Today I’m happy to introduce Celatu from Shauna Robert’s novel, Ice Magic, Fire Magic
Featured character: CELATU
A letter from Celatu to his aunt, the Servant of Enchantment
Most honored Aunt Hyacinth,
May this letter find you in good health and spirits and in harmony with the Land of Veridia.
My deepest thanks for the ancient books from the Servant’s library that arrived today. They are exactly what I need for my research. I will protect them from sunlight and damp and return them soon.
Father says to tell you that I am “lazy and a disgrace to the family” and that you shouldn’t encourage my studies “because they are a waste of time” and also because old books make him sneeze. He asks as well that I send his love to his “dearest sister, whose good judgment makes Veridia a land of peace and justice as never before achieved.”
His flattery continues to improve with his age, don’t you think?
Please ignore the rest of Father’s message as well. As I promised, I am searching our library—and now will include the books you lent me—day and night for a treatment for Cousin Urushi’s condition. I have already found a few records of other men with disorders of magic.
Such disorders have become more common in the past 200 years; I have also noted a startling decrease over the past 900 years in the number of men and women with supernormal magical abilities. Once common, such magic is rare in our day—I dare say you may never have met a person with such abilities. I myself have not.The medical records of these men do not suggest any treatments for Urushi. However, I am listing classifying the men into groups according to traits they have in common. Such analyses may suggest a reason for Urushi’s inability to control his magic. It is a first step, at least. I hope to report better results to you soon.
You kindly asked about my personal studies. I beg your leave to finish my research on Urushi’s condition first. Then I will write you in full of what I have been doing—or perhaps tell you in person, if your official duties allow you some free moments. Suffice it to say for now that I am studying the Time of Changes a millennium ago, when the Berserker and her brother tore Veridia apart with war and dethroned our Land’s last king.
Father may say my research “generates nothing but sneezes,” but you, I’m sure, perceive its value. Without such studies, we are doomed to slowly lose our collective memory of the use of magic—and possibly our physical skill as well.
Kassia informs me that her textbook of needlework patterns was copied out only 100 years ago, yet it contains a pattern with which no woman today can work magic. Either magic has faded from the pattern, or the Guardians of today have less natural talent for magic than our ancestors. Either way, this trend is of deepest concern to me, and I hope it is as well to you and your council.
I will continue with diligence to look for a cure for Urushi and a reason for our steady loss of magic.
With deepest gratitude and respect,
I remain,
Your loving nephew,
Celatu
Stay up to date on Celatu and Shauna Roberts at
Twitter: @ShaunaRoberts5
Website: http://www.ShaunaRoberts.com
USA Today Bestselling Author DelSheree Gladden 
The fading of magic. Excellent!
LikeLike
What a fun post, Shauna! I'm looking forward to reading your new novel.
LikeLike
Thank you, Charles and Karin!
LikeLike