Touch of Salar (Masters and Mages) by Alexis Duran

Author:Alexis Duran
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy, LGBT
ISBN: 9781623000653
Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Published: 2014-06-16T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“Tell me about your dreams, M’lan.”

The abbess stood behind him as he knelt on the bare floor. He’d been there since dawn, listening to the abbess chant the initiatory prayer in preparation for his training. The cold enclosed chamber pressed in on him, reminding him of the fortress from his nightmares. He couldn’t very well tell her that.

“I dream of battles. Hand-to-hand combat.”

“The knowledge you gain is a great aid in healing, is it not?”

“Yes, though I wouldn’t call it knowledge. My body remembers and knows. My mind does not.”

She walked around him and made her way to her chair but didn’t sit. “I understand your reluctance to speak of it. You feel you know things that you shouldn’t. That is why you must never utter the slightest hint of what you see outside these walls to anyone other than myself or the headmaster.”

M’lan bowed his head in assent. He had no intention of revealing anything to them either. The dreams were a sacred trust between him and Salar.

“The texts contain teachings that will help you control and focus the dreams, increasing your ability to understand our patients’ injuries. The dreams are a great blessing. Some might see them as a curse as well, exposing the vulnerabilities of those we serve. That is why, once you pass through the bonding ritual, you must never again leave the safety of the monastery. We must ensure that what you learn is never used by the enemies of Rakkan.”

M’lan’s gut churned. This life of isolation was the last thing he wanted, but how could he deny the blessing of Salar? He’d been chosen. This was his fate. Yesterday, by the stream, he’d almost sensed that Jamil might ask him to leave the order so they could begin a new life together. That had been a stupid, reckless fantasy. What M’lan had said then was true. His life was here. His dreams of love and of healing his people faded to oblivion.

“In order to rise to the fifth level and accept this gift which Salar bestows upon you, you must swear to give up all personal concerns, comforts, and ambitions in pursuit of the higher good. You must do this freely, with the headmaster and abbess of Ka’alar as your witnesses.”

M’lan exhaled slowly, gaze on the marble floor. He couldn’t decline. Salar had already chosen him. If he didn’t cooperate, he’d be put to death. A rogue fifth-level monk was too dangerous a being.

“I pledge my life to the healing light of Salar,” he said.

“And to the divine Order of Ka’alar,” the abbess said.

“And to Ka’alar,” M’lan repeated.

The abbess chose to ignore his slight alteration of the pledge. “There is something you must know before we proceed. Perhaps you’ve already figured it out. Much of your training will address this danger.” The abbess approached him, a pendant on a silver chain dangling from her hand. “What is used to heal can also be used to harm. Ka’alar, dark servant of Salar, represents the other side of healing—death, change, the shedding of one’s skin.

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