The Timeless One

by Lexy Wolfe

  "I have never seen anything like it before in my life." Tyrsan regarded the two with a mixture of admiration for their skills and irritation at the risk. "Almek's vision has been the only one anyone could clearly see either of you Desanti. Clearly we erroneously assumed your fates were death and not near death." He crossed his arms. "I trust there will not be a repeat of this?"

  Storm and Skyfire traded looks before they both shrugged one shoulder. "For now," they replied in unison, all seriousness.

  "The shli'zarii must be witnessed to be fulfilled." Storm looked up wearily. "It is the only contest a Swordanzen can perform without being required to answer other challenges until they have recovered."

  Skyfire grimaced a bit as he shifted uncomfortably. "Traditionally, the witnesses would then guard the combatants until they recovered from the ordeal."

  Storm looked down, expression pained. "However, there are many within Desantiva's borders with... less honor who will take advantage. Few ask how someone was defeated. All that matters is that they were defeated. Though it has been untold generations since Githalin Swordanzen have performed the shli'zarii because there have not been more than one of equal skill for a very long time."

  Jaison approached, hands on hips as he glowered at the pair. "How could you risk yourselves like that? Don’t you think there are some things more important than some tradition that damned near killed you?"

  Before either Desanti could respond to the criticism, Ash spoke up, surprising everyone. "You can't ask the Desanti to turn their backs on traditions that are nearly as old as Fortress itself."

  Staring at the Illaini Magus in shock he was the one to defend the pair's actions, Jaison finally found his voice again. "Are you kidding me? You think there is any reason for them to risk death or worse?"

  "Until you understand the purpose of a tradition, do you think any of us have a right to question it?" Ash looked at Storm with a small, wan smile, kissing her temple. "How else can they test their prowess, prove themselves worthy, than to face their equal?" He sighed softly, resting his cheek against her hair, eyes closed. "And if we had been more accepting instead of critical and trying to force them to change to suit our values, they would not have risked dying alone from exposure and injuries because no one would have known where to find them to guard them."

  Reaching across for Ash's free hand, Storm clasped it as tightly as she had strength for, pressing her lips against his knuckles. "If we both live until another shli'zarii, we will not hide it from you. I promise." Ash closed his eyes, tightening his arm around her waist.

  "Sta-im! 'Fire!" Excitedly, Izkynder nearly lunged out of Taylin's arms when she exited her and Mureln's room. "Izkynder! Stop that!" She quickly put him on the floor before she dropped him. The boy crawled as quickly as he could to Skyfire who was nearest, hugging his leg tightly. "'Fire no go. Be good."

  Taylin looked both relieved to see Storm and Skyfire alive, and furious at them. "You are lucky you came back alive!" she snapped. "He has been calling for you since sunrise." At the Desanti's blank looks, Taylin exhaled gustily. "He knew what you were doing. Enough to know you were both in danger. The shriek he woke us with must have alerted the entire mountain! Mureln guessed where you would be. Obviously, since you are all back here together."

  Skyfire looked down at the boy, blinking a few times. He looked at Storm in bewilderment. "He knew? How could he know something was amiss unless..." He looked down at the child. "He shares a true bayuli-volsha with you."

  Mureln looked at his son fondly, pride in his voice. "He already has the natural gifts of a bard."

  Bella snorted softly. "I'd only just gotten back from a mandatory patrol when I thought the mountain was shivering with the start of an earthquake. Tyrsan ordered me and Jaison to stay here and the rest..." She waved a hand.

  Ash helped Storm to kneel, the woman's expression devastated. "Izkynder," she said simply, holding her arms out to him. The boy looked at her and let go of Skyfire, crawling into her lap and clinging tightly to her as she gathered him up, hugging him. "Izkynder, I am so sorry," she whispered. "So sorry. I did not realize someone not born Desanti could receive the true bond through the ritual we did. I did not think to ask Thandar if it were possible. I would never have burdened you with it if I'd known you would feel me."

  Jaison stared at the two. "He is not na'Zhekali in name only? I assumed the duality I felt was just me needing to become accustomed to a complete bayuli-volsha. Not that he had bayuli-volsha."

  "Forgive me. I never would have cursed him with being na'Zhekali if I had known." Storm rested her cheek atop Izkynder's head, the boy falling asleep in her arms finally. "I was a child when the na'Zhekali tribe was made... almost... extinct when desert raiders attacked. I knew when each of them died. How they died. How long it took them to die. Each death becoming more painful as each soul fled." She closed her eyes tightly. "All fifty-seven of them." Ophilia covered her mouth in horror. Bella and the others just gaped in shock at Storm's quietly spoken words.

  Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Storm continued. "I did not know I should have performed the foreigner ritual to make Izkynder na'Zhekali. That... he could share the same bond. There had been the very rare Vodani who became part of tribes but they never possessed the bayuli-volsha because the rituals were ceremonial for the reason that even after they proved themselves, they were never fully accepted. They were... they were foreigners. Outsiders. Never fully trusted."

  She raised green-gold eyes glittering with tears to look at Taylin and Mureln, begging forgiveness. "I did the Desanti ritual because I did not think it would matter... I know Mureln would have asked about our rituals eventually. He would have known the rituals for Vodani meant they were second class in Desanti eyes. I didn't want... I wanted you to know I did not see you or Izkynder as less than Desanti. I trust you as equals. As... as family." She closed her eyes tightly. "I would never have purposely burdened him with the curse of being true na'Zhekali. Please believe me."

  Taylin knelt in front of Storm, gently taking the sleeping infant from Storm's arms. Once he was settled with his head on her shoulder, the healer caught Storm's hand, squeezing tightly. "It is okay, Storm. We are honored and grateful to have Izkynder be part of the na'Zhekali."

  Storm's expression was heartbreakingly tragic. "But--"

  Ash helped Storm back to her feet. "The past is what it is, beloved. Let the future take care of itself." He brushed a tendril of hair from her eyes. "You and Skyfire are exhausted. You both need to rest."

  Lyra took Mureln's place, supporting Skyfire. She looked surprised and grateful when Ash called her. "In here, Lyra. It will be easier for us to watch over them if they're together."

  "Yes, Ash." She smiled encouragingly up at the tall Desanti when he stumbled.

  Ash deftly removed all of Storm's weapons and sat them on the table near her before he made her lay down. She fell asleep before he got the laces on her first boot loosened. He considered the bed and made a thoughtful noise. "We will have to adjust the furniture to make this arrangement permanent."

  Lyra blinked in surprise. "Permanent? You mean... you wish Skyfire and I to share your room?"

  Skyfire sat on the other side of the bed, letting Lyra undo his own weapon belts, knowing he was too exhausted to manage even that much finesse. Golden brown eyes met azure blue. "Ash, you need not--"

  Ash shook his head, negating anything Skyfire was about to say. "You told me in Sharindel that Desanti find comfort with others nearby. We Forenten have ignored how much you and Storm suffered trying to adapt to our customs to respect our ways. You both deserve better than we have given you." Looking determined, he stated, "It is time we Forenten start accepting others' ways."

  Skyfire could not suppress the depth of his gratitude, reaching out to clasp the mage's forearm, albeit with a considerably weaker grip than normal for him. "I... thank you, Lord Ash."

  "Don't call me 'Lord.' You are my friend. An equal." Patting Skyfire's hand before releasing him, As
h shrugged. "I admit, it will take getting used to, but I will adapt." He gave Lyra a small smile. "No one can fault you in your taste in Forenten women. Though I do hope you do not snore, Lyra. I am a light sleeper."

  Lyra's fair complexion turned brilliant red. "Ash!" she scolded, unable not to smile at Skyfire's weary chuckle as he lay back finally. She pulled the covers over Skyfire, the man rolling onto his side to put his arm around Storm. The ease in the inherent tension the pair always seemed to have was clearly noticeable.

  The young archer looked crestfallen. "Oh, Ash. I never realized how important having each other near was to them. Radisen mentioned it once to me about how Desanti families, sometimes whole tribes, sleep together, but he never complained..."

  "They wouldn't have." Ash shook his head as he brushed his fingers across Storm's brow. "Whether it's stubborn pride or simply not wanting to worry us, they would never have complained." He looked up at the young woman. "Stay with them, Lyra. I will be back as soon as the others are assured our Desanti are truly all right."

  "Yes, Ash." Lyra averted her gaze as Ash leaned down to kiss Storm's brow tenderly after drawing the blankets up around her.

  Ash closed the door behind him as he returned to the main room, raising a hand to quiet the simultaneous questions. "They are sleeping. I expect they will sleep for a good couple of days at least." Mureln offered Ash a glass of wine. The mage accepted it with gratitude. "I feel as though I could sleep as well myself."

  Emil looked up at Emaris as the mute gypsy made a few hand gestures, his expression quizzical. "I dunno. Hey, Ash. Ye think if'n Storm did that ritual wi' us, we'd feel this bayuli-volsha like th' boy?"

  Glass just touching his lips, Ash stopped at the question, blinking a few times as he lowered it thoughtfully, glancing at his right palm. "I do not know. Obviously, it isn't limited to those of Desanti blood."

  Jaison looked at the men with surprise. "Do you have any idea what you're asking? The Desanti bayuli-volsha is more of a curse than a blessing. Those of us with Desanti blood do not have any choice. Why in the world would you want to burden yourself with this if you have the option?"

  Emil snorted softly, crossing his arms. "Hells, after all we been through t'gether, we already be a tribe in name." He smirked. "What? Ye be afraid of rubbin' elbows wi' a gypsy? 'Fraid ye'll catch somethin' contagious?"

  "With your light fingers? I would be more afraid of losing something of value. I'd be a fool not to worry about being within arm's reach of you," Jaison replied dryly. "You still owe me a rematch in cross bones."

  "Ye talk th' talk. C'mon over here an' ante up, an' we'll see if ye will be givin' me yer britches."

  Bella watched with a bemused expression. "This is a very odd group of adepts."

  Terrence and Ophilia traded knowing smiles as he took her hand. "Oh, you have no idea, Unsvet Bella." Ophilia giggled as they went to join the impending dice game.

  Tyrsan just shook his head, rubbing his cheeks tiredly. He looked up to see a glass of wine being held in front of him.

  "Trust me," Mureln said reassuringly. "It is strange, but it works for us. Easier to just accept than question things sometimes. Consider it a... Desanti tradition."

  Tyrsan accepted the glass and drained it, then held it back out to be refilled. His voice was droll. "I wonder if Almek has any idea what he began bringing all of you here."

  "Oh, I very much doubt it," Mureln replied cheerfully. "But what fun would it be if he had? Life would certainly be boring for him, don’t you agree?"

  Tyrsan muttered. "I never thought I'd miss 'boring.'"

  "You were bored? Even with me around, Dulain?" Bella asked sweetly. "I shall have to try harder." She ducked from his threatening backhand, giggling at the man, no less relieved than he was to have things back to relative normalcy.

  Chapter 10

  Mureln walked with Ash through the archives, looking at the ancient texts with a sense of wonder. "You're sure it is all right not to be with Storm while she's still recovering?"

  The mage smiled. "I am worried about them, too, but the only time they've slept deeper is after Taylin healed Almek. The shli'zarii took a lot out of her and Skyfire. They were so close to..." He sighed softly, smile fading. "It keeps my mind off what could have happened. What nearly did happen."

  "Yeah, I know what you mean." Reaching out to touch the bindings of one etched in silver Vodani script, Mureln whistled appreciatively. "I can see why you are so fascinated with the archives. All of this history in one place!" He looked askance towards the mage. "But you can't live down here, you know."

  Ash laughed quietly. "Oh, believe me, I know. I learned my lesson about second guessing the Dulain when it comes to observations about warriors." Sighing wistfully, he touched the edge of a shelf as they walked. "But I expect once we have been tested, we will not be remaining here for long. Storm would fret about needing to finish her task of educating Forenten about Desanti so she could go home. So, I want be here as much as I can now. Goddess knows how long it will be between visits."

  "You don't plan on staying here long, either?" Mureln smiled knowingly. "Good. I find your tree in Ithesra much more of a home than nearly anywhere else I have been, and I'd feel odd being there without you."

  "I am honored you feel that way, given how much you have travelled." Ash continued as they walked through the aisles, the small ball of magelight followed the pair overhead as if it were an obedient servant lighting the way, leaving their hands free.

  "So what are we doing in the Vodani archives?" Mureln studied the mage's profile. "No offense, but Forenten do tend to be rather self-centered." Ash only smiled at the characterization without argument. "I would have thought you would believe you'd find whatever you are seeking there."

  "When one is seeking answers from an archive such as this, you do not go where you expect them to be." Ash slanted a look at Mureln. "Besides, I was following you. I admire how you follow your instincts, even when you do not realize you are."

  "Following me?" Mureln blinked. "But I wasn't looking for anything."

  "As a master bard, aren't you always seeking answers to questions?"

  The Vodani man smirked a bit. "Sometimes, we are seeking questions. But your point is taken. However, I know nothing about journaling. My art is purely oral." He made a face. "Granted, I am supposed to be journaling now that I'm an Adept."

  Ash smiled faintly. "It takes time to develop the skill of proper journaling, and I suspect that here they assume you will pick up on it after writing by rote for years, instead of explaining the truth behind it as it is taught to the more promising apprentices in Forenta."

  "I find myself wanting to echo Storm and Skyfire's sentiment about how much writing they expect from us." Mureln made a face of distaste, drawing another chuckle from Ash.

  "Fortress's archives are much like the ones in the Magus Academy. They are more than simply inert scribbles on dead parchment." He waved his hands expansively. "There is an art to journaling, and Ranshya had confirmed for me the method we mages use is what Guardians use, so it is not reliant on possessing Forentan or temporal magic."

  Mureln arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."

  Ash looked amused with his companion's droll, but curious, tone of voice. "To properly journal, you impart a piece of your soul into your words. All of these," he waved a hand expansively, "are, in a sense, alive. To find knowledge you seek, you merely have to reach out with your question firmly in mind and--" Realizing he had outpaced his companion, he turned to look back, concern in his eyes when he saw the bard bracing himself against a shelf, hand to his head. "What is wrong?"

  "Nikkan," Mureln said, voice tight. "What he did before he died... I think he did what you are speaking of, but to me. He was trying to tell me something then, and he still tries." He shook his head and said, "Sometimes, he nearly overwhelms me in his desperation, though I do not know what triggers it." The Vodani shook his head, wordlessly dismissing the Forentan's worry. "Tell me. What tricks do you use t
o uncover information from such a vast array of books? Since I doubt journals are merely on single topics."

  "No tricks. The books will let you know by telling you." Despite his worry for the bard, Ash pressed his lips together to repress a smile when Mureln jumped away from the shelves he leaned against, eyeing the books warily. "It is not a matter of finding the information you seek, but the information you seek finding you."

  "And how, pray tell, does that happen?" Mureln asked, crossing his arms. He poorly concealed his skepticism. "And what answers are you looking for?" Both men jumped at the sound of a heavy book falling flat on the floor. The bard looked between the fallen book and Ash. "The books... jump out? Are you kidding me?"

  "Not at all." Ash walked calmly to the book, picking it up and brushing it off reverently. "But given how admittedly distracted I am about Storm, I suspect that the answers are more for your questions than mine." He held the book in his hands thoughtfully. "Though it may be for both of us."

  Mureln came closer, looking at the nondescript book in his hand. "This normally happens?" He stared in shock as he took the book out of Ash's hands, touching the name inscribed on the cover. "By the goddess... Davin Nadeesi... How old is this?"

  Taking the book back, Ash considered the markings along the spine that were echoed on the shelf. "This is one of the earliest sections of the Vodani archives. According to Ranshya, both Sevmanen and Vodani archives began to appear as unique sections of their parent race archives about three hundred years before the Great War. When the Second Sundering occurred, they were fully separated into their own individual areas." He looked at Mureln curiously. "Is there something special about this book?"

  "Nadeesi is my family name. I knew my family was old but..." Mureln shook his head sharply. "And this random book falling happens frequently?"

  "Constantly. You should see it when Terrence is with me. He is not as practiced at holding few questions in his mind as he goes through the archives. Turyd was nearly apoplectic when a single case nearly emptied itself at Terrence's feet." Both men chuckled at the mental image of the fallen books and the snobbish Turyd's reaction.