Love Dust Chapter 3
Chapter 3
My apologies to everyone for not having sent a Substack letter out last week. Life seems to have gotten in the way. I worked hard on this story, however and its turned into a little more than a short story, weighing in at 7,373 words, it’s almost a novella! Love Dust will be a stretch goal in Another Man’s Storm Kickstarter campaign, and if we reach the goal, I will include it in the book itself with illustrations. So please do follow.
Love Dust
This is currently an unfinished short story that I’m working on. It will be available in its edited version during the Another Man’s Storm Kickstarter campaign.
Continued from Chapter 2
Leaving home for the very first time, Maurice, and Kai find themselves amidst a lively gathering of wizardry students and one particular young witch stirring the sticky-sweet scent of a love potion.
Chapter III
A bracing, salty wind whipped Maurice's hair as he watched Kairos and Rhea hurry down the dock, arm in arm. Their laughter brought him a smile, for the two were very much in love. Kairos was older than his father, and his aunt older than his mother, so it seemed odd that their love was so youthful.
The wizard slowed when he looked up and met his eyes.
“Is that your nephew standing at that park bench?”
“Maurice?” his aunt cried out. “What are you doing here?”
“Were you the one on the dragon that flew over our ship? You nearly shocked us off-course, young man. We were certain you’d be entangled in our sails.”
“Kai knows better than that,”
“Ah, I guess he does.. Where is he?”
“Incognito at the moment.” Maurice laughed, accepting the welcoming handshake from Kairos and the embrace from his aunt.
“What, pray tell, are you doing in Norbury?”
“Let me carry that.” Maurice shrugged, took the heavy suitcase from Kairos, and walked with them into the park. “What’s in here?”
Kairos laughed. “Not clothes.”
Rhea patted him on the arm. “Vials.”
Of course! Magic. Maurice chuckled, embarrassed that he hadn’t known.
“What are you doing here, Maurice?” Kairos asked again.
“Father thought I should take a few days away from the island and see the world. I heard you were coming here, so I thought I’d meet you. Let you give me a tour of the place.”
“I’d be delighted to, of course.” The wizard cleared his throat and exchanged a glance with Rhea. “That is if they’ll let me. I’m not sure how they’ll even take to Rhea entering the school. That’s where I was headed presently.” His apologetic smile lasted only a moment. “I wasn’t expecting this. You caught me off guard.”
“I apologize.”
“No, no don’t apologize. I…well, we just got here. How about I bring you on the ship and Rhea can fix you lunch? Does that go well with you, Rhea.”
“Of course, I’m happy to see you Maurice. Never mind Kairos’ stuttering, we’ll be glad to have you with us for as long as you’d like.” She tugged on Kairos’ arm and after a frustrated sigh, Kairos did an about face and the two led Maurice to the ship.
Being around Kairos wasn’t anything like visiting with his uncle. Maurice had forgotten the wizard’s unusual antics, and this afternoon he seemed especially agitated. So much so, that Aunt Rhea shot Maurice an apologetic smile when Kairos wasn’t looking.
“Is something wrong Kairos?” Maurice asked.
“Nothing. No nothing at all. I get like this when I’m around … school.”
Rhea laughed. “Kairos is worried that he’ll receive less than a favorable reception. He hasn’t been here for nearly a decade.”
“I wonder if the trip was worth it. But I couldn’t think of any other place that offered an excuse to get away. I adore your uncle, but the tower at Prasa Potama is … small. I needed to get away. We had a most fortunate trip. The sea was calm and the journey pleasant. After you.” With a curt nod, Kairos ushered Maurice onto the creaking gangplank. Potamian ships were three times the size of any sea vessel the Cho Nisi owned. This one, The Voyager, with its yellow and black hull, smelled strongly of fresh resin and had the salty tang of the sea. Sailors mopped the deck as they passed, Maurice nodded a greeting to one of them and followed his hosts down the hatch and to the captain's cabin.
“Tell me, Maurice—” Kairos sat on a bench at the table and sighed deeply. “You know Norbury’s reputation, do you not?”
“Only that it’s a university town where you studied.”
“You should be very careful here. It’s good your dragon is hidden. He should stay out of sight. No telling what student sorcerers would do if they saw him. They might try to turn him into a frog or something.”
“I’ll be on guard.” Maurice smiled. What a silly notion. “This is your alma mater, isn’t it”
“Mine, along with a multitude of renowned sorcerers—some benevolent, others malevolent, and most of them far surpassing my abilities—”.
“You should give yourself more credit. You were the personal wizard of a legendary king.”
“Who constantly sought a way to rid himself of me. No, Maurice. The only reason I was invited to Prasa Potama was because of my father. If King Tobias had known about my frailties, he never would have accepted me. But that’s not the context of my message. Norbury is not always a nice place.”
“But you came back here to visit.”
“Yes, to see if some of my old professors are still here. There’s one, Professor Teller. Good man. But he was old back then so maybe he’s retired. Frankly, I’m nervous.”
There was no need for Kairos to tell Maurice he was nervous. His hands shook and his left cheek twitched when he smiled. Maurice had no comforting words for him. What could he say?
“Kairos came for some advice.” Rhea took her husband’s hand.
“Advice?”
After giving Rhea a grimace, undoubtedly for talking openly about his problem, he looked Maurice square in the eyes.
“I served under your grandfather for many years, and he was a hard man to please. In fact, I don’t think I ever pleased him. But I did have some success with the skura while on my adventures with your uncle and again with your father. But King Barin, he’s changed. He’s become—” Kairos stuttered for a moment. “‘kinglier’ shall we say. Not quite as personable as he used to be. Everyone in the castle has changed. Matured. Except for me, it seems.”
Rhea patted his hand. “Nonsense, Kairos.”
“It’s true. I will never have the confidence required of me. I thought by now I would have apprentices picking up most of the work but the ones in Prasa Potama were educated by me. That’s not saying much. Times have changed and my abilities are fast outdated. If Professor Teller is still here, I wanted to ask him if perhaps my helpers could take some courses that would bring them up to date in their skills.”
“That’s a noble cause. Why would he refuse?”
Kairos shook his head.
Rhea smiled at Maurice. “Don’t worry Maurice. The problems of your uncle’s kingdom are not yours.” She stood and urged Kairos out of his seat. “It’s good to see you, Maurice. Stay here if you like and enjoy the comforts on our ship. There’s food, wine, a bed. Are you ready, Kairos?”
Without a word, the wizard stood, picked up his suitcase of vials, and followed Rhea out of the captain’s cabin.
Odd, Maurice thought, puzzled by his uncle’s response. There must be a reason that the professor would refuse Kairos’ apprentices, but he couldn’t guess why.