The Mirror Mage | ONC2022

7. The Test

(Author's Note: Dedicated to SilviaKrpatova and her ONC story, A Week with a Prince, a fun retelling of a well know Arthurian legend)

Uldon sighed. "Well, come along then. Ciara, lead the way. We'll start in the novice's appraisal chamber."

Ben followed, feeling interested despite himself. If this was a different world, and he was still not totally convinced of that, then what wonders would he discover? Apart from the weird cloaks, which weren't all that alien when he thought about it, he hadn't seen anything really that he couldn't have seen on Earth. Always excepting the method by which he travelled here in the first place, of course.

They came to another wooden door at the end of the passage and Ciara pulled it open to reveal a stone staircase leading down into the darkness. A collection of unlit glass lamps sat in a deep niche beside the door, evidently stored here for just this purpose. Ben waited for someone to pull out a box of matches, but to his surprise, Ciara took a small mirror from a pocket somewhere about her cloak. She held it close to the nearest lamp and a moment later, it was lit, the flame pale but steady. She handed the lamp to Uldon.

"How did you do that?" asked Ben, as Ciara lit two more lamps with the same method.

Uldon turned to him, his face creased in lines of disappointment. "What do thou mean? That's basic glass work. Even the merest beginner mage can light a lamp. If thou can't do even that simple task, I wonder if there's any point taking thee down at all."

"Hold on a moment," argued Ben, now anxious to explore these mysteries further. "Remember I come from a different world. Our skills are probably not the same as those you practice here. That doesn't mean I can't learn, though."

"He makes a valid point, Master Uldon," added Ciara. "We should at least let him try."

Uldon chewed his bottom lip. "Oh, very well then. I suppose we have nothing to lose."

Sandwiched between Ciara and Uldon, Ben trod carefully down the staircase, carrying his lamp in one hand.

There was another closed door at the bottom of the staircase which Ciara opened. The room was pitch black and she paused a moment on the threshold to light the ring of candles in the chandelier which hung from the ceiling.

The warm light revealed walls draped with heavy curtains. There was a wooden cupboard on one side, doors closed, and a table and two chairs in the middle of the floor with a single unlit candle on top.

Uldon went over to the cupboard and drew back the heavy doors. Light glittered, reflecting off dozens of mirrors stacked inside, all in different shapes and sizes. The Mage studied them before selecting a small one in the shape of a rectangle. He polished the surface with his sleeve before handing it to Ben.

"Here, this one should do to start with."

Ben peered into the mirror, suddenly fearful of what he would see. He had struggled to remember his name. What if he didn't recognise himself?

He needn't have worried. His own face stared back at him, though the slightly greener glass than he was used to, gave him a rather sickly tinge. The mirror was heavy for its size. Ben turned it over to examine the back. A silver-coloured metal coated the surface but he couldn't tell if it was real silver, tin or something unique to this world.

Uldon gestured to the table. "Be seated, facing me. Now look into the mirror and draw on the ether to light the candle."

Ben stared into the mirror but could see nothing other than his own reflection. What was this ether he was supposed to draw on? He tried picturing the candle flickering into flame with his mind, for one minute, then two, but nothing happened. He sensed Uldon moving restlessly in the chair opposite.

"You'll need to give me more information," said Ben, keeping his voice steady. "What is the ether?"

Uldon launched into a complicated explanation which left Ben no wiser than before.

"Or put simply, it's the energy which holds the world together," offered Ciara, with an apologetic glance at her master. Having been on the end of many of Uldon's more technical lectures, Ciara had a better idea of what a novice actually needed to know.

"Those of us who have mage skills, are able to sense the ether, and use it for various purposes. From something as simple as lighting a candle to something far more advanced like glass walking, which only a few of the most skilled mages can do."

Ben turned to face Ciara, who was making a lot more sense to him than Uldon, although he still had a hundred questions.

Uldon huffed. "Well, I have more important things to get on with. I'll leave thou here with him to keep practising. Send for me again, when he can light a candle."

He stalked out, leaving the door open behind him.

"So, how do you go about sensing the ether?" asked Ben, trying to concentrate on the task. What he really wanted to do was go exploring, but discovering whether or not he had this mage skill was evidently the most important issue for his hosts at the moment.

"Well, each person has their own favourite method, but I suspect it is be easier for those who have grown up here. I have been aware of the ether, at least on some level, for as long as I can remember."

Ben nodded, feeling discouraged. What if it was like learning to ride a bike? Something easy to learn as a child, but much harder to pick up as an adult.

Ciara wasn't ready to give up, after all they had barely started. She thought Uldon had made a mistake asking the stranger to use the glass first off, when he need to acquire the basics first. Any budding mage on Rhillion would have spent years feeling the ether as a youngling, before ever reaching the age when they were permitted to use it.

"Put the glass aside for the moment. Close thy eyes. Relax, open thy senses and see if thou can feel the ether around you."

Ben did as he was told. The room was quiet, not a sound penetrated, not even the sound of Ciara breathing. In fact, he opened his eyes briefly to check she was still there. She was, her own eyes closed and a faint smile on her lips. Feeling the ether, he guessed.

He tried to relax. He counted slowly to twenty then tried to let his mind drift. Faint at first, he thought he could feel a warm tingle build around his fingertips. Unconsciously, his hand sought out the mirror. His fingers stroked the surface in soft soothing circles.

A sharp intake of breath from Ciara forced his eyes open. Both of them stared, shocked. Ben's hand had disappeared into the glass, as if it had been cut off at the wrist.