The unit stiffened, leaning closer to hear Chiron’s every word. Cole started sweating despite the breeze that caressed his bare skin. Even Valen looked unnerved.
Chiron paused a moment, setting a clear stage for his words. “The Sill finds itself wanting for more gratia stones. As you all know, the reward for gratia stones is quite high; however, so is the risk. The stones grow in the ventus coral, which lies in the ocean floor off this very coast. As the coral breathes, the stones rise to the surface. A quick witted Aenerian may find herself an opportunity to acquire one of these stones should she catch the current just right.”
The atmosphere changed from trepidation to yearning. Even Cole, who had no idea of the value of the stones, felt a longing for treasure. Growing up, he’d never had much to show off, always wearing clothes from the secondhand store. He could almost hear some of those expensive gadgets and nice clothes from the markets calling to him.
“Now, hear my words of caution. The ventus coral is below the sand. The tops of their husks barely reach the ocean floor, which lies at a depth beyond a single breath. You all know what the body requires for nutrient exchange, and the water will obviously pose a certain layer of difficulty. It is up to you to figure out how to navigate the challenge. This will require a constant application of Wisdom. Your focus will be tested by certain distractions. These distractions include some of the larger predatory animals that lurk in the deep, the obvious lack of breathable air, and the currents themselves. Though the reward is of course greater, I advise you not to attempt the omnistones farther offshore. The depth-pressure as well as the coral’s breathing are formidable, and you would likely find yourself stuck to the bottom. Your lives will be in your own hands. Trust in each other and maintain your vigilance.”
“Master Chiron,” Deekus interrupted, “Will you not be joining us? It would give us all much comfort knowing that you will be there should the worst happen.”
Chiron gave Deekus a sympathetic, yet calculating look. “I will not be joining you, nor will I be there to catch you should you fall. There is trouble at our borders that requires my attention.”
“You mean you’ll be tearing a few Domina hides,” Sitra said with fire in her eyes. “If you want to give us a practical exercise then take us with you. We should be out fighting, not picking rocks out of the water. We are ready, Master.”
The rest of the group nodded and murmured their agreement. Chiron, however, looked sad as he placed a gentle hand on each of her thick shoulders.
“Your thirst for the blood of our enemies is terrifying and admirable, my dear Sitra. However, you do not know what you ask. The full weight of The Three inches ever closer. You will have your blood-lust sated before long, I assure you. In the interim, you will do The Sill an important service and retrieve as many gratia stones as you can.” He released her, addressing the rest of the unit: “You will take to this task without me as your safety net. Part of realistic training is making it, well, realistic. In battle you will rarely have someone at your side ready to pull you out of the fire. There is danger and honor to be won in this task. I challenge you all to figure this out on your own.”
“We will succeed, Master Chiron,” Valen said with a stern nod. “Go tend to your task and we will tend to ours. You will return to a heaping pile of gratia stones and a roaring fire.”
“Thank you Valen.” Chiron twisted, showering their feet with sand from his cape as he walked towards the tree line. He paused, speaking over his shoulder, “And let’s not forget about our newest student. I would be most disappointed if he didn’t learn a trick or two while I’m gone.”
Cole gulped as all the sand fell from Chiron’s cape. The garment took the form of flowing crystal as his feet left the ground and rose above the trees. Within a few heartbeats Chiron was nothing but a shrinking shadow in the eternal night sky.
Eliza was first the break the silence: “Am I wrong to assume that we would be better equipped for this task if we had some food in our bellies?”
Storn slapped his tortoise shell of a stomach. “I’m about two seconds from eating the Underkin. Chiron seems to forget that us mere mortals need food and water. I’m right behind you, Liza.”
The group split up into teams, apparently well versed in the on-the-spot feast. Storn and Sitra donned their munisica and charged into the forest. Valen and Lileth sprouted electric green wings from their backs. Wind kicked the sand about them, stretching the ethereal wings taut as they too left the ground and flew into the forest.
“Deekie, would you mind setting the fire? I saw a few hortanials blooming on the way over and they looked perfect for the picking.” Eliza stroked a hand over Deekus’s bare shoulder.
“Of course.” Deekus flashed Eliza a smile, as if telling a joke only they knew. “Will you help me stoke the fire when you return?”
Eliza responded with a wink and a sly grin as she carved off down the beach. Deekus’s gaze lingered after her, enthralled. Cole knew that look, it was the same look he gave Lileth when no one was looking.
“It looks like you will be helping me with the fire.” Deekus grabbed a smooth rock with his foot and kicked it up into the air, catching it in his hand. “I’ll collect some rocks for us. How about you find some wood? The wood is just for flavor, so we won’t need much. We’re looking for some ria saplings if you can find them. Their leaves look like green hair.”
“I think I’ve seen those before, they smell sweet right?” Cole bounced with excitement, eager to be of some use to the group.
“Right you are. If I’m not mistaken they were-” Deekus stopped himself, “No… it would be best if you found them on your own.” Deekus seemed just as excited as Cole. “Sorry, but Chiron wants you to learn what you can. Don’t worry, I’ll be over in a minute if you can’t find them.”
Cole ran for the trees, fueled by hunger and a willingness to prove himself to the group, even if he was just collecting a bit of wood. His confidence swelled when he found a whole patch of the ria plants. They always stood out to him, looking like the tufted hair of children playing in the woods. He drew his dagger and set to work. Within ten minutes he had as many of the little plants as he could hold. He returned to Deekus, who now stood over a bed of glowing rocks, throwing his bounty beside the coals.
“Our meal certainly won’t be lacking any flavor.” Deekus appraised his work. “That will be more than enough for whatever the group brings back. Thank you, Cole, you did very well.”
Cole burned with pride. The unit didn’t usually call him by name. He threw the bundle of saplings next to the bed of hot stones. The heat was almost too much for his bare skin. “What’s making the stones so hot?”
“I have convinced the heat from the ground to move into the rocks. I pulled heat from the area on the other side of the pit as well, just under the blanket of leaves I set down. That way the others will have a cold spot to put the meat from their kills while we prepare the rest of the meal. Why don’t you try?” Deekus threw him two small rocks. “Do you know what heat is?”
Cole was glad to know the answer, but his hopes plummeted as he recalled his failure with the puddle. “Heat is just how fast atoms and molecules vibrate. I’ve tried to shift the heat in an object before and it didn’t work for me. I don’t know if I can use Wisdom.”
Deekus sat himself cross-legged in front of Cole, holding his palms upwards. “You are more capable than I was when I first came to The Sill. Please sit, I will show you how it’s done.”
Cole plopped himself in the sand, eager for another chance to learn about magic. Deekus took both of Cole’s hands into his, squeezing them and the stones within.
“This is how Chiron first showed me. Please, if you would do your best to clear your mind. I’m going to enter it and start the process using only your body. This will prove without a doubt that you are capable of Wisdom. I will then leave your mind and we’ll see how long you can maintain focus.” Deekus slapped the underside of Cole’s hand, sending one of the stones up
into the air, where it floated for a few seconds before smacking Cole’s palm. “Relax. I can hear your heart running wild. Just have some fun with me for a moment.”
Cole hadn’t realized his chest was pounding. He let out a nervous chuckle, hands shaking. “I think this is about as calm as I’m going to get.” An anxious laugh escaped his lips again.
“Just have fun with it.” Deekus gave Cole’s forearms a gentle squeeze with massive fingers pulsing with rosy light. Cole felt a sudden release of stress as his anxiety melted.
A cool breeze stroked the right side of Cole’s body as the heat from the stones baked his left side. Suddenly a cold shiver ran down his left side as his right throbbed hot and sweaty. It was odd, the side against the fire feeling cold and the opposite feeling warm, but he felt a balance, a quiet within himself. The sand beneath cradled him perfectly. The stars above sprinkled their light over the gentle waves, crashing like a thousand whispers over the beach. He brought his attention to the objects in his hands. The stone closest to the fire was slightly warmer to the touch. It would make a fine donor. He felt its heat, the essence of excitement within its smooth confines. Hefting the cooler stone in his right hand, he convinced himself that it lacked fervor. A bridge of budding concepts connected the two stones in his mind. The inherent energy in the stone on his left hand would simply exist within the limits of the stone in his right. He beheld the two objects, willing his conceptual bridge into reality with a droplet of thought. There was a shift in the world, unnoticed to anyone but him. The stones traded a modicum of their properties. He sent another thought across the bridge, not a droplet, but a thin stream. The bridge was no longer a concept, but an ironclad idea which he reinforced with every ounce of his conviction. The stones tickled his hands, one cool, one warm. He felt confident and capable as he widened the stream to a torrent. Each stone bit into his palms, their potency opposite yet equal. Until this point his attention had been entirely on the two stones, but now another factor came into play. His hands burned, one hot and one cold.
Cole severed the bridge, leaving him with an empty mind and two injured hands. He yelped, waving his hands through the air as though they were on fire before shoving them into the sand. He looked up to find Deekus standing across the glowing bed of rocks, warming himself.
“How did you do?” Deekus beamed at him, excitement bubbling over every word. He trotted over to Cole and picked up the two rocks, flinching and dropping them both. “Cole this is excellent work! That was a powerful spell!”
Cole stepped to the other side of Deekus, warming his chilled right side. “Don’t mess with me. You did all the work.”
A broad smile stretched across Deekus’s face. “I left your mind long before the stones traded their properties. I only calmed your mind and gave you a little nudge. It took me three attempts to do what you just did. Be proud, Cole!” Deekus clapped each of his giant hands on Cole’s shoulders and the two students jumped up and down in unison. Seeing the pained look in Cole’s eyes, Deekus touched a finger to each of his palms and healed them with a quick flash of white light.
“What are you two going on about? That fire better be good and hot by now. I hope you’re hungry, new blood,” Storn’s voice called from the trees.
“Look at them, dancing like fools. Did Deekus just recite one of his epic poems for you, Underkin?” Sitra stomped through the sand, following Storn. Each of them held a large sack on each shoulder.
“I just did magic!” Cole proclaimed, his voice ringing with joy. “Deekus got me going but I just did Wisdom! I made one rock super cold and another super hot! Touch them, they’ll burn your hands!” Cole kicked one of the rocks towards Storn.
Sitra and Storn heaved their loads, which turned out to be the carcasses of their kills, onto the cold leaf pile.
Storn bent low and scooped up one of the rocks with a black clawed hand, pinching it between two wicked knives. “Nothing burns my hands, new blood.” He tossed the rock into the water, where a wave swallowed it in a cloud of steam. “Not bad though. Don’t get too caught up in the Wisdom stuff, Rage is the muscle behind this war.”
“And Passion is the soothing waters that cleanse the fires of war.” Eliza’s voice swam from the shadows as she emerged, dragging a large basket full of fruits. Cole recognized some of them, including a few handfuls of deka seeds. The basket was intricately woven from a green plant with long thin leaves. It even had sleds running along its bottom, making it easier to drag. Eliza touched the knot at the top with a shining violet finger. The leaves unbound themselves as the fruits spilled out into the sand. The basket plant continued to unravel, shuffling in the sand as it rooted itself beside them. Eliza saw Cole eyeing the plant. “I would love to show you how to work plants with Passion. Perhaps in our free time between lessons?”
“Yes please! You should have been here, Deekus just showed me how to use Wisdom.” Cole’s cheeks were starting to ache from smiling so hard. “I’ve never seen magic before coming here, and now I’m casting spells! I can’t wait to learn how to use all the schools.”
“Rage is the only school that matters in a fight,” Storn scoffed. “But enough learning, let’s get some food in us.”
The group set to preparing the meal. Deekus and Eliza readied the fruits, peeling shells and shucking husks. Cole helped shell the deka seeds, which were much larger than any Cole had ever seen. He thought Eliza might have used her Passion on the plant to alter them. Sitra and Storn set to cleaning their kills, burying the viscera under the roots of the basket plant. Valen and Lileth returned a moment later, alighting on the sandy beach without a sound. Valen carried a dead bird larger than Cole and Lileth produced half a dozen eggs of equal proportion. Cole watched with hungry eyes as the group used Wisdom in various ways to prep the food. Within minutes there were four plucked and skinned carcasses floating over the coals as if on an invisible spit. Some of the hot rocks were placed inside the cavities to cook them faster. The fruits were done first, and while they were delicious, it was the meat that Cole longed for. The roasts sizzled and crisped over the bed of embers. Cole asked if they could just use magic to cook the meat faster, but Sitra took great offense, stating that any meat worth eating deserved the proper flavor and touch of a good smoky fire.
After they had their fill of tender fillets and juicy steaks, Valen opened the discussion to strategy. Each had his or her own ideas on how to tackle Chiron’s challenge. Cole was keen on the underwater breathing, but the methods they described didn’t sound pleasant or easy.
“Depending on how deep the coral is, we may need to use the internal exchange method,” Lileth said through a mouthful of fried eggs. “It’s uncomfortable, but if your lungs are full of air at great depth, the weight of the water will make it impossible to breathe. It would be better to fill them with water.”
Sitra chimed in, “Well that’s a great idea Lil, but none of us besides you knows how to make all those itty bitty pockets in our lungs run on water. Can you maintain the spell on all of us?”
Lileth swallowed, wiping her mouth with her arm. “I can alter myself and perhaps one other, but I would not be able to do much else, lest I lost focus.”
“So that’s a no.” Sitra turned to the others. “Anyone else? Or are we going with the old bubble-head exchange?”
“A bubble of air would be harder to maintain at greater depths for the same reasons Lileth mentioned,” Deekus stated, rising to his feet. “Pushing the bubble against the weight of the water would take immense focus, and we still have the carnivorous sea creatures to defend against. I was thinking we could maintain a magical field within our throats. It would be much smaller and more resistant to the crushing forces of the water.”
“Would the surface area be great enough to allow enough gas exchange?” Eliza asked, taking a sip from a hollow fruit.
Deekus nodded hopefully. “With Valen and Lileth maintaining the spells I think the field should be efficient enough. They are fairly adept with Wisdom. Would you agree, Va
len?”
“Absolutely,” said Valen, tearing a hunt of dark meat off a bone. “I could do it myself, so long as the rest of you can handle a few fish. Has anyone given thought to how to mitigate the blurriness of the water? Eliza, you are most familiar with anatomy, what are your thoughts?”
Eliza’s brow wrinkled. “The problem is within our eyes. I think our sight is blurred underwater because of how the light enters after bending through a different medium, but I haven’t the slightest idea as to how we are to manipulate light.”
The group fell silent, dejected but not defeated. They bounced around a few ideas but they ran into the same problem; the spell to bend light would be too mentally taxing to allow them the mental acuity for anything else. Eventually the group agreed that they would have to just deal with the blurry vision. Cole sat in silence the whole time, enjoying the smoked meat. He came up with a simple answer to their quandary, but ate in silence for fear of saying something stupid. After all, what could he possibly contribute to a conversation about magic and spells?
Valen noticed Cole on the outskirts of the circle. Sneering, he cocked his head and called out to him, “Underkin, you’ve been as quiet as a stump over there. Surely you must have come up with at least one idea. Please share your Wisdom with us, just one little nugget.”
Cole blushed the same color as the glowing embers. Storn and Sitra laughed as the others averted their eyes from the uncomfortable silence. Valen sneered triumphantly. Cole longed to jump up and punch him right in his handsome face, but kept himself firmly planted in the sand. He hated bullies. Every fight he had ever been in was from either standing up for himself or someone else. The laughter subsided eventually, Valen enjoying every second to drink in Cole’s shame.
“I have an idea.” The words were out of Cole’s mouth before he had a chance to pull them back in. He was committed now, either to stumble over his own foolishness or to possibly build his social platform a little higher. Every eye was on him now. “Back where I come from, we don’t have magic, but we can see easily underwater. We use a device that traps air behind a flat glass lens, making the water as clear as the fire is now.”
Saving The Dark Side: Book 1: The Devotion Page 25