Taboo

Keywords: 01, Alranan, Tales, Ch.,

"

So here it is, the fourth book of this series.

Don't worry, you can follow the action even if you start here.

A timeline is on my profile page if you wish to see how all the stories fit together.

"

***

Every morning, the earliest that she could make it, Maya meditated in the forbidden gardens. She was never disturbed at this quiet hour, and after so many years of unsupervised practice, she had devised some techniques of her own.

Today, nothing was working for her, and about the time she gave up completely, laying down in the grass, she felt she was being watched.

"Have you been there for long?"

Marius smiled, stepped closer. "No, I just arrived. That is not something I taught you."

"I improvise some times."

"That is exactly what I came to speak to you about. Do you remember that trip I mentioned to you?"

"To Ashwa."

"Yes. It might finally happen."

Maya was not sure she wanted to go. It would be difficult to travel so close to him, when he did not want her anymore. When she answered him positively then, months ago, her life had been different.

Maya looked at the beautiful man before her, that golden being with the pale eyes, her husband. Clad in simple black robes of the finest cloth, well kept as always, he waited for her to speak. Maya knew not what to say, so she let her heart answer what it would.

"I would still be glad to accompany you."

"Very well. I was hoping for such an answer. I was thinking that you might want to change your morning practice, to include some of their teachings. This way, when you arrived, you would understand your teachers so much better."

"Of course. Anything you say."

Marius smiled. Maya hardly ever did what he said, lately. "I notice that you do not practice as I taught you, anymore."

"Oh, yes. Emanuel taught me this a long time ago. This is what I remember, from the teachings I received until now. " Maya was still forbidden any books or writings on this subject.

Marius seemed angry, all of a sudden. For some reason, that had been the wrong answer.

"Ah, Emanuel. I see. He is just back from another stint at Ashwa himself. Maybe he will teach you."

Maya sensed something was off. She had so hoped that her Marius would teach her this, or anything for that matter. All she wanted was to be close to him. Yet, she was too proud to just tell him that.

"As you wish."

"I will let you know."

***

Maya hoped she was not late. She got dressed in haste, in the blue robes of the Mother she rarely donned now. This ceremony she had made possible with only a mention: Maazel was rising in rank today.

The brief ceremony did not happen so often these days, Alrana having very few priests of that generation left, even fewer were destined to accomplish this far. Goddess knows what Marius had told the Elders, for now Maazel was now one of them.

Unexpectedly, he looked more approachable now, clad in the white robes of an Elder, which he would wear from now on.

Maya waited outside when the ceremony was over, hoping he would leave alone; when he did, they walked to the forbidden garden, to the spot they shared so many times.

"You freed me. I was so surprised to hear it was you. It was truly not my intention to achieve new rank, when I proposed that we work together."

Maya placed her finger lightly on his lips. "I know. My motives were not so pure, I am afraid. If you are happy at the change, all the better. What will you do now?"

"I am not sure. I have been this for as long as I remember. I was given time to study, to find a place for myself. I plan to do just that."

***

Magician apprentice Emanuel had been called to his old teacher's rooms in the Glass Complex. It had been long since the last time he had seen the blessed old man. His heart was light for those last few moments before he reached his door, though it almost stopped when he entered the beautiful rooms.

The Elder Amal was not alone. Every Elder magician Emanuel knew of was in there with him.

The Elder smiled cordially. "Take a seat, Emanuel."

Lord Marius was the first to speak. "Have you thought about what I asked you?"

Emanuel looked from magician to magician, and he almost changed his answer. "I have Sir, though I thought I was just going to teach her the meditation, the different positions and techniques for stilling one's mind, as I learnt them. I don't understand why I am here."

Amal was gentle, as always. "I guess we want to ascertain your level of readiness for this task. I realize you had trouble with her in the past."

Emanuel felt uncomfortable. "It has been a long time since then, Sir."

"Ah, time flies, does it not."

Yiuri also spoke. "I am not comfortable with this. What happens if he gets her in trouble?"

Marius shrugged. "She can get out of it herself. I see no issue here, as long as both of them understand the rules."

Yiuri acceded with some reluctance. "Very well. Emanuel, this is learning for you, as well as teaching. They way to help one such as Ma'ayan, is to watch her from aside. Take her lead. Correct where necessary, and that is all. She moves at her own pace."

Marius added. "If you are in trouble, you can come to any of us. To no one else, should you entrust her if she is incapable."

"What about her fairy familiar?" Emanuel was not sure he should speak of this, but the man had a way of appearing when his fairies got in trouble. Marius understood Emanuel perfectly.

"And him, yes. If he did come to her aid, you would not be able to keep him from her. In any case, you should try."

***

The Elder Tamir had fallen ill in the winter, and this was likely his final convalescence. Tamir was the last Healer from a tradition that had not survived; like many Elders in Alrana, he was dying without issue.

As a Healer, Marius had learnt his own family tradition, that of Neranen's family, and some other things he picked up on the way back home. As the final honor to the dying man, he himself was caring for Tamir in the mornings. The old man's illness left him in much pain, and the busy Healer found the time to ease it with drugs, the sort of dangerous potions only he had the guts to meddle with.

Every few days, he had to change the dosage somewhat, increasing its potency. It kept the Elder comfortable, no doubt, but it had a very dangerous price: one morning, the minute addition would be too much for him. And his suffering would end.

To his surprise, Tamir started to pour a stream of teachings to him, things Marius himself did not know, things that no one around had ever heard about. His family's secrets, he presumed; words only a son should hear. Marius brought a trustworthy apprentice to record the teachings, so that he was free to sit with the man, and just listen.

Another morning came, and Marius held the chalice for the changed man, who looked as tormented as he ever had, making the younger wizard wonder if he could do more. The Elder smiled, his mind absorbed in a memory.

"Ma'ayan, she was here yesterday."

Marius too smiled at the light thought. "Oh, was she? I heard she was to sing for you."

"So beautiful, that one. Such talents hiding behind that child's face. You are so blessed. Ah, the fond memories I have, of when she was training as a singer, and we played for her, with her. Though she seemed sad yesterday, you know? It can't be the children anymore, it must be something else."

No, it was not the children. Her children were thriving, both in Alrana, and in the far away school, and she was happy about it. " I am not a child myself, Tamir. What you wish to say, speak it directly."

Marius held the chalice with his daily dose of deliverance, helped him to sit up.

The Elder put up his hand. "Not yet."

"It won't work so well, if we delay it."

"I need to be myself today. Please dismiss the apprentice, Marius. I need to speak to you in private."

Marius nodded to Emanuel, who left.

"I wish to make a confession."

Marius smiled, trying to put the man at ease. "As you wish, Tamir. Though I am hardly a man of religion, and I am such a bad choice."

Tamir sat up further, so he could look in Marius' eyes. "I have wronged you my son."

"Whatever happened, Tamir, cannot be so important. You cared for my ailing fairy when I was needed at my son's side. No one else could have saved her. She is a very difficult patient to treat."

"I did not save her, Marius."

Marius was confused, then he understood he had to be quiet and listen, though something in the Elder's eyes made him afraid.

"What then, Tamir?"

"When Elkanan left her to me, she started getting worse. I intervened, and I blundered. Badly. Really, I was too old for these things ten years ago."

Marius was in shock when Tamir told him exactly what happened. He must be hallucinating. There was no way she would survive such a thing!

"She was dying, and to save her, I did something that risked forever damaging her. Such pride it was really. It only made matters worse."

Marius understood now what had happened, how she had been saved after all. "Then her own powers healed her."

"Exactly. They did. But what I took from her, cannot be restored. Ma'ayan cannot have any more children Marius. I irrevocably made sure of that. I am not so sorry I did it either, another child might have finally taken her life. You are so careless with her safety."

Marius was so disturbed, he could not speak. "Are you telling me you intervened with this purpose?"

"Yes. She was already healing herself when I did it. You could say I deliberately took it from her."

Marius' mind went into a tailspin, thoughts of mad retribution flooding his normally serene soul. "How does one punish a man who is dying!"

"And you brought her to sing to you, you wretch! Ma'ayan is not a fairy doll, Tamir. She is a living being. Do you have any conception of what this will do to her? She will be crushed beyond consolation."

Tamir was strangely calm. "I do actually. We did it in my time, you know. You have no idea what went into this place, in the years before the plague.

Keywords: 01, Alranan, Tales, Ch.,