The Timeless One

by Lexy Wolfe

  Sighing, the woman stopped trying to find the edge of the bed, turning her face away from him. "The energy was too much," Storm whispered as he put his arms around her. "Like staring into the high sun. It was so much...So hot. So bright. I cannot sense anything. Not even your touch." She tightened her arms around him. "I can't even hear you through the roar in my ears." She fumbled for his hand again, pressing it against her cheek. "Our bond let's me sense through your senses. But for myself... there is nothing but emptiness."

  Ash's eyes dilated in abject horror. "The spell nearly locked you inside your mind?! Oh, dear gods, Aelia. I didn't think... I didn't realize you would get lasting harm because of this." He wrapped his arms around her tightly with overwhelming guilt. "Forgive me, Aelia. If I had known you would have suffered this--"

  Storm hushed him soothingly. "You could not have known, my mage. Sun blindness is not always forever. This may not be forever, either." He did not speak on the uncertainty they both felt. She rested her cheek on his bare chest. "I remember a blinding pain before I stopped feeling anything. It is from the magic?"

  "Yes," Ash murmured, closing his eyes. "Few, if any, who are not mages know of the true consequences of magic." His lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Mages hide their weaknesses as much as warriors do, it seems."

  "Do you mages always suffer pain when you cast magic?"

  He held her fiercely tight. "Magic becomes more painful when we near our boundaries. We are conduits for the energies we wield and direct. If we push ourselves too far, it can cause physical injuries." He kissed her forehead. "I have come close to death many times in my life. The closest was after I used the morelmi to strip my traitorous student of magic for her crimes. That is a spell that normally many mages must cast together."

  Storm shifted against him, making a thoughtful noise. "So that is why you suffered so much. I did not realize how much your magic cost you." She stated thoughtfully, "I do not know if my people ever thought mages endured as much as warriors had to. Magic always just seemed like..." She made a vague gesture with one hand.

  Ash could not help but laugh. "A lot of talking and hand waving?" She nodded, closing her eyes. "It has taken a great deal of work to have the capacity to do what I am able." He looked down at her, tracing the line of her jaw with his fingertips. "We call the pain, pressure and potential injury the chlayxin. It is not unknown for mages to overreach themselves and die from it. It is similar to the Final Dance you nearly died from to save the rest of us from the desert raiders."

  "But I am no mage," Storm said, her confusion becoming apparent. "No Desanti has been able to touch magic since the Great War. How could I suffer a Forentan curse?"

  "Because as lifemates bound soul to soul, you instinctively chained to perform your miraculous feat," Jaison stated from the doorway. Ash glared at the Unsvet, protectively holding Storm tighter. "At least, that is the theory. No one is sure, honestly. Guardians can do similarly to share their power. And the cost. But it must be consciously done by others after years of training. You..." He narrowed his eyes at the distrust the pair displayed. "I imagine you both have appreciable capacity for temporal energies, but for obvious reasons, Storm has no capacity for Forentan magicks but somehow suffered the mage backlash regardless." Standing away from the doorframe, he approached the pair with brisk movements. "Come, let me see how bad of a state you remain in."

  Both Storm and Ash stiffened, the mage glaring at the Unsvet for his intrusion. The Unsvet drew back when Ash raised his arm to block him from touching Storm as she pressed herself closer to Ash. "Don't," the mage warned in a low voice.

  Jaison raised his hands, keeping his voice reassuring. "I will not touch her. I do not need to touch her. I could see from across the room what is wrong without physical contact, but not the degree. I wish only to help." Waiting until Ash finally lowered his arm, the Unsvet closed his eyes, hand hovering near Storm's cheek as he murmured.

  Ash blinked several times as Storm's awareness rushed back, able to feel her soul and, dimly, what she sensed through touch and sound. He looked down at the woman as she turned her face against his chest, shaking even more. "What did you do? I can..."

  "Sense through her again," Jaison finished for him as he stood. "What she suffers from is... much as she described Desanti sun blindness. I have witnessed Forentan magic through Guardian sight, and it is very bright. Brighter the more that is wielded. Seeing her this way, the effect went beyond the mind's eye to her physical senses." He regarded Storm with an unreadable expression. "You will heal in time, Githalin Swordanzen. I have only done enough so you do not go mad."

  The mage frowned, looking at Storm, then at Jaison. "What do you mean? Go mad?"

  "Have you ever been deprived of all your senses at once? Unable to feel, to hear, to see, to taste, to smell anything? I remember..." Jaison looked away, but not fast enough to keep Ash from seeing his suddenly flushed cheeks. "I was born in Desantiva and grew up among them before coming here. As sensitive as Desanti are, she would have been a prisoner inside her own mind and body. And as long as she would have needed to recover to where I brought her?" He shook his head. "Desanti do not fare well when they feel trapped under normal circumstances. The level she was locked in, though, was well beyond anything anyone should ever live to endure. She would have gone mad in time, well before she would have healed enough to sense again. It would not have been a good death."

  Storm sat up straight abruptly, frowning slightly at Jaison's words as she tightened her grip on Ash's hand. "I thought you were lying. You had been to Desantiva. No one speaks of death like that anywhere else."

  Jaison paused halfway to the door, tension in his shoulders. Finally, he confirmed, words slow, "Yes. But it was a very long time ago. You both have slept for several days. You need sustenance to help regain your strength. They will be bringing the evening meal shortly. Your companions would welcome your company." He paused to look over his shoulder. "I will... inform them of your condition, Swordanzen."

  Neither moved until Jaison had closed the door behind him. Ash looked into Storm's sightless eyes searchingly. "Are you sure you are ready to face the others?" Ash asked as Storm felt for the edge of the bed, swinging her legs over. The mage was unsteady on his feet, but he focused on helping her. "I know how you feel about others seeing you when you are... impaired."

  "No, I am not ready." She closed her eyes, looking away from him in shame. "What I do know is I will be a long time healing. If I... if I will heal completely at all. I could sense the doubt in him."

  "Storm," Ash murmured, heartbroken for his lifemate.

  "I do not know how long it will take... I just know that I... I do not want to be alone while I am like this."

  "Skyfire, Lyra and I would stay with you," he began to say, falling silent when she touched his lips lightly.

  Expression equally sad and loving, Storm smiled up at him sightlessly. "You suffer enough because of me, Ash. I will not force you to endure the solitude that we Swordanzen must endure when we need to recover from great incapacitation. And I must... learn to trust...," she said haltingly. "I have never had any but the Totani and drizar who I could trust when..."

  Ash hushed her gently. "We are all Almek's students. We protect each other and, when necessary, are protected by each other. Like a Desanti tribe."

  She nodded slightly, closing her eyes tightly but he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. "I will not be completely helpless for as long, thanks to him." She waved a hand in the direction Jaison had left. "We should go."

  "If you are certain." Ash hovered close. He caught her when her knees nearly gave out. "At least I need not worry about you training for a little while."

  She smiled faintly. "Swordanzen training includes blind training. I had not gotten to that point with Skyfire for twin blades yet. I guess we will be starting early." Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself up. "It will just be odd not having to wear a blindfold."

  Ash was silent, keeping an arm around her waist prote
ctively. "Blind training. Somehow, that frightens me more than your normal training." He could not help but relax when she laughed and leaned against him.

  Chapter 12

  Mureln watched the servants in bemusement as they entered in a swarm to set large platters and tureens on the table before vanishing again. "They seem... annoyed," he opined to Taylin, raising their clasped hands to kiss her knuckles lightly.

  Taylin dismissed the behavior. "Servants in Sharindel and Sanctuary both pride themselves on being unnoticed by those they serve, but still able to anticipate their needs and wants enough that when you realize you are thirsty, drink is there. Hungry? Dinner has already been served."

  "How strange," the bard murmured. "Unseen, all-knowing servants. It makes me miss Miss Kelafy and the others all the more. I prefer to interact with them. This tradition will make me feel... abusive." Taylin chuckled softly, shaking her head at him. Her smile faded when she looked up. Already in a subdued mood, the group quieted even more as Skyfire returned from tending to the drizzen and drizar in the stables, his entire demeanor forebodingly gloomy. "The drizar still refuses to eat. He is becoming sickly."

  Emil fumbled his glass, scrabbling to keep from spilling it. "Th' thing that eats everythin' from meat to rocks ain't eatin' at all?" He traded a worried look with Emaris. "That ain't good."

  "It is not," Skyfire agreed as he sat down next to Lyra. "I had never seen a drizzen grieve before." Closing his eyes, he looked away from the others. "I hope never to see it again." Lyra put her hand on his arm in a comforting gesture.

  Everyone looked up as Jaison rejoined them. Almek studied the Unsvet closely. "You have news."

  "They are awake," Jaison stated. His expression remained grim as relieved joy bubbled up. When they quieted because his expression did not change, he added, "There are complications in Swordanzen Storm's recovery."

  "What sort of complications?" Taylin asked, starting to rise. "I should be able to mend--"

  "Not while you are with child," Jaison stated curtly. "The only healing Storm will use right now is time, and I cannot tell you how long that will be." Taylin paused, then finally sat. He explained when they gave him their attentions again. "When Storm shared in the magic backlash of Ash's efforts, it affected her physical senses. She has been left blind, deaf and numb."

  The very subdued mood changed to mixtures of horror and disbelief. Questions and demands flooded Jaison all at once. The Unsvet was unable to be heard over them as he attempted to bring order back. Jaison looked helplessly towards Almek, who remained silent, forcing the Unsvet to contend with the group's disorder.

  Taking on the role of group spokesman, Mureln stood, and immediately, the others fell silent. "So you are saying," he stated slowly, his sea colored eyes fixed unwaveringly on Jaison, "Storm is crippled because of opening the portal to get Almek here?" Skyfire's eyes went wide, Lyra grabbing his arm to keep him from running to his th'yala. "Is it permanent?"

  "No, I do not believe it is permanent. She will recover," Jaison stated, then qualified, "In time. For now, though, she is in a severely... diminished capacity." He added more briskly, "Such afflictions are not unheard of, usually among new, undisciplined students who reach beyond their capacity without proper training."

  Emil narrowed his eyes on the Unsvet and voiced the question that the others had. "How do ye know she will be recoverin'? There ain't been no one ever done nothin' like she an' Avarian done, far as anyone knows. Desanti ain'ts got no magicks they ken use. And ain't no Desanti that ever left Desantiva, either, since Fortress abandoned 'em, so you can't possibly know much about 'em." Mureln put a calming hand on his friend's shoulder. The gypsy belligerently crossed his arms. "Desanti be different. We all knows that."

  "'Abandoned'?" Jaison echoed in outrage, opening his mouth to refute the accusation. He shut it again and gritted his teeth together, fists balled at his sides as he focused on retaining his composure. "I know, because I was able to help accelerate her recovery enough to improve some of her senses. If it were permanent, it would have been impossible. I spared her several months of being locked into her own mind."

  "If you could do that much, why not mend the damage completely?" Taylin wondered critically, frowning at him. "To leave her nearly completely blind, deaf and numb is almost as cruel as leaving her bereft of any sensory capacity! If you were part of one of the healing temples--!"

  Looking askance at Almek, Jaison grimaced as the Dusvet remained silent and merely waved for him to continue. With a growl under his breath, Jaison slammed the table jarringly to ease some of his growing frustration. They all fell silent, startled with the action so like Storm's months before, save the table remained whole. The Unsvet fixed Taylin with a stern look. "First, I understand Desanti better than you do, apparently. Most would rather die than be healed. Giving any Desanti more than the bare minimum of healing required would be... unwelcomed."

  Skyfire made a noise in his throat that seemed to agree with the Unsvet's words. "It is a fair point," he conceded with some reluctance. "Storm always tries to stop you when she feels she is healed enough."

  The Swordanzen's agreement helped ease some of Jaison's temper. With a single nod to the man, Jaison continued in a much calmer state. "Second, I did not heal her in the same manner as you did. I have no command over your domain, Taylin. I'm an Unsvet Guardian, and I am Vodani born. Not a Sevmanan healer. "What I did was briefly hastened time around her to accelerate her natural healing."

  "Hasten? Why not push it back like how we are taught to un-break an object?" Taylin asked in puzzlement.

  "Living things are not like inanimate objects," Jaison replied flatly. He held up a cup. "If I shattered this and wound time backwards around it to return it to its whole state, it would have no memory of what happened when time resumes moving forward." He sat the cup down gently, his expression thoughtful as he searched for the words. "Because a living thing has a memory of what happened, pushing someone backwards in time also pushes the memory, and when time flows forward again, the affliction often reappears.

  "It would risk forcing her to repeat the suffering you worked so hard to bring her through alive to start with." Taylin's ire evaporated with his flat statement. "To increase the passage of time is a risky enough thing to do to a living creature under normal circumstances. It takes great control and must be done carefully so they do not end up starving and withering away before your eyes. Besides, manipulating time around a Desanti is..." He paused to consider the proper word. "It is unwise."

  "I will be fine." Storm's reassurance surprised them as she and Ash rejoined the group. Hovering protectively close, the Forentan man guided her forward. She startled at the sound of everyone jumping to their feet and talking at once. They all quieted when Ash raised a hand. Storm stood still and silent, tilting her head.

  "Mistress Storm?" Lyra asked hesitantly as she approached. "Are you... Are you all right? Really?" The young woman did not need any further encouragement than Storm holding her arms out to her. Lyra quickly closed the distance, embracing the Desanti woman fiercely tight. With unquestioned relief, Skyfire embraced them both, his face turned away to hide his emotion. The others smiled indulgently, averting their eyes.

  After several minutes, Storm finally pushed Lyra and Skyfire away gently and took a few steps forward. Head tilted to the side, she hissed irritably when anyone started to speak. After a moment, she turned to 'look' directly at Almek. She nodded once, satisfied. "You do still live. Good."

  "As do you," Almek replied serenely. "No regrets?"

  Storm smiled faintly and shook her head. "None, Lord Almek. You are where you need to be. My lifemate lives. I have not failed you. I am content."

  Almek smiled warmly. "Good. Sit with us. There is much to discuss. But for now, eat! Relax." The old man smiled indulgently as Ash quickly stepped forward to reclaim Storm's hand, drawing her to sit with him. With the return of the last two of their number, the meal was filled with boisterous conversation and laughter. They a
ll fell silent when Almek stood to speak.

  He regarded the warrior and mage pair with paternal affection. "Storm. Ash. I have no words that can express my gratitude for the miracle the two of you performed to bring me home to Fortress. Old as I am, I have found I am not quite done with this life. Thank you."

  Unused to the profound gratitude that she could hear in Almek's voice, Storm's cheeks darkened in a furious blush as she looked down almost shyly. Ash smiled, putting his arm around her to kiss her temple before speaking. "I am glad Storm and I did not discover our ability too late, Master Almek. What we did was the least we could do to thank you for bringing us together."

  The Dusvet Guardian smiled then turned to the others. "Now that we are past this bend in the river, it is time for all of you to look forward to the journey that lies ahead of you. To become Guardians of Time."

  Emil and Emaris traded blank looks. "Us, too?" Emil asked in shock. "I was jus' jokin' 'round b'fore, ye know, Dusvet. 'Bout claimin' t' be yer student--"

  "Teach you to be so flippant," Mureln said in a stage whisper, earning laughs from the others and a flushed scowl from Emil.

  Almek merely smiled. "This is the village of Sharindel. Those who live here serve the Guardians of Fortress, though few are Guardians themselves. The purpose of Guardians is to protect this plane from predatory or parasitical entities that reside outside of this time stream. And to record the history and knowledge of these lands and the people within them."

  "Does everyone wander?" Mureln wondered curiously.

  "No. Some are more suited to the tasks that hold them here. Some feel the call to wander for only part of their long lives. Those who live here in Sharindel and are not Guardians are..." He paused, searching for an inoffensive description.

  "They are descendants of Guardians or those who failed to become Guardians," Storm stated as she accepted the cup Ash handed to her, sipping her water as she listened. When everyone went silent, save for Skyfire chuckling quietly, she blinked a few times as she raised her sightless eyes. "Am I wrong?"