Page 2 of Forgotten Arcane (Broken Ashes #6)

Ed looks slightly surprised by the question, but answers honestly, “No, it’s not a requirement, although it can be helpful in certain situations, and there are some pretty good benefits.”

“I don’t think that we will use it unless we really have to,” Van says with a frown.

“I’m not keen on us being treated differently than any other Warrior team because we went through the Choosing,” Griff adds, echoing what we’re all thinking.

Ed smiles, “I admire your stance on it, but you may not have a choice. A lot of supernaturals from a lot of realms watched you go through the Choosing, and when you walk out of here, they’re going to know that you are the new Warrior Bonded team and there’s no way around that.”

“I forgot about that,” Ransom replies, his eyebrows drawing down in an unpleased manner.

“What does the mark look like?” Raiden asks. “Is it individual to each team?”

“Oh, good question,” I say aloud without really meaning to, but I earn a pleased smile from Raiden, so I don’t mind my lack of brain-to-mouth filter this time.

“All Bonded Warrior Teams receive the same mark, and it’s pretty difficult to replicate.

Not only is it a complicated design, but it is all embedded with a spell that proves its authenticity,” Ed explains.

“I would imagine that everyone receives the same design so that it’s easier for people to recognize the marks as Bonded Warrior marks. ”

“Yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense,” Coen replies. “Anyone could draw or tattoo a mark on themselves and claim that it’s a Warrior Bonded mark otherwise, and it would be a lot harder to verify if it was a real one or not.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Ed agrees.

It occurs to me that this will be the second mark that I will receive while at the Choosing.

My first one was from the unicorn, which I still don’t know the significance behind, and now the Bonded Warrior mark.

I just hope that it doesn’t try to appear on the same wrist as the unicorn mark, since I can’t show anyone that mark, and it sounds like I may have to show this mark quite often.

“I’ll explain how everything will work. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask, and I will answer them to the best of my ability,” Ed tells us.

“Thank you,” Van replies.

Similar to how it went with the scroll, I will say the spell words, and then you will all feel the magic surround you.

It’s at this point that you should also receive your bonded mark on your wrist. I will then tell you what each of your new gifts are, or which of your gifts have been enhanced.

It’s not always obvious what the magic has gifted you, and it’s easier for me to tell you than it is for you to try to figure it out.

Just like every new gift that you got when you were a child, it will need training, and you will have to practice with it.

It will also take time to grow in strength.

It is recommended that you keep your new magic to yourselves, but of course, it’s up to you,” he explains.

“Quite often it’s more of a strengthening of a gift that you already have, and sometimes you are gifted an entirely new gift.

After you have received your gift, you will be weak, you are, of course, welcome to spend as much time as you need resting.

After all, you need to wait for Lucius to get back from talking to the Elders, and I am always grateful for a bit more company.

I don’t get visited nearly as often as I used to. ”

I frown, “You aren’t here all the time by yourself, are you?”

Ed smiles, “I have to stay guardian of the chamber, since usually the scroll is here to protect, and I can’t risk leaving it.

I have no idea how that’s going to work now that you are taking the scroll with you,” he frowns.

“You need to keep the scroll safe, it has to be with you for a reason, and it’s never happened before, and although the scroll isn’t the Choosing, it does contain its own magic, and ancient magic at that. ”

“Don’t worry, we will make sure that we keep it safe,” Evander says.

Ransom nods, “I’ll make up a specific ward for it.”

“Good,” Ed replies as he opens his mouth to say something else, that same magic that I now recognize as the Choosing’s magic builds in the room, and a scroll appears on the plinth where the old one sat before. Ed smiles, “Well, I guess that answers that question.”

“Well, at least that’s one less thing to worry about now,” Raiden says, and then adds, because he can’t help it, “The other teams that have been chosen before us are not written on the scroll, are they?”

Ed shakes his head, “No, it always returns to blank when it’s been used.

” Perhaps sensing that Raiden wants to ask more questions, and that if given the chance, he may not stop to ask questions, Ed continues, “Shall we get on with it? I’m sure you’re all keen to know what you will be gifted, and Lucius should be done with the Elders fairly soon.

Not that he will be able to get in here, until the building decides it’s no longer in lockdown, but he does get rather grumpy if made to wait. ”

I smirk in amusement as we all nod, and he must take our agreement literally, because he launches straight into the spell.

It sounds a lot more complicated than the scroll spell, and lasts for a lot longer as well.

I suppose if you’re calling on the Gods to bestow magic upon a group of people, you can’t really expect the spell to be short and sweet.

I imagine that anything to do with the Gods is complicated.

Just like with the Choosing magic though, I’m relieved to realize that it’s gentle, as it rolls through the room, and I feel it as it calmly rolls over me.

I feel the magic gather at my wrist, thankfully, the opposite one to the one that the unicorn mark is on.

The feeling is incredibly similar to what I felt when the unicorn gave me the mark, although the magics do feel different, the sensation is the same.

Any thoughts of marks are quickly erased from my mind as something stirs within me, and I can feel my magic grow even more.

At first, I’m unsure about what exactly is happening, and what it means.

I know that the magic from the Gods is doing something, but it’s not until the voices whisper that I understand what exactly it's doing.

“Your affinity with death has been heightened,” they tell me, and I’m shocked to find that the voices are clearer than they have ever been.

That’s also the longest sentence that they have ever said to me.

The pressure of the new magic builds inside me, and although it’s not painful, it’s not exactly comfortable either.

Just when I think that it’s going to cross over from uncomfortable to painful, it releases me, and I drop to my knees, only just managing to catch myself with my hands before I headbutt the floor.

The magic dissipates as gently as it arrived, and I fall back onto my ass, my legs feeling like jelly and my hands shaking slightly.