Sword Sirens

by Edmund Hughes

  “Thanks,” said Ari. “What do you mean by that? You think it’s fine for us to get drunk, since we’re safe in the tower?”

  Rin let out one of her high pitched, chirping laughs.

  “We are not safe, chala,” she said. “In fact, we will soon be in more danger than we were during the windstorm. Take a look at the edge of the sky and tell me what you see.”

  Ari frowned and squinted in the direction she was pointing in. On the edge of the horizon, the sky looked visibly darker than it did in the area nearer to them. It took him a couple of seconds to realize that it was due to a thick carpet of storm clouds.

  “You think it’s going to rain again soon?” asked Ari.

  “I know it will,” said Rin. “Windstorms are almost always followed by hurricanes in this region. It looks as though this time will be no different.”

  A tense silence followed in the wake of her words.

  “We’ll be okay,” said Ari. “We’ve survived the rain before.”

  “A hurricane is different from mere rain,” said Rin. “You will see what I mean soon enough. The monsters that emerge from this type of storm are larger and more powerful than any I suspect you’ve faced before. More dangerous than the vodakai by far.”

  Ari took another sip of the sky brandy. He offered it to Eva and Kerys, but they both turned it down.

  “There’s no use worrying about it now,” said Ari. “Let’s head back inside, eat dinner, and rest for tonight. Those clouds are still far off. We should have at least a day before they reach us.”

  “This is true,” said Rin. “Perhaps you can work a miracle in that time span. For the sake of us all.”

  Ari tried to keep her words from casting a shadow over his mood as he led his companions back inside. He unrolled the rest of the cache as Kerys began preparing dinner. There was rice and flour in the bottom section, along with a delicious looking fruit cake, and a small dagger. Ari picked up the weapon and slowly turned it over in his hands.

  “What’s this?” he asked Rin.

  “A trinket,” said Rin. “Two of my subordinates were arguing over who it belonged to, so I decided it should be left behind. It has a very unusual hilt.”

  Ari saw what she meant as he ran his hand over the pommel. There was a triangular indentation in the metal of the handle which had been filled with a smooth stone with an intricate pattern carved into it.

  “That is a runestone,” said Eva.

  “What’s that?” he asked. “Some type of special magical artifact?”

  “It is an item made for imbuing a weapon with an enchantment,” said Eva. “Its usefulness lies in the fact that it can easily be transferred from one weapon to another.”

  “Interesting,” said Ari. “The pattern on it kind of reminds me of the tattoo on your lower back.”

  Eva nodded slowly. “I may have mentioned this to you before, but my sword construct form has three sockets. One of them is currently filled with a rune of magical absorption, but the other two are empty.”

  “Are you saying that you could make use of this?” asked Ari.

  She nodded again, but it was more hesitant this time.

  “It is possible that I could,” she said. “The only issue is that I do not recognize the pattern of this runestone. I’m unsure of what its effects would be and how it might alter my abilities.”

  “You’re welcome to use it if you wish, chala,” said Rin. “Consider it a gift from me, one that I may or may not demand repayment for in due time.”

  “Right,” said Ari, rolling his eyes.

  He pressed a finger against the runestone. He could feel the essence within it, similar to the sensation he felt whenever he pressed his hand against a ward. He focused his awareness into it and tried to pull it out in the same way he absorbed essence from the enchanting altar. A small click came from the dagger, and the runestone came loose.

  “We should try it,” he said. “We need every advantage we can find if we’re going to stand a chance against the hurricane and the fishers.”

  “I agree,” said Eva. “Though perhaps it would be prudent for us to wait until tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow, then,” said Ari.

  Kerys cooked them stew for dinner. Ari was almost at the point of being sick of it, but with the new ingredients, the smell of it as it simmered on the hot stone was enough to win him over.

  When it was finally ready, they still had to pass the ladle around the table to share. Ari made a mental note to look into fashioning them some proper bowls, plates, and eating utensils if they managed to survive the next few days. The stew was hot and thick, with big chunks of dried beef, corn and a rich, satisfying flavor. Ari ate until his stomach was at the point of bursting.

  He and Rin also drank most of the sky brandy, and Rin was the first to retire to bed in part because of that. She wobbled on unsteady feet as she headed up to the second floor, almost buffeting Kerys with one of her wings on the way past.

  “I shall also head to sleep tonight,” said Eva. “If that is okay with you, milord?”

  “Of course,” he said.

  Eva smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He could feel Kerys’ inspecting the moment and trying to decide just what it meant, or what it didn’t mean. He opted not to throw the idea of strengthening his bond for that night, despite a part of him harboring an eagerness for it.

  “Aristial,” said Kerys, once they were alone. “Do you mind if we sit outside?”

  “Sure,” said Ari. “We should take advantage of the fact that it’s calm outside, even if…”

  He hesitated, debating internally whether to give voice to the depressing truth.

  “Even if it’s the calm before the storm,” he finished. “Funny. We always said that down in the Hollow, but never really understood what it meant, or the fact that it was to be taken literally.”

  “I’m not sure funny is the right way of putting it,” said Kerys with a sigh.

  They found a spot to sit on the grass not far from the tower’s entrance. It was still a little windy out, but to an extent that was gentle and pleasurable, carrying the smell of pollen and fresh pine with it.

  “I felt really useless waiting for you today,” said Kerys.

  “You aren’t useless, Kerys,” said Ari. “The way you feel is the way we all feel.”

  “I don’t think that’s true,” said Kerys. “Everyone else, including you, has something to offer. You’re strong, and you can put plans into action. Eva is, well, a sword, for Dormiar’s sake. Even Rin has her wings, and the fact that she knows the surface…”

  “Kerys…” said Ari, taking one of her hands. “You can cook tasty food.”

  “Shut up,” she said. “I’m being serious.”

  She was silent for a couple of seconds. The sound of insects chirping and humming simple, but constant songs lingered in the background. Kerys finally lifted a hand and pointed at a mountain in the distance.

  “That’s where we came from,” she said. “Golias Hollow is under that mountain, Ari. I… I miss it.”

  “I do too,” said Ari. It was both the truth and a lie. He missed the safety of the Hollow, sure. But he didn’t miss the way most people within the community had treated him and how little standing he’d had.

  “I think we should try to go back,” said Kerys.

  Ari blinked and leaned his head at an angle, unsure of whether he’d heard her correctly.

  “What?”

  “We’d be safe again, if we did,” said Kerys. “The biggest obstacle are the sheer cliffs we had to climb down, remember? If we took Rin with us, she could fly a rope up, even with her wing injured like it is.”

  “The biggest obstacle is the door, Kerys,” said Ari. “Assuming we made it all the way up the cliffs, which would be a huge challenge in itself, do you really think they’d let us in?”

  “We won’t know until we try,” said Kerys.

  “It’s wishful thinking,” said Ari. “I’m sorry, but that’s the truth.”<
br />
  “Do you really want to keep me safe, Ari?” asked Kerys. “Or do you just want to keep me?”

  “That’s not fair,” he said.

  “Nothing is fair, anymore,” whispered Kerys. “I look at what’s happened to my life and to yours and feel like a jealous child. I went from being a silk farmer, a proud daughter of the Weaver family, to being… what? And look at you, Ari. You were an orphan, and now you’re… I don’t even know what the word for it is.”

  “A man trying to do his best?” suggested Ari. “Someone who would do whatever it takes to keep his friends safe?”

  Kerys was silent for a few seconds.

  “I don’t mean to sound petty,” she said. “I just mean… you’re thriving, Aristial. This seems like the life you were destined for. But not me. I’m frail, and bad at fighting, and I just miss my family so mud damned much.”

  She sniffled, and Ari put an arm around her, wishing that he could do more. Would it be possible to attempt to get back into Golias Hollow? Or at least to try to get Kerys back in?

  He thought of the Hollow Lord’s face, and the solemn determination of the entire community during the Choosing ceremony. He and Kerys were already dead to them, and in Kerys’ case, already being mourned. They didn’t have any more of a place within the Hollow than the buried bodies of those who’d departed to the Endfate.

  “The surface isn’t all dangerous, Kerys,” said Ari. “Remember how Rin mentioned that human city. Cliffhaven? I’ll bring you there.”

  “She said it would be an impossible journey,” said Kerys.

  “Mud and blood,” said Ari. “Nothing is impossible. We can do it. Have some faith.”

  He pulled her in closer to him and planted a soft kiss on her lips. As always, Kerys did little in the way of kissing him back, but that didn’t matter to him. He was alright with doing the heavy lifting.

  “I’m going to head to bed,” whispered Kerys.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” said Ari. “Care for a companion under the sheets?”

  Kerys stood up and shook her head.

  “Not tonight,” she said.

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “I bet it would make you feel better.”

  “You bet it would make you feel better, I think you mean.”

  “I could wake up Eva and let you watch us,” said Ari.

  “Aristial!”

  “What?” He grinned and pulled her into an embrace from behind. “You can hide somewhere. We don’t even have to tell her.”

  “Aristial Stoneblood, you boorish ass!”

  She wriggled loose from his hug, but Ari detected the faintest hint of a smile in the glance she shot back at him.

  CHAPTER 42

  Breakfast consisted of a small portion of dried fruit along with a slice of dry and slightly crumbly travel bread. Ari was just glad that they had any food to dedicate to starting off the day, and he ate his portion gratefully.

  “Rin,” he said. “Any updates on when you think the approaching storm might hit?”

  Rin shrugged her shoulders.

  “It could be tomorrow morning,” she said. “Or it could be as soon as tonight. It’s impossible to say.”

  Ari winced. It wasn’t enough time for them to prepare as much as he felt they needed to. Still, even a small amount of advance warning gave him options.

  “Would it be possible for us to distance ourselves from it?” he asked.

  “It’s approaching from the south,” said Rin. “If you tried to head north, you’d either reach the edge of the Inner Sea or push into the Vodakai Sands. Neither of which would be safe places.”

  “Lord Stoneblood,” said Eva. “Might I suggest we focus our attention on activating the tower’s defensive wards? If you recall, we have already made some progress there.”

  Ari ran a hand through his hair. “It might be our only chance. I don’t think we have enough essence contained with the magical items we have on hand to get them all powered up, though.”

  “We can make another expedition into the labyrinth,” said Eva. “That is, after we make a closer inspection of the runestone you found. Perhaps, in combination with whatever else we can find on short notice, it will give us the strength to hold out.”

  She sounded optimistic, and Ari tried to share in that hope.

  “It sounds like a plan, at least,” he said. “We should all focus our efforts on preparing for the storm, given how little time we have.”

  “I can gather food,” said Kerys. “The cache that you brought back is well stocked, but who knows how long the rain might last for.”

  “Rin, do you mind going with her and making sure she stays safe?” asked Ari.

  Rin sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course, chala. Anything in exchange for the gracious hospitality you’ve offered me.”

  “Glad we’re on the same page,” said Ari. “Eva, you and I will handle the magical side of things. Starting with taking a closer look at the wards.”

  He headed upstairs with Eva as soon as they’d finished eating. They still had a number of enchanted scrolls left from Ari’s first trip into the labyrinth. He drained the essence from every single one of them, feeling a bit wasteful as he watched the vellum they were made from crumbling into dust each time.

  “My Feathercloak,” said Ari. “Do you think it’s worth keeping, or should I drain the essence from it, too?”

  “You should keep it,” said Eva. “The value in enchanted equipment comes in the synergy they share with other items you might find. It might give us a small amount of extra essence, but I would advise you to keep using it unless that amount is enough to be a deciding factor.”

  “Good thinking,” said Ari. “Now, let’s see just how much essence we have to work with.”

  He absorbed all the essence within the altar and almost gasped at the intensity of the sensation. It was enough to make his teeth hum, and his muscles twitched seemingly at random as he made his way downstairs. From the look Kerys gave him as he passed through the common room, he knew he must have looked as strange as he felt.

  The wards were just as they’d been on his last inspection. The one he’d already managed to activate gave off a faint, white glow. He moved past it to the next dormant one and pushed his essence into it.

  In the end, their current essence stores were enough to activate two more of the tower’s exterior wards, which meant that they still had three left to awaken. Ari palmed the runestone in his pocket, wondering if it was worth seeing how much essence it held.

  “We should get moving,” said Eva.

  “Do you still want me to try putting this into you?” asked Ari, showing her the runestone.

  Eva hesitated, then gave a small nod. She’d twisted her silver-blue hair into a braid that hung across one shoulder, and he couldn’t help but notice the way her fingers toyed nervously with the end of it.

  “Are you worried that something might go wrong with this?” he asked.

  “It is a possibility,” said Eva. “There is no telling how my body and mind will react to the change. Though I think I should be able to handle it. The advantage it could potentially give us may make the difference between survival and defeat.”

  “It’s worth doing, then,” said Ari. “Should we try it right now?”

  “Let’s put ourselves out of range of the tower, first,” said Eva. “Just to be safe.”

  Ari took his pack with him, along with some travel bread and a few carrots for lunch. They walked down the hill and into the trees, finding a small clearing that was on the way to the Saidican ruins and labyrinth.

  “How is this going to work, exactly?” asked Ari. “Do you need to be in sword form for me to socket the rune into you?”

  “I’m not entirely sure,” said Eva. “But I believe that the preferred method is for me to remain in my incarnate form.”

  She reached her arms around to her bodice and began untying the lace. Ari furrowed his brow, only realizing after a couple of seconds that she was taking her
clothing off in order to reveal the spot on her back where her other rune was visible as a tattoo.

  She took off her skirt and undergarments, too, and stood before him completely naked. Ari raised an eyebrow as she walked over a nearby tree and leaned forward against it, pushing her butt out and exposing more than just her rune tattoo.

  “Go ahead,” said Eva. “It should feel similar to activating or triggering a ward.”

  “Okay…” said Ari. “So you just want me to, uh, stick it in you?”

  Eva shot a scowl at him over your shoulder.

  “Milord, are you making a jest at my expense?” she asked.

  “Of course I am,” said Ari, grinning at her. “I’ll be gentle with you, don’t worry.”

  He ran his hand across her back and over her other rune tattoo, feeling the same prickle as he touched it that he did when he felt the essence within a ward. Eva had said that she could socket up to three runes simultaneously, but she hadn’t told him how they were arranged, or where they went. Ari picked a spot just above her other rune tattoo, at about waist level, and pressed the runestone against it.

  It only took a small amount of urging from his will to trigger the process. White light flashed, and the rune seemed to dissolve and sink into Eva’s flesh. She let out a sharp gasp and arched her back, her entire body tensing up as though she’d just been struck.

  “Eva,” he said. “Are you okay?”

  “I—” She jerked slightly as she turned around to face him. “Lord Aristial…”

  Magical energy crackled around her in the form of small flashes of light, similar to a miniature version of lightning and thunder. It was most noticeable in her braided hair, with bolts of magical lightning and sparks dancing up and down its length. Eva’s eyes were glowing a deep, silvery blue, and she held her arms across her breasts, as though trying to physically hold herself together.

  “Breathe, Eva,” said Ari. “It will help you relax.”

  “I’m… okay,” she said. “At least, I think I am.”

  The change in her appearance was more pronounced than Ari had originally realized. It wasn’t enough to make her look like an entirely different person, but there was a distinct aura around her of white light and lightning energy. She looked like a demigoddess of storms, and Ari couldn’t help but recognize the strange irony in that, given their current circumstances.