Tales of the Apprentice 01 Ch. 08

"Me too."

"And you handled your Energies quite well at the same time, which was the whole point. Serana was right: you do have a talent for sex magic."

"She said that?"

Irya nodded.

"Yes. But don't let it get to your head. You still have very much to learn."

"Tell me about it," he sighed. "When I first met her, the told me that it would take a century or two just to cover the basics. But we don't really have that much time, do we?"

Irya's expression sobered.

"No," she said softly. "Probably not. But then, it looks like you might not need quite that long."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Irya, this whole thing is... Me against a horde of demons? That's..."

"Ludicrous?"

He shrugged.

"That doesn't quite describe it, but yes. How am I going to..."

She reached out and touched his face with her fingertips. Her touch felt comforting to him, reassuring.

"You keep forgetting that your gifts as a Channeler will enable you to concentrate and focus the power of other mages, Galen. You won't be standing up to demons and necromancers all by yourself. You will act as a conduit, so to speak. But you won't have to do it alone. You won't be alone. The power will come from many others."

"But I have no idea how to do that."

"Well, that's what you will have to learn. That's what we'll have to teach you."

He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out slowly.

"We'd better get some rest then," he said. "Get a fresh start tomorrow."

Irya smiled and nodded.

They finished cleaning themselves up, got out of the tub and went back into the house. Later, before drifting off to sleep, Galen briefly wondered how he had ever ended up in this crazy situation. But it was only a fleeting thought. He'd started this; somehow he'd just have to see it through.