"What happened?" she asked
Devin thought for a moment, and answered, "I guess that I did."
"How?"
Devin scanned the clearing. The aches were worse now, and seemed to be tearing at his muscles. "I wish I knew."
He took a step toward Forest, and was almost flattened by the pain it caused. It moved from his foot, up his leg, and into his chest, making him unable to breathe, before going into his head. His vision blotted out. The last thing he felt was the ground.
Forest watched in alarm as he hit the ground. All of the color had drained for his face, making him look like a specter. She didn't know what was wrong, and didn't know how to fix it. All she was sure of was that it was magic. She didn't know what kind, but it was magic.
She pulled on her own magic, bringing its warmth to her. She looked for the traces of magic that she knew how to look for. She saw fragments of some kind of spell that was quickly fading, and another kind of magic that was like hers all over the clearing. She followed it through its winding path across the clearing, weaving in and out of each other in tightly woven strands. Across the clearing, back again, across again, back to the same place, to the man with a shattered arm, and then to Devin. It stopped there, flowing violently through his body.
She wondered why, if he was the source of the magic, it would be attacking him. She remembered that her parents had told her that magic worked differently in everyone, but they also said that the magic would protect the carrier of the gift. Maybe it was because he had been hurt, and she should heal him.
That brought up a problem, she didn't know how to heal. She had seen her parents do it once, but afterward, they shook with the pain for hours. That was when one of the foals had twisted his ankle. If it hurt that much to fix an ankle, how much would this hurt?
She discarded the idea, she couldn't help him if she was dead. She thought a little longer, and got another idea. Maybe she could just lock most of the power away, hide it. That probably wouldn't hurt as much, and it seemed that it would be much easier to do.
Once again she drew the warmth of her magic to her. She felt some of it leave her body, and directed it to Devin. She felt a stab of pain when she forced some of his magic into a ball. The more she forced into the ball, the more it hurt. Then when she could barley hold onto his magic anymore, she boxed it in with her own.
When he didn't wake up, she sent some more of her magic to lower the temperature by his face, and then quickly recalled it. Devin let out a small groan, and then rolled onto his back and coughed up blood. Then sat down and rubbed his eyes.
"I need to get to the tower," he said. "Why? Has the spell worn off?"
De nodded and said, "I think the wizard there can help me."
"I though you said that you shouldn't go back there."
"I need to go now, I can't think of anything else."
Forest nudged him and said, "Get up, I'll take you there as fast as I can."
He shook his head, "I couldn't even if I wanted to. I'll have to walk," then he got his sword, took the saddle off, and cut it in half.
He walked up to the tower with Forest beside him. For some reason she could reach it now, she had told him that she taught it was that now she had her magic and it couldn't stop her any more. He didn't bother to ask any further questions, they didn't matter.
He burst through the doors, and heard a familiar shriek. "What are you doing here?" he asked the crazy old lady.
"The question is, I believe, why are you here. I seem to remember telling you not to come back here," Zed'ith said in a low tone.
"I need your help, I think that magic you said I have is killing me."
"You let the magic take over. We might be able to help you, but the help might kill you. Are you willing to take the risk?"
"I'd be dead anyway, I don't think I have anything to lose."
The old women nodded, and out of the folds of her shawl she retrieved a ball made of dark black rock, and set it on the ground. "You have done good young one," she said to Forest, "Now you must leave it up to us, relax your magic off of him."
He suddenly felt a ripping pain on his chest, sending him to all fours. It was the same as last time, only this time he stayed awake. It tore him up from top to bottom, and seemed to rip his entrails up from inside. He started coughing up blood, and the pain still came, still got worse.
A new wave ripped through him, and it sent him sprawling on the ground. It made his vision haze out, and took away all of his strength. He felt his breath, his life being ripped right out of his body. He couldn't breath anymore, and the pain still came, greatening with each pulse. Then the pain was gone, and he slipped off into the void.
"He should be awake soon," he heard a voice say.
The pain was gone. He could breath again, and he felt much stronger then before. He opened his eyes and gasped. He saw himself sprawled on the floor.
"What's happening?"
"Your dead. We had to make you a new body that could handle the force of your magic. It took a few days," said Zed'ith.
Devin looked down and saw his black front legs. "I'm black."
"A wonderful first observation of your new body, I think you'll like it," said Zed'ith.
"And I have more legs then I used to."
"Another wonderful observation. I think you'll be used to it in no time," then he turned to the old woman and said, "And you thought he would be angry."
Zed'ith flew through the air and was held against the wall.
"What am I? You better be right about me liking it."
The old man waved his hand in the air, and a mirror appeared in front of him. "It was the only thing we could think of that would hold up against the magic."
He looked at the mirror. There was a horn in his head, other then that, a normal black horse.
"And you'll need a new name."
He looked at the old wizard, and said, "I like my name."
Zed'ith gave him a meaningful look and said, "I saw what happened through my magic. Who ever wanted that amulet you crushed is still out there, and you didn't destroy its power. Now it's in you, and they will come to get you. You are dead."
"So, what's my new name?"
Zed'ith thought for a minute and said, "I think Solaris would fit nicely. Now off with you, I think that you should follow Forest for a time, you may learn something."
When Solaris and Forest left, Zed'ith turned to the old woman, "He has much to learn."
She didn't look at him, and just nodded distantly.
