A Smidge of Magic

Chapter 50

The scent of a proper fire roused Ian the following morning. There was a bubbling pot of a porridge-like substance on the fire. As the sun broke over the horizon it became muggy and unpleasantly hot. Already Ian felt the horde of biting insects that he had been too tired to notice last night. He moved closer to the fire.

Roland had thrown his robe over Ban sometime in the night. He wore a deep purple shirt and pants as black as midnight, the material on both had a slight sheen to it. It was the first time Ian had seen him without the bulky robe on and he was struck by how gaunt Roland was.

"Perks of the job," Roland said, his violet eyes following Ian's gaze, "Never have to work out to maintain my figure." Roland chuckled dryly. "Magic eats an incredible amount of energy, thankfully our ranger friend is well prepared." Roland gestured at the boiling pot, "She's already made one trip for water and said she would bring back more for the road. And with any luck an idea of where we are."

Ian grunted and then reached for the wooden spoon sitting in the bubbling muck. All the fleeing in terror last night left him with little time to realize how hungry he'd become. As his stomach growled the bland oatmeal bubbling away in a pot suddenly became the most appetizing thing he'd ever seen. He blew on the spoon and then sipped at the concoction, surprised to find quite a few spices and dried fruit added in. Ian took another mouthful of the stuff, this time with more vigor.

"Now we've got some time, let's talk about getting you home," Roland said as he unfurled the Star Chart while Ian ate.

Ian took another helping and then set the spoon back in the pot, focusing his attention on the Star Chart. The swirling Milky Way greeted his eyes like an old friend. Staring down at the Chart Ian felt the familiar pangs of homesickness creeping in.

"Touch it." Roland said, gesturing at the Star Chart.

Without asking why Ian bent down and touched his finger to the mass of swirling stars and it began to shift and change. The stars zipped by as the picture shifted and moved through the galaxy.

"Your stella ordinata might be utterly unique, Ian. It holds great stores of magical energies, which leads me to believe that the Court didn't happen upon your world at random." The Chart continued to shift and zoom while Roland spoke.

"Stella ordinata?" Ian asked looking away from the dizzying shifting view. Soon that field of view ran alongside a floating icy blue orb, faint rings surrounded the planet. The Chart swiftly flew past and rode the tail of a shining comet for several seconds, before breaking away into the nothingness and continued onward. The journey wasn't like the movies, celestial bodies did not line up in a nice neat row to be gazed at in passing, dazzling the beholder. Instead there were vast stretches of nothing with the occasional speck of brown. It was humbling and terrifying to truly bear witness to the vastness of space.

He began to think it impossible to get home, if only because of the sheer distance he would have to overcome. But as despair set in a tiny blue speck appeared in the center of the page. The dot became a marble, and then it filled the scroll pushing back Ian's despair and replacing it with hope. There it was, home. The sight of Earth brought a sense of calm, a sense of purpose to him. If this Chart could get there then so could he.

"Yes, stella ordinata," Roland said as the Chart settled on the view of Earth. "There's not really an easy translation for it to non-magical types. It's sort of a beacon, magical strength, and essence all rolled into one. It lets me not only gauge your personal power, but it gives me a small sample of the magic of your world."

"So, everyone has a stella ordinata?" Ian asked.

"Yes, but almost no one has a stella ordinata as strongly as you do. Honestly, I have no idea how I didn't notice it before, and I am certain the Seer must have..." Roland sat back on his heels, gazing at the Earth rotating on the Chart. A slow minute ticked by before the mage spoke again. "I'm sure you don't understand the significance of it, Ian, but magic is a resource. And, as with any resource, it is not unlimited."