5. Spellcasting (Pt. 3)

“Fill the bucket and come inside. We’ll discuss this later.” Without another word, Jake was left speechless as she walked away. An uncharacteristic move from a woman so prone to violence. A move that sent a chill down his spine.

He was more uncomfortable with her doing nothing than he was with anything else she could have done. He felt the blood drain from his face. Fear filled his body and chilled him to the bone. Not even the cold night air was as painful as that silence was.

“I’m going to die.” He muttered before filling the bucket. When he lifted it, it was the heaviest bucket he had ever picked up.

“Bring it over. Hurry.” When Jake stepped inside, his Auntie waved for him to come to the stove. Jake did so carefully, cautious of the potentially impending backhand. To his surprise, it never came. When he set down the bucket, his Auntie waved him off and scooped some water into a cup to add to a pot. The boy moved aside, sitting down at the table in silence as he watched and waited for something to happen.

Frighteningly, there was nothing. His auntie quietly cooked the large pot of juunya, stirring it and adding the necessary ingredients to make her uniquely thick stock along with an array of spices to give it that familiar Auntie Rayne flavor. An hour or so passed before it was finished. She placed a lid over the top and whistled for Jake to grab it.

“The handles may be hot. Here.” She passed him hand mittens to wear to avoid burning himself and then swiftly moved to collect the other dishes she had prepared- an array of sliced meats, assorted vegetables, and a collection of spice bottles gathered up in a small bin. Jake slipped the mittens onto his hands and then lifted the bucket off the stove. His Auntie smothered the flame with a lid and then hurried to slide on her slippers. “Come, let’s go. We’re already late.”

“Yes, Auntie.” Jake kept his mouth shut, avoiding saying anything excessive or unnecessary to avoid provoking her as she hurried out of the tent. Chul was waiting in the corner, watching as Jake followed her out.

“You’re in trouble now.” Chul taunted the boy. Jake answered with a whimper as he rushed out into the open air.

His Auntie led him to the food tent that she worked at during the day and they were greeted by two other older women at the entrance. Both were working to tie open the flap and announced their arrival, shouting for the crowd to move apart so Jake and his Auntie could move through. The noise inside was deafening, the chorus of conversation and shouting making it hard for Jake to think. Two men inevitably had to act as escorts, forcing the creation of a lane for the food to be brought through. Jake’s Auntie thanked the two kind men, as did Jake. They were paid in two slices of free meat.

Jake brought the pot behind the large counter set up at the back of the tent and placed it down beside four others that held similar juunya soups within them- each with their own family flavor and style of preparation. The prepared meats and vegetables were placed elsewhere for use in other dishes.

“Here. Take this.” Just as Jake finished with one task, his Auntie stuffed another into his hand. A large tray of drinks. “Take it to the girls. They’ll be thirsty.”

“But Auntie-” Jake tried to argue, unsure if he should be the one to do it because of his gender, but the woman hushed him with a finger. He clamped his mouth shut and turned around, hurrying out of the space behind the counter. He shouted to get people to move, kicking and pushing his way out of the tent.

Thankful to be away from his Auntie, Jake slipped away from the tent and moved through the village towards the Marker. He weaved through the noisy crowd that had gathered in the center of the village and moved swiftly towards the much more lonesome-looking building. There were guards posted a small distance away, ensuring any prying eyes were kept away so the girls inside could conduct their business in peace. The ceremony was a sacred one and only Elders were allowed within the Marker during its timeframe. When Jake approached with the red-colored drinks, however, he was permitted to enter.

Not without an escort, of course. A female guard stood off to the side, ready to lead him in.

It was Elana, and she was quick to jump on him.

“You left the village again today, didn’t you?” She nagged. Jake rolled his eyes.

“Not tonight, please. Auntie caught me and I’m already sweating enough.” He groaned, tired from everyone wanting a piece of his sanity. Elana stared at him, unwilling to just roll over unlike his Auntie had.

“Caught you doing what?” She pressed. Jake huffed and didn’t bother shying away from it.

“Magic. Magic, Elana.” He spat out, upping his pace to shorten the available talking time. Elana narrowed her eyes. Doubt spilled over her expression as her eyebrows knit together.

“Magic? But you can’t do magic,” she hissed. Her voice lowered as if keying in that he might be hiding something that could potentially get him in trouble. She always did have a sense about that.

“Yes, I can.” Jake shot her an annoyed look. When their eyes met, Elana stopped walking and her mouth closed. Jake didn’t stop and he rushed to the marker. Without a word, he stepped up to the entrance and bowed his head. His eyes closed as he knelt. “Elders, I’ve brought the drinks.” He raised the dish with the array of glasses, extending them outwards to be taken from him.

“Ah, Jake. I thank you for bringing them.” One of the Elders called out from inside. Jake kept his head lowered and his eyes closed as he waited for the weight to be lifted from his hands. Feet approached the flap at the entrance and Jake heard the fabric be pushed aside. The dish was pulled away and Jake lowered his hands, crossing a fist across his chest to his heart. “You are excused.”

“Bura’neesh, Solar,” Jake announced.

“Bura’need, Solar.” The woman who took the glasses from him returned. Jake waited until he heard the flap be pulled back before he finally lifted his head and turned away from the marker. Elana was still standing behind him, staring at him.

“We’ll talk later,” Jake said as he passed her. She grabbed at his shoulder.

“No, we’ll talk now.” She spat. Jake brushed off her hand and his mouth opened. However, as he whirled to shout, the words caught in his throat. He halted the emotions he felt curdling in his mind and stomach, stopping them before he let himself explode on Elana. She wasn’t the one who deserved any of it and he was careful to stop himself before he let those emotions spill over wrongly.

“Later.” He seethed, forcing his jaw to clamp shut as he turned away from her.

“I hate when you hide things from me!” She shouted at his back, her foot slamming into the sand as she stood there.

This time, it was her turn to watch him walk away.

The night passed without further incident. Jake assisted his Auntie in polite silence, speaking only when spoken to and he kept his answers curt and orderly. He delivered food and drinks as requested and filled the role of server for the night. When it was time for the main event, he watched from the side as the girls were brought out to the end of the Oasis. They each carried their drink, a red wine brewed specifically for their graduation to adulthood.

At the water’s edge, the Eldest Woman of the Village blessed the girls with fertility, good fortune, and a strong marriage. The women were then instructed to drink the wine. Next, the Elder Woman applied thin stripes of red paint to their foreheads and cheeks to symbolize their bleeding. And finally, as the drums began to beat, they began their dance. A choreographed routine that was meant to appeal to any potential suitors in the crowd. A show of womanhood done to bring attention to their femininity. A solicit attempt to garner interest and show she was capable of carrying a child. A dance that was more a show than anything really meaningful. While the older generation considered it necessary, the younger generation found it odd, uncomfortable, and outdated. But, traditions ran deep in the village. Defying them was never taken lightly and generally was punished severely.

At the end of the dance, the now-women were given gifts from potential suitor families trying to gain favor and a few of the girls were provided with potential marriage partner choices. Each would be given a short time to make their own marital decisions. However, those that failed to choose, those like Elana, would be forced into marriage. They were warned of such and after acknowledgment, the women were allowed to choose right then.

More than half did, announcing their decision to marry and selecting their partners on the spot. These women rose to their feet, called out their choices, and their new partners emerged from a roaring crowd to kneel before them. Those that refrained from making a choice did so by quietly bowing their heads and remaining on their knees. Instead of cheers, there was a somber silence. By not standing, the girls essentially denied the prior arrangements and prior requests for marriage. The gifts given to them had been done so for nothing.

Jake loved that part the most. The silent decisions were occurring more often as the years and ceremonies went on. Women would remain kneeling, even if they had made a decision already to make a snub at the ceremony as a whole. It was their only safe opportunity to do so. Any other time would be far too defiant and while the other women around them might know the truth, the woman could easily deny any allegations against her.

“I simply did not make my decision at the time” would be all that was necessary to brush off any potential punishment. It was a brilliant move, one that Jake enjoyed seeing. And he knew there were dozens of other men who agreed. Times were changing, and the Elders could sense it. But, so long as the older generation remained alive, the new generation would need to be patient.

Jake assisted after the ceremony with the after-party and the inevitable clean-up. When all was finished, he helped carry their utensils back to his Auntie’s tent where they ate a quiet dinner and cleaned their dishes. Jake expected an argument. He expected at least a conversation. Maybe even a question. However, his Auntie didn’t even mention his magic. She spoke only of the ceremony, of how she disliked the young girls not choosing to marry right away. She expressed her disliking of their choices and even made some side comments on the few marital choices that had been made. It seemed nothing was perfect in her eyes. A lose-lose situation. Jake kept his tongue in his mouth and ate while nodding along and keeping his answers curt.

They went to bed without a word about his magic.

Then, the next morning passed. Oddly enough, his Auntie still refrained from saying anything. All through breakfast, Jake sat tensely as he awaited something. Anything to come out of her mouth about it. She left for her work at the food tent without so much as a breath wasted on his magic. It was unsettling. But, Jake kept quiet and remained left in his suspense. He didn’t speak up about it and went about his business. He slipped away once he finished his chores and headed for the supply tents. There, he moved some crates around and created a small spot to hide in so he could train.

Several days passed like this. He would return to his Auntie’s tent in the middle of the day for lunch, eating in relative quiet as his Auntie raved about her stressful morning. After lunch, he would go back to the supply tent to continue training, then return home in the evening for dinner. His Auntie never once questioned him about his magic. But, as the days passed he could feel the tension in his mind getting worse and worse. His magic was improving but the stress lingering in the back of his mind was only getting worse.

Nearly two weeks passed of waiting, wondering, worrying, and stressing. Jake was at his limit. Chul had kept him calm, helped him remain focused, but he couldn’t anymore. His Auntie remained silent about the incident and Jake found it too unnatural for her to go so long and not even mention something as important and conflicting. There were times he could see it on her face- the same tension in her expression that he felt in his mind. When their conversations died, he could see her thinking, contemplating something.

And Jake couldn’t take it any longer. If she wouldn’t say anything, he would.

So, as they finished dinner, Jake set down his empty tea cup and took in a long breath. His Auntie noticed and she too put down her tea cup.

“Auntie.” He said, looking down at his hands as they gripped the teacup in front of him. “...I can do magic.”

His Auntie stared at the side of his face, her lips unmoving, her expression unchanging. Jake didn’t dare meet those eyes as he waited for her to respond. The silence was painful and he felt his throat dry. He swallowed, trying to get the lump out of it as he began to feel his hands shake. His Auntie, silently, reached for the teapot. As Jake sweated, she refilled their cups.

“And?” She asked flatly. Jake clenched his teeth, sorting out his racing thoughts. He wasn’t quite sure what she wanted so he spit out… something.

“I’m going to become a Mage and become an Adventurer with it.” He wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Nor did he expect her to be so quiet.

“We shall see.” With that, she lifted her cup to her lips and took a long sip. Jake remained still, stiffly holding the cup in his hands. It was hot and his sweaty palms burned a little from the heat seeping through the walls of the clay. “Tomorrow we will speak with the Elder.”

Jake’s spine straightened and he found himself staring at her. This time, she did not meet his eyes. She quietly collected their plates from dinner and stood up in front of the table. “The… The Elder?” Jake muttered. His Auntie nodded.

“You say you can perform magic?” She looked at him, meeting his terrified eyes. “Then the Elder will be the judge of that.” She turned away and carried the plates to the kitchen area. Jake opened his mouth to say something back but he found himself unable to find the words.

He closed his mouth and silently finished his tea. When he was done, he carried his cup to his Auntie to be cleaned and then went to bed without another word.

It seemed the time had come.