Aeternitas by M Mixson (web based ebook reader txt) 📕

“I’m sure that I won’t use my magic for evil purposes though. I’ve seen the consequences of too much misuse of magic. I won’t risk it. I won’t risk my life like that.”

“Good, now let’s talk about this other thing.”

Eian moved to pull away but Zese caught him. “Eian, listen to me. We’re no longer just friends. We’re partners for lack of a better term.”

“Would lovers be more appropriate?” Eian asked sharply.

“Would it?” Zese inquired. “To be lovers both people have to have a connection and think of themselves as lovers. Are we at that stage yet?”

Eian couldn’t avoid Zese’s eyes who’s looked straight down into his as if they could see his soul.

Eian after a moments though stood on his tiptoes and kissed Zese gently. “I suppose I do,” he admitted a bit reluctantly.

At this Zese pulled him close and rested his head atop Eian’s and stroked his large hands down the young man’s back.

“I’m glad,” he whispered, “that you feel the same way about me as I do you.”

Eian wrapped his own arms around the man’s neck and held on. It felt as if he were lost in a storm on the sea. He could feel the waves rising and that he was barely clinging to the driftwood.

He swallowed back the tears and for a moment he felt so utterly weak, so much like the woman he’d once saved.

He raised his tear wet eyelashes to look into Zese’s face. What he saw was a picture of torment. One that he hated to see. He’d caused this – he caused this pain because he’d made Zese fall in love with him. He bit his lip and began to pull back but Zese wouldn’t let go.

“Not yet,” he said. “Please just let me hold you for a little bit longer. I don’t know when we might get this chance again.”

Ohiel watched silently through the crack in the door and he felt their pain. He looked down at the piece of paper in his hands and grimaced. He’d opened it and had felt a cold chill run through his blood. He did not want to see what this war would bring about, what this war would ruin.

He turned away from the door and made his way back down the stairs and into the kitchen. On the table sat two other pieces of paper identical to the one he had carried upstairs in his hand. He sat down at the table and pulled all three pieces of paper towards him. The fire crackled merrily behind the grate as if to mock him. He licked his lips and unsealed the one that said ‘Ohiel - Painter’ on the front.

Inside was a letter.

To whom it may concern Ohiel:

You have been picked from many candidates. You are the one we seek. We have heard that you survived a ship wreck and know how to fend for yourself in the wild. That set of survival skills will be very useful to us. We have sent out a letter of notification to the other city states stating your conscription into the Ibaian army. As a mercenary (due to the fact you are not a soldier) you will be paid less but a set amount for the time you are in service to us. All food and board fees will be paid by us wherever you are. Your first job is to report in by the end of the month at Ibaia. From there you will head to the frontlines and teach the men stationed there survival techniques.

We shall see you soon,

Falworn

The next letter he opened belong to Zese.

Zese:

We have commissioned you to fight for the Boisson estate. This means that for the duration of the war you shall fight for us without switching hands. This is due to the fact that you trained here and registered as a soldier beneath my name. I find it very lucky to have you on my side. Please remember to come as soon as humanly possible. We have a lot of work to do. Some of the new recruits could use some sprucing up. We don’t have a lot of time before the outbreak of this terrible war. Although I say report in soon I’ve been told to give you an exact date and place. Please report to me by the end of the month at the Boisson Estate. I’m going to assume you still know how to find your way back.

I’ll be seeing you soon,

Boisson.

The last letter Ohiel opened belonged to Eian.

To whom it may concern Eian:

You have been picked from many candidates. You are the one we seek. We have heard that you possess a very special talent; one we covet immensely: magic. Your old school mentioned that you were very powerful – exactly what we need in this war. We have sent out a letter of notification to the other city states stating your conscription into the Ibaian army. As a mercenary (due to the fact you are not a soldier) you will be paid less but a set amount for the time you are in service to us. All food and board fees will be paid by us wherever you are. Your first job is to report in by the end of the month at Ibaia. From there you will head to the frontlines and will do your best to use this magic of yours to benefit the cause. I’m sure you’ll do your best.

We shall see you soon,

Falworn

Ohiel leaned on the table and placed his head in his hands. He knew he should feel lucky that at least he would be able to look after one of the two. Even in the little time that they’d known each other they’d become connected through the fact their family members had met each other long before they themselves had ever met. He heard footsteps on the stairs and turned as Eian came down them with a thump. He grinned and ruffled his hair as he picked up a loaf of bread and sliced through it.

“Did you and Zese work things out?” Eian lowered the bread from his mouth and stared hard at Ohiel.

“What exactly do you know?” he asked.

Ohiel shrugged. “Only what I see.” He motioned at Eian. “You two are not in love but you do care about each other. You’ve formed a bond with each other. A bond stronger than normal due to the similarity of your ‘gifts’.”

Eian snorted and bit into a bite of bread. “I’d say you were spying.” He finished chewing and went to pick up the papers Ohiel had left on the table. Ohiel caught his hand and pulled it away.

“What’re those?” he questioned.

“Nothing you need to see right now.”

Eian pulled his hand away from Ohiel’s grip and grabbed the one he saw with his name on it.

He opened it and felt his stomach bottom out.

A recruitment letter. A letter that said he would be sent to the frontlines. That he would have to use his magic for war. Something that he’d been trained never to do. He could feel Isia behind him murmuring something.

‘You can’t fight with magic. You know what the results would be!’

Eian sank down into his chair and rubbed his hands across his face. His letter had floated to the ground and lay face up, the writing bold and harsh.

Ohiel bent and picked it up. “Eian,” he began, “what are you going to do?”

Eian bit his lip and scrubbed his hands over his face yet again. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “I really don’t know.”

Zese tromped into the kitchen and glanced at Eian who looked as white as a sheet.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

Ohiel handed him a thin slip of paper. Zese took the sheet of paper with wariness. He held it at arm’s length as he flipped it over to look at the back. It was emblazoned with the official seal of Ibaia of Aniatea. He frowned and shook it open. He skimmed his eyes over it quickly and when he got to the bottom he dropped it on the table.

“You should go.”

Both Ohiel and Eian looked up in surprise.

“What?”

“Don’t look so shocked,” Zese told them with a scowl. “He has great power.”

“Power not to be used for war!” Ohiel snapped out.

“You should know that!” Eian snapped.

Zese rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t talking about using it for war, stupid. You did heal my father remember?”

“So?”

“I know you’re not as dumb as you’re acting. Just tell them your magic is unable to fight, that it will kill you if you use it to harm others. Tell them it can heal though.”

“Heal…” Ohiel muttered then his eyes got wide. “Oh! I see, very smart Zese.”

Eian had half stood up from the chair. “But remember when I healed your father? I lost nearly all my strength. If I were to truly heal people I’d need to be stronger. And I’m not.”

“It’ll take practice, a lot of practice but the more you use it the stronger it’ll make you.”

“If I don’t die from overuse!”

“I won’t let you then. I’ll go with you.”

“Unfortunately,” Ohiel interrupted, “You will not be going with him.”

“What are you talking about? Of course I’ll go with him!”

Ohiel shook his head and picked up one of the other two slips of paper on the table. “Here.”

Zese flipped it open without a word and began to read. Boisson. He thought. Of course. He’d do his best to keep me safe. He had promised my parents that.

His hands clenched around the piece of paper. “I can ask Boisson to conscript you into our army until we’re-”

“No – don’t bother. He’s with me.”

Zese looked up questioningly.

“He’s in the same company as I, or rather, we’re fighting for the same man.”

Zese slumped a bit and so did Eian.

“I’ll watch over you while you practice your healing. Apparently I will be teaching survival skills.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know why they think that I’d be the best at it, but they do. And we really don’t have a choice.”

“Do either of you really know what this is about?” Eian asked.

Ohiel turned towards the window and looked out. “There have been rumours. Many rumours.”

“Good…or bad?”

Ohiel shrugged again. “I guess it depends on your version of good or bad.”

“Have either of you ever heard the tale of Venicia?”

Zese went still. “That’s the cause of this? They blame each other?”

“No. Let me tell you the tale Eian because it seems you have never heard of it before.”

“No, I haven’t. I vaguely know it has something to do with the Princess and her reign on the world…or something.”

Taking a deep breath Ohiel began to set the story up…

A long time ago there was a beautiful human girl. There was a terrible fight over her and neither side won, she won for herself. The princess becomes angered by the attitudes of the Venicians. She thought them ignorant and lofty. Even if they had new inventions, wonderful architecture, it didn’t matter, the princess was furious. She made her