common artifacts – something anyone can use. But this hiding-sack has been keyed to work only for those with the talent, which means it requires more effort to activate. Something more than an active will, a word or a gesture.’
Annev grunted. ‘What am I pulling out?’
Sodar leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard. ‘Your breakfast. If you find it then you can eat it.’
‘That’s not funny, Sodar.’
‘It’s not meant to be.’
‘Wait,’ Annev said. ‘You’re serious? You put my breakfast in there?’ The priest nodded. ‘But … I’ve never pulled anything out of that sack. I’ll starve.’
‘I’m not starving you. Your breakfast is right in that bag. No one’s stopping you from eating it.’
Annev frowned but rummaged again inside the empty sack. He always felt like a fool when trying to do magic, and today was no different.
‘It would help if you told me what I’m supposed to be finding.’
‘Bacon.’
Annev paused, uncertain. ‘You didn’t cook bacon. I’d have smelled it.’