by Elise Kova
They repeated the motions again, and again. They did them slowly and at a too-far distance to start, then sped up as Vi became more comfortable. Just when she thought she’d gathered the hang of it, Arwin changed the move.
“All right, put that to the side for now,” Arwin finally commanded. Vi’s arms were like jelly, limp at her sides the moment she let go of the scythe. “Let’s practice a little bit of combat, now that we’ve run through drills.”
All Vi could do was nod. She was winded, legs exhausted, arms failing. But she wasn’t about to back down. Arwin walked over to the weapon rack, grabbing a wooden halberd. With a pulse of her magic, the polearm had turned into a wooden scythe, nearly identical to her weapon. She tossed it over and Vi was shocked she still had the reflexes and strength to catch it.
“Why haven’t I been practicing with this the whole time?”
“We weren’t moving that fast, or doing anything that dangerous, during the drills. I wanted you to grow accustomed to the actual weight of your weapon. But for sparring… I’m not going to even risk having you knick me with that thing. Who knows what it’d do to me.”
Vi looked to the weapon, and agreed. It was likely for the best… She’d always heard crystals led to madness, and monstrous corruptions of mind and body. But the scythe had also been in the hands of the morphi for generations. Perhaps, somehow, they were immune… or perhaps they’d just never handled the weapon enough. Vi wouldn’t take chances, in case it was the latter.
“I’ll use different weapons each round. Your only objective is to land a killing blow on me.”
“Understood,” Vi said, and the sparring commenced.
With two weapons, Arwin formed an X to catch her scythe, pushing it off and digging the blunted wooden point of one into the soft part of her throat. When Arwin wielded a single sword, Vi had slightly more luck keeping the woman at distance—until Arwin caught the pole in her hands, yanking the wooden weapon forward and Vi with it. She stumbled and fell, blinking up at the sword in her face.
“I know you have more than that, up with you,” Arwin commanded gruffly. They clasped forearms and Arwin pulled her upright. Vi swayed wearily and ignored every stinging pain in her body. “You were good on distance there; you just need to identify openings to attack better. Defense is only useful to create an opening for offense.”
“I’ll focus on openings, then,” Vi said, and they continued on.
Arwin was nimble and skilled—a trained warrior through and through. No matter how many hours she put in, Vi wasn’t about to make up for the difference in their years of experience.
And yet… when an opening presented itself, Vi took it.
Arwin’s weight shifted—Vi recognized her preparation for a lunge. She dodged to the side. Swiping the blade low, Vi hooked Arwin’s ankle and pulled. The woman was sent off-balance, dancing from foot to foot to try to stay upright.
Vi pushed the blade this time, hitting the fronts of her ankles. Arwin slammed the tip of her wooden sword into the ground, using it for support. She crouched low, about to strike again. But Vi was too fast.
She swung the scythe around, stopping it right at Arwin’s neck.
For a brief second, they both panted, staring at each other.
“Well done.” Arwin recovered her breath much faster than Vi. “Perhaps you have a fighter in you yet.”
Vi eased the scythe away from Arwin, leaning against it for support. “I have a good tutor.”
Arwin flashed her a genuine smile, taking the scythe and returning it with her wooden sword to the rack. Vi took the expression as a sign of hope—perhaps she really could convince the woman to go with her on her journey.
“Come along.” Arwin started for the exit.
“Where are we going?” Vi grabbed the crystal scythe and followed Arwin out of the training room. They went through the normal doors, into the usual hallway, but then took an unexpected turn down a wing of the palace Vi had never been to before.
“You’ll see soon enough.” Arwin glanced over her shoulder, making sure Vi was still close behind. “You did well today. You deserve—and need—some recovery.”
The potent scents of flowers and woody herbs filled the air on clouds of steam. Arwin led her into a bathing room. There, Vi discovered the source of the aroma—three large tubs, like barrels cut in half, filled to the brim with steaming water.
“Strip.” Arwin pointed to a tall table on one half of the room, then to the tubs. “And soak. It does wonders for the body.”
Vi hovered as Arwin headed for the tall table on the room’s other side. She slowly peeled her sweat-drenched shirt off her skin, revealing a tight leather binding underneath before Vi could look away. Vi would have called it a corset, but it covered the breasts only—not down to the hips. Additionally, it had thick straps that wrapped over the shoulders and—most fascinating of all—it was fashioned to cover the entire breast, accentuating no cleavage, and was tied in the front.
“What?” Arwin caught her staring. “This?” She motioned to a fairly large, crescent-shaped birthmark underneath her collar bone.
“No, not that. Why do you bind your chest like that?” Vi blurted.
“Keeps them out of my way. They’d be way too painful to deal with if they were bouncing about during combat or practice.” Arwin paused, mid-loosening of the ties. Her eyes caught Vi’s. “What do you do?” she asked cautiously.
Mutual fascination filled the air to the point that Vi felt dizzy with it and couldn’t help laughing. And the laughter felt so good that she didn’t even bother trying to stop it.
“Look at us,” Vi said finally when she was under control. “Fascinated by each other’s lives, even when it comes to undergarments.” Arwin gave her a small grin. “We have nothing like that where I’m from. Our underclothes are meant to tighten the waist or accentuate the bust.”
“We have corsets too,” Arwin said.
“I see.”
“They’re just not practical for my line of work.” Arwin started for the laces of her chest leathers and Vi quickly averted her eyes, giving the woman some privacy. “I really don’t care how small my waist is.”
Vi set the scythe to the side and quickly undressed before crossing to the tub next to Arwin’s. She stepped up onto the ledge that surrounded it, dipping her toes into the water—feeling around for the small step she knew must be there. Finding one, she brought the other leg over and sat. What Vi had thought was water turned out to be a bright teal substance that reminded her of the consistency of an egg yolk. Any potential to be unnerved by such a comparison dissolved as a rush tingled up her body to her head, making everything feel light. Every muscle in her body relaxed all at once.
“Oh my…” Vi sighed softly, sinking back into the tub, the back of her head resting against the edge.
“Nice, isn’t it?” Arwin slung her arms over the side of her tub closest to Vi, chin resting on her forearms.
“I’ve never felt anything like it. It’s as if my whole body has vanished.”
“It’s one of Sarphos’s concoctions, actually. We worked on it together back before…” Arwin’s voice trailed off. Vi looked over to see the woman staring off at nothing. Vi didn’t question her; whatever memory had drawn her away was hers alone. The last thing she wanted to draw Arwin’s attention to was her moment of vulnerability. “It’s made from the shift,” Arwin continued hastily, as though the pause hadn’t happened at all. “Using water and other ingredients, he’ll use the shift to merge them together and make something new—shift it into something else.”
“He’s a skilled healer, and an even better man,” Vi murmured, thinking of all he’d done for Taavin and her, despite them being his supposed enemies. That would be another challenge if Vi somehow managed to find a way to convince Arwin to come along with her. How would she get her to ignore Taavin’s identity? Perhaps it was better to go after Sarphos; he already knew who he was dealing with.
“He is. And nothing at all like his bro
ther,” Arwin continued.
“His brother?” Vi remembered when she’d first inquired about Arwin and Sarphos’s relationship—he’d said something about Arwin being engaged to his brother. So the mention now had her more than a little intrigued.
Arwin pushed away from the side of her tub, mirroring Vi’s position with her head lounged back. She stared upward, speaking more toward the ceiling than Vi.
“Sarphos’s brother and I were engaged to be married. He was nothing like Sarphos—strong willed, a fighter, reckless, everything a young girl foolishly dreams—or lusts—about. There are times I wonder what would’ve happened if I knew what I know now, and had been smart enough to fall for the kind and stable Sarphos instead…” Arwin’s voice was filled with longing. But Vi didn’t know whether it was for Sarphos’s brother, or a life that could’ve been with Sarphos himself.
“What happened to him?” Vi asked gently. “Not Sarphos, obviously, his brother?”
“He’s gone now.”
“I’m sorry.” She straightened, moving the thick waters around with her hands, watching the flowers dance on the surface as she stirred up currents beneath. This could be her opportunity. Vi took a deep breath. She just had to find strength enough to be vulnerable… How was it, out of everything she’d done, that was starting to terrify her the most? “I’m afraid I may lose someone important to me as well.”
“Who?”
“My father.”
“You said you were here to find him. Why is the King of the Dark Isle on Meru?”
“Emperor—we don’t have kings on the Dark Isle anymore,” Vi corrected without thinking. Luckily, Arwin didn’t seem offended. “My mother is sick with the White Death. So my father embarked on a journey to Meru to find a cure. He didn’t know then what the cause was.” Didn’t know his journey was hopeless, Vi thought but couldn’t bring herself to say. If only she’d known earlier. If only her father had known. Then he would’ve been safe and sound back with her mother.
“I take it this journey didn’t go well?” Arwin asked solemnly.
“It didn’t… He was captured and is being held hostage.”
“By the Faithful?”
“No, he never made it to Meru. Adela captured him. Now she has him on her Isle of Frost and… I know he’s alive… but every day that passes is another when his life could end. Even when I’m so close to reaching him.” Vi turned to Arwin, surprised to see the woman stony-faced and serious. “Before I do anything else, I have to get to the Isle of Frost.”
“You’re going to the Isle of Frost?” Arwin whispered.
“Yes.”
Without warning, Arwin stood. Vi looked away quickly, giving the woman privacy as she left the tub.
Had she said something wrong? Had she offended her somehow? Vi ran through the conversation in her head.
“Get out,” Arwin commanded gruffly. Vi turned slowly, but the woman’s back was to her as she tightened the bindings on her chest. “We’re going to see my father.”
“Arwin… I didn’t mean to offend—”
“You didn’t offend me.” Arwin looked over her shoulder with a fire in her eyes. “But you have presented me with a unique opportunity.”
Chapter Sixteen
Unique opportunity. Vi didn’t know yet if she liked those words.
Arwin didn’t say anything else as they left the baths, starting up through the palace wordlessly. Vi repeated the conversation in her head verbatim, wondering where she’d gone wrong. Perhaps it was bringing up Adela? Taavin had said that Fallor was a notable outcast of the morphi, and he was in Adela’s service…
Vi suppressed a groan. She should’ve thought of that sooner.
Her mind swirled around the possibilities as they made their way along the spiral staircases of the palace, down to the throne room Vi had been first taken to days before. Just like then, King Noct sat on his large sofa, hands folded over his round belly, watching children play in the courtyard beyond.
“What is it, daughter?” the king asked, slowly drawing his eyes to Arwin. They drifted over Vi as well, pausing. “I see the weapon is becoming a part of you.”
Vi shifted her grip on the scythe. It was less cumbersome than she’d originally thought it would be—perhaps because it was surprisingly light. Or because she could feel the power radiating through it underneath her fingers. Either way, carrying it was indeed becoming more instinctive.
“I don’t enjoy letting it out of my sight,” Vi said quietly. Then added quickly, “I know it’s safe here, but—”
“But that is the right decision. You cannot be too cautious… and the weapon must get to know its new champion. Perhaps Arwin can fashion a sling for you to better carry it with.” At the mention of his daughter, he turned to Arwin. “Why have you come with such a severe expression?”
“Father, there is something we have overlooked—a detail our guest has neglected to share.”
“What is this?” The king looked back to her.
“Well… I had been telling Arwin about my quest to find my father,” Vi started, glancing between the two.
“Yes, one of the reasons that you came to Meru.”
“It’s not that she’s finding him—it’s where her father is,” Arwin said gruffly before motioning for Vi to continue.
“He’s on the Isle of Frost, your highness,” Vi said delicately. “Adela has him.”
“The Isle of Frost…” the king repeated softly. His eyes drifted back to Arwin. “I know what you are thinking.”
“Father, I must. This is my chance.”
“I remain firm in my—”
“Your stance has always been that I cannot go alone,” Arwin interrupted, “and that has been enough, because you forbade my sisters from going with me on my mission.” Arwin took a step forward. “Well, now I will not be alone. I will have a companion on the journey—a companion who is not your daughter and will be going anyway.”
“A companion who also doesn’t know this land. Who is not a warrior like yourself and can’t protect you.”
Were she able to show the king her Lightspinning, he might think differently. But Vi kept her mouth shut.
“I can take care of myself—you know I can. She has the scythe and is improving. At the very least, she can guide the way—I’ve seen her with her maps, father.” Arwin looked to Vi. “You know how to get there, don’t you?”
“I do,” Vi said with slightly more confidence than she felt.
“If you go, you will die at Adela’s hand.”
“Your highness,” Vi interjected quickly before the conversation could take yet another repetitive turn. “I do not fully understand the depth of all you are discussing… But if Arwin wishes to join me, then I beseech you to let her.” Vi glanced at Arwin. The woman had a desperate look to her eyes. Vi didn’t know what she was bargaining for just yet—what had given Arwin this fire—but if it resulted in the help she needed, she would handle the rest as it came. “I must save my father.”
“You must save this world.”
“I know that,” Vi nearly snapped back at him. The only thing keeping her voice level was her years of royal training. She had no idea how she was going to save the world—she was still just trying to save the ones she loved. “But I also know this: Arwin is the best teacher I’ll be able to find for this weapon.” Vi shifted her grip on the scythe. “How will I be ready to fight to save our world if I can’t keep training?”
The king was silent.
“I also know that I won’t be able to focus on defeating Raspian if I’m worried for my father’s life. I want to save him and the world. All my life, I have been trying to reunite with my family… I don’t want to live in a saved world where I cannot.”
Noct pursed his lips slightly. She could tell she was trying his patience. But Vi took his continued silence as an indication that she still held the upper hand on the matter.
“I’ve been told there is a shift around the Isle of Frost—much like the one here. I’m
hoping there are tears in that shift, too—tears I plan to exploit.” Vi tried to counter his argument before he could make it. “But I’d rather not risk that chance. I’d rather know that once I sail for the Isle of Frost, I will be able to get to my father. If you don’t allow Arwin to accompany me for her own reasons, let her come to train me and ensure I can get past the Isle’s shift. Please, I—”
She stopped shy of begging, but only just.
The king closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, he looked out on the courtyard with a sorrowful expression. Vi knew she was asking him to risk his family for her to save hers. She knew it wasn’t a fair trade. Just as she knew exploiting the world’s end was an underhanded tactic.
But Arwin also had her own reasons for going. She could see it on the woman’s face. Even if Arwin’s presence would help Vi, she got the impression it would help Arwin, too. She just wasn’t sure exactly how.
“Did you not tell me we are to help the Champion?” Arwin asked, stepping forward. “Isn’t that why you gave her the scythe and your hospitality?”
“I do not wish to give her my daughter as well.”
Arwin knelt by her father. “You will not lose me, father. But I must put an end to the abominable shift that protects the bane of the seas—the shift that should’ve never been established and is a theft of our magic. I must put an end to the one who betrayed us.”
King Noct looked only at his daughter, slowly lifting his hand. He cupped her cheek thoughtfully, lovingly. Vi’s chest ached, thinking back to the few times she’d been with her own father and he’d looked at her with his heart in his eyes.
“If you take this burden on yourself, if you leave our lands… You know I must make it a royal decree. You will get no exceptions as my daughter.”
“I understand.”
“Then, my royal guard…” King Noct’s whispering voice quivered slightly. “I command you to leave the protection of the Twilight Kingdom to atone for your past transgressions. I command you to venture beyond the embrace of the Twilight Forest. You are to go, and on your way, you will teach the Champion so that she may save our world. You are to destroy the shift which should’ve never been—and you are to ensure it shall never be formed again by killing the one who created it. Otherwise, you will not be welcomed back into this court.”