“While we do all that, I want to also expand our outpost on the trade road,” I added. “We’ll need to reinforce them as well so that they can conduct some patrols of their own. I want the land around that outpost cleared of anything even remotely hostile long before we set this in motion.”
Evans scrutinized the map carefully as I relayed this to him before tracing a line on the map with his finger.
“You intend to march here, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do,” I replied.
“Even with the element of surprise, we’ll still be vastly outnumbered, Empress,” he stared at the map as he contemplated my plan even farther.
“No, we won’t,” I assured him. “In fact, if this works, we may face very little opposition at all, First Marshal.”
I then explained the details of my idea fully, and although Stel winced as I revealed what I intended, there was complete agreement that it was likely our best option. We stood little chance against the vast numbers that were arrayed against us, but if we could manage to pull this off, those numbers wouldn’t just be drastically reduced; our invasion of the Dark Lands would begin with a tremendous victory.
But it would require us to proceed carefully, making sure that the hidden enemy spying upon us saw only what we wanted them to see: An army preparing to launch its invasion from the stronghold we were constructing in Olóra. Broda was already formulating her discussion with Wenflé’s ambassador to secure their cooperation but was certain there would be no objections.
There was still much to plan and many more meetings that would need to be held over the coming months before our preparations would be complete, but after a while, we managed to lay out all we could. Evans would have to send soldiers to scout out a more precise location for our fortifications, followed by a force to hold them against the attacks that were certain to come, but much of that would have to wait, at least for a time.
“Forgive me, Empress,” Talína interjected before we could adjourn. “I read the reports about this Deathless; Zedd, I believe his name was. Did this necklace he wore truly kill him for good?”
Permanently killing a Deathless was no small matter, so I understood the reason for her question, but when his soul bound items became unbound, there was little doubt that his death had indeed been final.
“Yes, Talína, I’m certain that the links killed him,” I replied, reassuring her of Zedd’s demise.
“Then, couldn’t that same magic also be used against you as well?”
I’d mistaken her point entirely, I realized with a sudden shock. Not only that, but Talína had also hit upon something none of us had even considered before. The magic that had been used to kill Zedd might very well be turned against me at some point, making me vulnerable to a fate I’d previously thought myself immune to: Death.
The room fell silent as the implications of Talína’s words were felt by all. As one of the Deathless, no one had really considered me vulnerable to true death. While Tási had expressed her concerns that I might not be quite as invulnerable as I’d once thought, we hadn’t shared those thoughts with anyone else. It had only been a theory of hers, a worry without any real basis in fact, but that was no longer the case. Zedd’s death, by the power of our unknown enemy no less, had turned that theory into a very stark reality.
“We cannot allow that to happen,” Stel was the first to speak up.
“We will not let that happen,” Venna’s clear tone of conviction quickly followed.
“Agreed. Yet we have no idea what other forms this type of magic can be bound to,” Líann noted, quite correctly.
“Or if it can be cast, and at what distance,” Saibra added, most disconcertingly.
I was beginning to feel extremely vulnerable. I’d considered myself beyond such considerations for so long, that to be suddenly faced with the very real prospect of my own demise was profoundly unsettling. Not only that, but I also feared for my Empire if something were to happen to me. The fragile alliances that had only just been formed might very well crumble if I were somehow killed, hurtling the fractured Realms right back into the pit of senseless conflict they’d been mired in for centuries. But I simply could not allow anyone else to see my concerns. While precautions would certainly have to be taken, I had to project an air of confidence, not fear—and I had just the right thing for that.
“Take whatever steps you believe are necessary,” I declared as I rose from my seat. “I will do the same.”
As I stood up, I conjured my shadows, willing them into the form of the Shadow Armor I’d wielded only once before. Instantly, my vision shifted green, tinged in black around its edges as my darkness manifested itself around me in a shadowy protective aura.
Without an enemy to lash out at, the spiky projections of the Shadow Armor whipped about almost lazily, twitching ever so slightly as I moved to leave the confines of the meeting room. Although they were perfectly safe from the threat of those lashing strands of shadow, Saibra and Ella maintained a more than respectful distance as they followed me outside.
Once the door closed behind me, I dismissed the Shadow Armor and let Ella lead the way back to my quarters. My point had been made—I was no helpless target, and although the threat was quite real, I would not simply hide away and cower in fear. I had no idea whether or not my shadowy projection would do anything to stop the threat of this unknown magic, or any magic for that matter, but that wasn’t really the issue. I’d only intended to make it absolutely clear that we were moving on in spite of the danger.
Once I reached my rooms, Saibra followed me inside as I began a quick circuit around them. With all that had been going on, I’d neglected to replace my traps since our return. The harsh nature of the new threat against me reminded me of my oversight, and I immediately began covering all possible entrances with a layer of magical snares. Not only did I want their protection for myself, but also for the added security they provided my guardians as well.
When my task was complete, I looked over the work Ridge was still busy completing as he enlarged Bane’s chamber. The once average-sized room was open to the outside air as the elemental expanded it to fit the dragon’s huge form. Ridge had already framed the rough outline of its new dimensions, and I paced across the edges of the low stone wall while Ridge continued adding to it. The new room would clearly be massive, and I couldn’t help but think that it would be more than adequate for quite some time to come.
“This looks great, Ridge,” I offered the elemental. “I can’t imagine Bane outgrowing this.”
“I was not aware that you would be using this area for your dragon when I originally constructed it, Sintári,” Ridge’s gravelly words reverberated in the cool breeze. “I have made the new chamber big enough to contain the largest of his kind.”
“How large is that?” I asked, curious as to the answer I might receive. Perhaps it was a question I should have thought to ask Ridge earlier, but I simply hadn’t considered the possibility that the elemental was alive as long ago as the time when dragons last graced the skies of Arrika.
“Should he reach those dimensions, your dragon’s body alone will line the entire eastern wall,” Ridge indicated with a sweep of his arm.
The incomplete stretch of stone block Ridge gestured towards spanned over one hundred feet, and if I understood correctly, that length would not include Bane’s long neck or the sinewy coils of his tail. I’d thought Bane was a truly fearsome creature then, but merely contemplating his might when he achieved his full size was breathtaking.
“You cannot stay here while this construction is incomplete,” Saibra noted flatly as she looked over just how open my chambers were to the outside. Despite the fact that we were many stories above ground, I didn’t bother to dispute the wisdom of her words of caution. It wouldn’t be only my life at risk should I ignore my guardian’s advice, so I tried my best not to.
“Yes, perhaps I should take up residence in the guest suite until it’s finished,” I replied, knowing full well tha
t Ella had already moved Saibra into those rooms.
While we were on the road home, Saibra had gradually become comfortable spending some nights with me. But that was with the promise that I would not pursue any real intimacy with her—a promise that I’d told her would expire once we returned home. With the shield of that vow no longer in place, Saibra immediately grew visibly uncomfortable, and I had to remind her that I’d made other promises as well.
“I told you we’d go slow, Saibra,” I took her hand as I led her back inside. “I won’t force anything on you, and the first thing we’re going to do before anything else is heal you. Do you think you’re ready for that?”
“Yes,” a look of determination instantly replaced her unease as I made my intentions for her clear.
“Then I will be sharing rooms with my bodyguard until construction on my own chambers is complete,” I replied, to which Saibra responded with only a simple nod before we ventured to Talína’s offices.
“I want to commend you for pointing out something that the rest of us overlooked,” I began as I sat down in front of Talína’s desk. “None of us considered what was so obvious to you. In recognition of that, and the rest of your hard work, from this day forward I’m making your position equivalent to that of my Ministers, and I expect you to attend all future Cabinet meetings.”
“Empress, I don’t know what to say,” Talína responded, obviously flustered by the sudden and unexpected promotion.
“You don’t need to say anything, Lína,” I replied, using the more familiar form of her name. “I’ve given you nothing that you haven’t already earned.”
“Now that we’ve dispensed with that, there’s something I need you to see to for me,” I quickly continued. “Bane has outgrown his rooms, so my chambers are being renovated to accommodate him. Saibra has declared them unsafe for me to occupy during constriction, so I’ll be sharing the guest suite with her until things are finished. We’ll need new doors made once the opening to the outside is complete, and I’m certain that someone will insist that the stonemasons clean things up a bit before I’m allowed to return.”
“I can tend to those arrangements for you, Empress,” Talína volunteered quite willingly.
“Thank you, Lína,” I offered her in parting.
I hadn’t thought ahead to plan out my day, but Talína’s insight at our earlier meeting spurred me to action. Whatever threats we faced in the future were clearly more than anything we’d dealt with in our conquest over the Realms, and I would need to be at my best if I was going to overcome the perils of the Dark Lands. My proficiencies would have to be at the highest levels possible when we ventured into those dangerous lands, and even sooner than that if those dangers came searching for me. But my newest talents were still woefully short of even the 20% proficiency limit that basic training allowed, and I couldn’t permit myself the luxury of continuing to ignore them. So, with Saibra by my side and Aiva taking over for Ella at the head of my guard detail, I headed off into the valley to find some little corner where I could wreak havoc.
The location that I’d used to train previously had already been turned into a small farm, but there was still plenty of unused space. After searching for a short while, I stumbled upon a secluded alcove tucked away in the cliffside and began my preparations.
Several of my Abilities could benefit from simple training, but frustratingly, a few of those did not exactly lend themselves to practice. While Combine Abilities, Shadow Armor, and Fireball seemed perfectly suited to practice, Compel, Slumber, and Life Drain did not, at least not if I wanted to remain on good terms with my guards. The deep sigh I let out as I realized how limited my options were gave away my frustration, and Saibra asked me what was wrong.
“I have three talents that I simply can’t practice. Compel, Slumber, and Life Drain all require a living target, so I can’t work on them.”
Normally, I wouldn’t reveal such details to anyone, but Saibra was my Tári, so I felt no need to hold anything back from her.
“Yes, well, knowing you as I do,” Saibra replied with a sideways glance, “I won’t be volunteering for your training with Compel. And it wouldn’t be a very good idea to have your guards sleeping when they should be protecting you either, but Life Drain may be possible… as long as you don’t go too far.”
“Thanks for the offer, Saibra, but you don’t understand. The Spell doesn’t just pull life force; it’s extremely painful as well. At least it seemed to be when I cast it on Zedd.”
“How painful?”
No. I wasn’t going there—no matter what. She’d already suffered enough abuse; I wasn’t about to add to it.
“Painful enough that I would never even consider using it on you, Saibra.”
“But if it can help you—”
“No!” I interrupted her before she could even finish. “Your safety is just as important as mine, Saibra. I won’t hurt you like that.”
“You are the Empress, and I am only a guard,” she persisted. “As far as ensuring your safety is concerned, my comfort means nothing.”
“You are not ‘only’ a guard, Saibra,” I draped my hand over her shoulder as I corrected her. “You’re very special to me. In fact, I consider it my honor to be protected by you.”
Saibra glanced around uncomfortably, obviously uneasy with even the casual, friendly gesture; one I’d shared with many of my guards from time to time. I thought to tease her just a bit about that but decided to let her off easy. She was likely in for a difficult evening when I delved into her during our first attempt at healing the deep wounds inside her, and I didn’t want to make things any more challenging than they were already likely to be.
Instead, I focused my efforts on what we’d come here for—training.
After taking a few steps away, the world around me shifted into shades of deep green as I let my inner rage flow into the form of my Shadow Armor. Once the dark aura surrounded me, I drew Retribution and cast Combine Abilities as I pulled an arrow from the quiver I’d borrowed from the armory; since I’d given my Never Ending Quiver to Líann, I was forced to make do with arrows I’d taken from our stores.
The Aura demand of Combine Abilities was quite high, 150 points, and when the cost of the talents I was using were added to that, it was nearly prohibitive. But slowly, over time, I fired as many arrows as I could while experimenting with various combinations of my talents. The precise effects of those combinations were difficult to discern since I fired my arrows at the inert walls of the cliffside, but that was of secondary importance. Getting the talent up to par was my real concern.
After a brief rest and a quick lunch, I began the afternoon by practicing my Fireball Spell. The flash of light that erupted from my hand as I cast the magic forth was profoundly satisfying, almost as much as the resounding echo of the explosion that followed when the sphere of swirling flame slammed into the face of the canyon wall. But at a cost of 300 Aura, Fireball wasn’t very efficient for me to practice either.
By late afternoon, I recognized the first signs of Aura fatigue as a slight headache began to set in and quit my practicing before it could truly take effect. The one time I’d really suffered from its consequences had been quite unpleasant, and I was not eager to repeat that experience. So, with my training at an end, at least for the day, we began our slow trek back to the Palace.
When we finally made our way upstairs to my quarters again, I stopped to check in with Talína before settling in for some rest. I’d thought of it as only a matter of courtesy since I hadn’t really expected that anything of consequence had occurred while I’d been off practicing my talents. But, surprisingly, Talína motioned for me to sit, indicating that she actually did have something important to relate to me.
“Empress, I cannot explain how overwhelmed I am by the honor you have bestowed upon me,” she began almost reverently. “I have no way to repay you in kind, but if you would permit me, I would l like to pass on one of my Spells to you. My adventuring career was cut shor
t, as you know, and I only managed to master this one Spell, so, unfortunately, it’s the only one I have to offer you.”
Magic was quite a powerful thing to be offering. Even a single Spell was an incredible boon, one that was almost impossible for me to pass up, yet that was exactly what I intended to do—if Talína was willing to cooperate with me. But she’d need a better explanation than I could offer her in the wide-open area where she and her three assistants worked, so I gestured for her to follow me into the more private confines of my quarters. Once we were comfortably seated in the antechamber to my rooms, I dismissed my guards, keeping only Saibra by my side as I began to bring Talína into the tightest circle of my confidants.
“A bare handful of people are aware of what I’m about to tell you, Lína,” I leaned in closer as I spoke in a tone of utter seriousness. “In fact, I have yet to tell some of my own Ministers and companions what you’re about to hear now. But your offer has presented me with a bit of a dilemma, and it requires me to include you in that very select group.”
Talína stared at me in confusion, clearly unsure how her desire to gift me with her magic could have precipitated this discussion, yet she remained still, waiting for me to continue.
“The Sintári have been gone from this world for a very long time, and much of the knowledge about us has been lost,” I proceeded cautiously. “We share a very powerful connection with the world around us; in some cases, that connection is far too powerful—the sheer might of it can overwhelm us. That’s why we need partners who can help us shed some of those overwhelming feelings. Partners who are attuned to us, and who also need to absorb those powerful energies themselves. I have four such partners who keep the world around me from becoming too unbearable. They keep me alive, Talína, and I wouldn’t last very long at all without them.”
“As you can imagine, protecting them is very important to me. So, when you offered to teach me your magic, I immediately considered how I could best use it to keep them safe. Only one of them can learn Spells, and if you are willing, I would like you to teach your magic to her, rather than me. Doing so will help protect me far better than teaching it to me ever could, so I hope that you’ll agree to do so.”
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