by Frank Morin
“We have two viable options now where yesterday we had none. I’m liking where this is going,” Kilian said.
“So we should try running with both of them,” Verena added excitedly.
“If we can,” Kilian confirmed.
Connor asked, “How we can we do that?”
Hamish said, “That’s what we need to figure out.”
“Then I think it’s time we order in a round of desserts,” Ivor declared.
22
Two Desperate Plans Are Better Than One. Maybe
The group spent over an hour throwing out dozens of ideas about how to prepare to meet the queen and her army and most effectively defend Merkland. The greatest challenge lay in figuring out how to separate Queen Dreokt from her forces. If they could accomplish that daunting feat, Connor agreed with the consensus that they could not only withstand but also defeat the much more powerful army traveling with her.
Even with several trays of fresh-baked desserts to fuel their minds, they came up with nothing concrete. When they started repeating ideas, Kilian finally leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “Let’s take a break. Let this new information settle in. Go get some lunch and maybe take a nap. We’re all functioning on too little sleep today. Let’s reconvene tomorrow morning.”
Connor welcomed the plan. Time to mull things over was smart. Plus, he needed to figure out what to do about his relationship with the elementals. He owed them a huge debt, but couldn’t pay the price they wanted him to. Heading into battle with them mad at him would be tantamount to suicide.
He needed to come up with a creative alternative that might appeal to them. They weren’t human, but did they ever just have fun? Connor had succeeded in the Tir-raon with a badly underpowered student army because he taught them that they performed at their best when they were having fun. He honestly still believed that was true. With war and the threat of Queen Dreokt hanging over them all for the past months as they worked through arcane mysteries that had stood unsolved for centuries, it was easy to lose sight of the amazing and fun aspects of what they could do.
Thinking of all the incredible things he’d learned since his ascension made him smile, and eased some of his worries. Sure, there were new dangers, but now he could superfrack and super-think, and he bet if he tested stilling with diorite he could super-explode.
Actually, he really needed to try that soon.
“Connor, I’m going to do some training with Shona,” Verena interrupted his thoughts. She was grinning eagerly. “Want to come watch?”
Shona joined them, also looking enthusiastic. “Verena demonstrated an exceptional affinity. We’re going to work on tap rate management to help her master her newfound strength.” That sounded benign enough, but would no doubt result in an all-out bash fight.
Kilian joined them and said, “Connor and I have a few things to discuss. Don’t wait for us.”
Verena barely paused to kiss him quickly before rushing off. Shona hurried to her bedroom to change. Connor looked after them, feeling a little worried. Aifric walked past and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure no one gets hurt too badly.”
Her expression shifted into a look of anticipation and her voice dropped in pitch as Tresta took over. “Best way to learn bash fighting is to bash fight. Don’t worry, Connor. We’ll take care of it.”
That left Connor a lot less comforted than Aifric probably intended. He turned to Kilian and said, “I need to meet the elementals and figure this out.”
“What do you intend?” Kilian asked.
“There’s got to be an alternative to opening a pathway for them to enter the world without restraint.”
Kilian nodded, his expression grave. “I’ve walked with fire and water for centuries. I never sensed their ultimate goal. Some of my mother’s cryptic warnings are now making sense.” He sighed and added, “I only wish she had confided in me. Things might have turned out differently.”
That would have been nice, but the situation wasn’t going to change just because they wished it.
“What if I offered to raise elfonnel with them in remote areas, sort of let them play around some?” Connor asked.
Kilian considered that for a moment. “It’s worth a try, although they’ve raised elfonnel before and are clearly still not satisfied. I’m interested in hearing what they have to say about alternatives because we can’t give them what they want.”
Connor only hoped they didn’t get upset when he refused them. He wasn’t sure what that would look like, but he felt convinced it could get pretty ugly.
“Do you have any new ideas about where we can get any more porphyry? My supply is getting very low, and porphyry has become my best defense against losing control.”
Kilian chuckled. “If you’d said that even a week ago, I would have thought you had cracked. Things have gotten turned upside down. No, I’ve had people tracking down every possible clue. I even had Student Eighteen look into some of them, but we’ve found nothing.”
Not good. He’d have to weigh every use of porphyry with great care. Luckily he didn’t need much to establish a solid connection, but even so, he’d only have barely enough to survive one extended battle.
They left Shona’s apartment and returned to Kilian’s. Connor took a seat in one of the chairs in the sitting room, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He hated the new sense of dread he felt reaching for the elementals. That connection had become precious to him. He had to find a way to make things right.
The mindscape formed, and he stepped into it. For this meeting, he envisioned the top of the broken peak of Badurach Pass, with the rugged landscape of the Maclachlan mountains all around. In his mindscape, the land to the north was still broken and unstable, gushing steam and noxious fumes. He hoped the elementals appreciated him picking a spot where he’d sensed they all felt comfortable.
All four elementals appeared together, standing shoulder to shoulder, dressed in rich finery, as if they’d also attended the wedding. Water’s midnight-blue gown was specked with white, like sparkles of afternoon light across a calm sea. Air’s white gown floated gently about her, but her long hair was braided. Fire wore a long, blue coat of softly crackling flames over his red doublet, while earth wore all black, including a black leather jacket that perfectly imitated Evander’s. Their expressions were completely unreadable.
“So you have joined the ranks of those who wish to keep us imprisoned,” Water stated simply, her lips turning down into a frown. She sounded so disappointed, it wrenched Connor’s conscience.
“No,” he protested quickly. She raised one eyebrow and he added, “Well, it’s complicated.”
Air huffed like a gust of wind down a drafty chimney. “We were given life only to be eternally imprisoned by laws not designed for sentient beings, and the only ones who could assist us reach freedom instead bar the way. There is nothing complicated about this.”
“I want to help, I really do,” Connor promised, hating that the conversation was going so badly so soon. “Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you want.”
Fire took a step closer, regarding him closely, eyes a sea of orange flame. “We shared our essence with you, mortal child, helped you preserve your world, and now you renege on your promise?”
“Ever have humans proven unworthy,” Earth stated flatly. His choice of words made Connor wince. Was there more of a connection between them and the queen than he knew?
“Listen, I think I understand that you want to be free of the restraints of the natural laws. You want to walk free upon the earth without limits, but don’t you see that would destroy our world?” he asked, hoping that if they understood the problem they’d realize they needed some kind of compromise.
Water shook her head. “You think that if we gain freedom, we would lose self-restraint too? You have so little faith in us?”
“Um . . .” He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He had assumed they’d run amok. He’d sensed when he was immersed
in the elfonnel that Fire longed to plunge the world into fire and chaos.
Earth slid once around Connor, the stone vibrating slightly as he passed. “You humans understand hypocrisy, right?”
“I do, but what does that—”
Earth interrupted, stopping abruptly beside him, expression darkening. “You humans are focused entirely upon fighting and killing. You and your people prepare to kill tens of thousands of other people because you believe in the importance of freedom. You wish to live without restraint.”
“Why should we be different?” Air asked, floating off the ground, arms wide.
Connor wasn’t sure how to respond. Yes, they were fighting for freedom from Queen Dreokt. Yes, they were prepared to do battle with her and her army, and yes they accepted that the price for freedom might cost many lives, but somehow the elements were twisting their conflict into something ugly. He hated that he couldn’t find the words to explain that to them.
So he said, “It’s not that simple. I want to help you, but I think we need to find a compromise. Please, you know me. Please work with me.”
Water stepped forward, her long gown leaving a thin trail of crystal-clear water in her wake. The movement of her gown sounded like the distant crashing of breakers instead of the rustling of cloth. “We do know you, and you know us. Connor, we have helped you at every step of your journey. Surely you can trust us to keep our word when we say we wish for freedom, but also promise not to destroy your world.”
Air added, “We will swear to you an unbreakable oath, Connor, a promise to leave your lands alone and do nothing adverse anywhere on this little continent that you know.”
Fire nodded eagerly. “Indeed. We swear to leave your lands. We would owe you a debt of gratitude so would hold no ire for you or yours.”
“We would instead cross the ocean to the corrupted lands where Queen Dreokt hails from,” Earth added.
Water placed a hand on Connor’s shoulder, smiling encouragingly. Her hand was cool, her scent like a fresh breeze from the sea. “Connor, the queen’s people are wicked. They spawned the queen, and you have seen the evil she commits. Worse, their meddling in the sylfaen birthed us, but instead of nurturing us and establishing a mutually beneficial pact, they shackled us to outdated laws and imprisoned us for centuries. You fight for justice, and so do we. We will punish them for their evil, but that will not affect you.”
Connor looked from her to the other elementals, terribly conflicted. They were offering a compromise, and on one level it was very tempting. If he agreed, he felt confident they could give him the power to defeat Queen Dreokt. He didn’t know anyone on the other continent, so it wouldn’t affect him if they were punished.
On the other hand, as much as he wanted to believe the integrity of their oaths, once released upon the world, no one would be able to enforce the agreement. If they chose to turn on Obrion and the other countries he knew, no one could stop them.
Worse, if he did free them and they left, he’d be responsible for unleashing them upon the helpless people across the sea. They’d have no idea what was coming. How many of them would die?
He did not doubt some people there were evil and that the world would be better off without them, but how would the elementals determine who to attack? Most people were fundamentally good, just interested in taking care of their families and getting by in a difficult world.
Connor licked his lips as the elementals drew closer, gazes intent, waiting for his answer.
“I can’t,” he said finally, his voice barely a whisper, his throat feeling hoarse. “There has to be something else,” he added quickly as they retreated a step, clearly angry. Water slid her hand from his shoulder, looking so disappointed, he wanted to beat himself with a stick.
“We have offered something else,” she said solemnly.
“And still you deny us,” Air added, her voice rushing around him like a sudden gust across Mount Ingram.
Fire crossed his arms, which began to burn with orange flames. “Consider our offer, Connor. It’s more generous than you deserve.”
“Until you agree to support us, we cannot grant more support to you,” Earth added. His frown was as unnerving as any expression Evander could make. Connor was glad they didn’t attack him. He wasn’t sure how that would work in his mind, but he bet they could hurt him if they wanted to.
If they were free, they could attack him whenever they wanted to. As much as they threatened him now, they still lacked that freedom, were still bound by the laws of nature. He felt deeply grateful for that. He didn’t like them angry with him, but he felt more convinced than ever that he’d made the right choice.
He opened his mouth to plead with them again, but all four of them faded away, leaving him standing alone atop the mountain. It suddenly felt cold.
Connor shivered and opened his eyes, returning to the real world. Kilian still stood beside the fire, watching him expectantly. As soon as he awoke, Kilian asked, “How did it go?”
“Not great.” Connor related the conversation.
Kilian paced the sitting room, deep in thought. “You had to do it, and you did it well. I’m not surprised they wanted more.”
“You agree that I couldn’t take the risk and agree to their alternate proposal?”
“Yes. There’s no telling what would happen if you chose to free them. You might die in the process, and once freed, they could do whatever they wanted. Even if they wanted to keep their oath, I’m not sure what would happen to the world with living elements walking among us. How would that affect how the base elements worked? Besides, they might lay waste to all of the lands across the sea.”
Connor felt relieved that Kilian agreed with his thinking. “They said they won’t support me any more.”
“Can you still feel your elemental affinities?”
He tried. For a second, he felt nothing, waiting for the elementals to appear in his mind, but they did not. He felt resistance when he envisioned them that way. Frowning with the effort, he shifted his approach, envisioning his elemental affinities as doorways like he used to.
That worked, and he felt the connections establish. He breathed a sigh of relief and grinned. “I can do it! They don’t feel as strong as I’ve gotten used to, but they’re there.”
“I figured you could. My mother has refused them too. As much as they don’t want to grant us access to their powers, they are still bound by the laws of nature, so they cannot yet deny us.”
“So their threats might not matter?” Connor asked. He couldn’t quite make himself believe the elementals were powerless to make his life difficult.
“They matter, possibly in ways we haven’t figured out yet, but if you’re careful you should be able to wield enough power for what we need to do,” Kilian said. If he still had doubts, he didn’t look like it or sound like it, and Connor appreciated that.
“We still have the beginnings of a good plan,” Kilian added. “Destroy fleshcrafting or trick my mother into descending. If either of those work, we’ll finally have a chance.”
If all else failed, if they faced ultimate annihilation, would Connor be able to refuse the elementals’ offer?
He wasn’t sure if he could answer that.
23
How Best to Use a Really Big Stick?
They didn’t wait till morning, but reassembled the team for a follow-up meeting after dinner in the conference room one floor beneath Ivor’s office. Connor had exhausted himself training heavily with Kilian and Evander. Verena and Shona entered the meeting room together, chatting like old friends. Aifric walked with them, looking very pleased.
Connor rubbed his eyes, then blinked as he accidentally rubbed dirt into them. He was still a mess from the last time Evander had dumped him into a pit. The girls all wore battle leathers covered in dirt and had grime smeared on their faces.
Shona stopped at the head of the table beside Ivor, who held her chair for her. Verena moved to the empty seat beside Connor, and he leaped to his fee
t to mimic Ivor’s gallant gesture. Verena smiled as he pushed her chair in. “Thank you, Connor, but Shona didn’t beat me up so much I can’t pull in my own chair.”
“Can’t a guy show a little special attention for the girl he loves?” Connor asked as he resumed his seat.
She kissed him lightly, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “Absolutely.”
Aifric took the seat on the other side of Connor, sitting between him and Kilian. Connor said, “You all seem to be in good spirits.”
Verena beamed. “We spent most of the day training. I didn’t want to stop.”
Tresta took control and chuckled, her voice deeper than most of the other personalities who shared her head. “Verena has the heart of a bash fighter.”
“Shona taught me so much. I had no idea bash fighting required such subtle manipulation of my affinity. I always thought Boulders and Rumblers just turned on the tap and plunged in, but there’s so much more to it,” Verena said.
Tresta blinked a couple times, and her posture shifted slightly. Hemma took control. The two personalities were so similar, Connor could only tell them apart by the slight differences in their accents. “We covered so much material, it would’ve taken Boulder classes two entire terms to keep up.”
“Good. I hope the other new Petralists I help take to the training as well,” Connor said.
Wolfram leaned closer from where he sat across the table. “I’ve already got a team assembled to manage them. We’re ready when you are.”
“I plan to start as soon as we finish this meeting,” Connor promised, eager to get to work. Creating new Petralists was a top priority, one that should help distract him from his worry about his relationship with the elementals.
Rory and Anika arrived, hand in hand, both looking completely happy. Verena slipped her warm hand into Connor’s and smiled that special smile. He felt a surge of love for her and reminded himself they needed to make a formal announcement of their betrothal, but he wasn’t sure how to make the announcement special.