Had he only managed to keep the Rune Master alive, he might have someone to question.
Tan wasn’t convinced that he had even won here. The last explosion of fire had come more from the elemental—kaas, if Honl was to be believed—and may have done nothing more than serve as a distraction, allowing for an escape.
He walked around the base of the crater, looking for some sign of the shaper, but there was nothing other than the blackened pit.
Sunlight filtered over the crater’s edge, drawn through the remaining heat veil that still surrounded everything. With a shaping of wind, he drew away the heat, sending it spiraling toward the sky.
Then he shaped himself up and toward the top.
A blast of wind hit him as he did. Tan caught the shaped wind with his sword and twisted it up and outward, away from him.
The wind faded quickly. His mother flew toward him on a shaping of ara. The corners of her eyes were tight and one hand was burned, but she appeared otherwise unharmed. Alan leaned over a fallen shaper. Nolan lay unmoving on the hard rock. Tan didn’t need to get close to know that the blast he had taken had killed him.
“What were you thinking?” his mother demanded.
Tan faced her and sheathed his sword. “I was thinking that I don’t need my mother attacking me with wind,” he answered.
She shook her head. “Not that, Tannen. You jumped into the middle of the attack without knowing how many lisincend were there. You did the same thing last night, not knowing what Par-shon shapers you might find. One of these times, you will find yourself facing more than you can handle.”
“That wasn’t lisincend,” Tan said.
His mother frowned at him. “Of course they were. The heat veil hid them from you.”
“Not from me. And not in the middle of it. That was elemental power. Fire. And stronger than I have ever faced before.”
His mother pointed to the north. Tan followed the direction she indicated. “If that was not lisincend, then why are there hounds, Tannen? You can’t explain everything as Par-shon.” She drifted in front of him on a shaping of air. “We’ve faced Incendin for decades. They will not simply stop attacking because Par-shon threatens from the sea. If anything, it gives them more reason to attack. They need a way to protect themselves and they think to use the kingdoms’ resources to do so.”
It sounded so much like what Roine had said that Tan had no way to counter it. Could it be true that Incendin had attacked? If so, how had they bonded to an elemental of fire—and one that he’d never heard of before?
Except Cora had bonded to fire. That was the reason that Par-shon had wanted her. And she was a warrior shaper, so there was no reason to believe that Incendin couldn’t have shaping like this. It just didn’t feel right to him.
Zephra flew away, leaving him standing on the ridge by himself, looking down into a crater that reminded him too much of Nor. His mother leaned over Nolan, running her hands over him while Alan looked on. Neither of them paid him any notice, as if simply ignoring the fact that he was even there.
Had he already become someone the other shapers could ignore?
In spite of everything, the rest of the kingdoms still feared Incendin more than they feared Par-shon, even those who had seen the effect of the Par-shon shapers, who had seen how Par-shon could bind and attack their shapers. But Tan knew what they could do. He knew how they would steal the elemental powers, the traps they had placed around the kingdoms, and what that would mean for the elementals.
Tan glanced over at his mother again and then disappeared on a shaping of lightning.
15
Chenir Arrives
A caravan arrived in Ethea the evening after the attack.
Tan sensed them coming, alerted by a combination of earth sensing and spirit sensing telling him that something was different. Since the attack along the border, he tried remaining vigilant, keeping himself alert, and holding onto an almost constant sensing.
“What is it?” Cianna asked.
They were beneath the city, checking on the draasin, and were in the tunnels when he paused. Asboel was still hunting, but Tan had wanted answers. What was this other elemental of fire? Why had he never heard of it before?
“I don’t know,” he began. “A large caravan approaches the city.”
“You have seen this?” she asked.
“Asboel is far from the city. He… remains silent to me.” He hadn’t figured out why, but with Asboel, there would be a reason.
Cianna frowned. When Alan and Zephra returned with word of Incendin attack, even Cianna struggled to believe him. “How would you know of this if you are not seeing it through his eyes…” She shook her head. “You can’t sense something like that from here. Even you are not that powerful, Tan.”
“Earth and spirit. I’m drawing through the sword. It augments my ability.”
Cianna grunted. “And drains it as well. Do you think it’s wise for the Athan to waste himself so uselessly?”
“Not wasted, and I’m not drained. Besides, the others don’t see me as Athan. I think only you and Ferran even would respond if I needed something.” Especially after today, after the attack. Tan began to suspect that he was Athan in name only.
“Then you’re more stupid that you look,” she said. She touched his arm to soften her words. “When Theondar was Athan, do you think we ignored his commands?”
“You didn’t know him as Theondar. And I would argue that you did ignore Roine when he was Athan.”
Cianna smiled slightly. “Perhaps somewhat, but he was Athan. He spoke with the voice of the king. Were he to choose, he could see our service changed or could return us to Ethea, where we would be forced to teach indefinitely. Or worse: He might send us to stand watch over the border with Chenir.”
“Why would that be worse?”
“Have you been to Chenir?” she asked. “Galen can be a dour and bland place. Chenir is worse. Though the men there…” She smiled as she trailed off. “They are said to have a different set of skills. I would not mind meeting a nice Chenir man.”
Tan laughed and opened the door leading into the palace. He chose not to bring Cianna through the lower level of the archives, though not because he didn’t trust her. Cianna knew the draasin now nearly as well as he did. There wasn’t much that he was going to be able to keep from her. But the archives were his place, even if he wasn’t able to find anything useful yet.
They hurried up the stairs, Cianna always a step behind him, never trying to push past him. The caravan continued toward the city, now nearly upon the outskirts itself. He couldn’t tell if there were shapers with the caravan. At least there didn’t seem to be any spirit shapers, but more than that was difficult to tell.
At the top of the stairs, they hurried into the lower level of the palace and proceeded quickly to the main level. They passed white-clad servants and even a few of the children running freely, but no one else. The servants tipped their heads toward Tan and Cianna, each time respectfully. Tan made a point of meeting each person’s eyes and greeting them, much as his mother had always taught was polite.
Cianna chuckled as they made their way to the main level of the palace. Tan turned on her. “What is it?”
“You’re much like him.”
“Who now?” he shot.
She planted her fists on her hips and faced him. “You would snap at a master shaper?”
“I would snap at my friend. And I thought you said you would follow the Athan.”
A wide grin peeled her lips. “Good. At least you’re not so stupid that you can’t learn.”
She pushed past him and continued down the hall, her slightly swaying hips drawing his eye. Cianna began whistling and stopped in front of a large, gilded door covered with ornate decorations. Cianna pulled the door open and stepped inside, unmindful of who might be on the other side.
This was the room he’d first met Althem in. Then the king had asked about his shaping ability and his connection to the elementals,
likely beginning to plan for his next steps. Tan had brought the artifact, handing it over to him. What would have happened had he not managed to get it back? What would have happened had Althem managed to use it sooner?
Or maybe he had learned to use it sooner. Could he have shaped spirit through it, forcing the archivists to complete their task? Or maybe there was another way that he’d used it, one that they still had yet to learn. Tan didn’t think that he’d been shaped, but he couldn’t really know, either.
Tan made his way Cianna, who waited at the other end of the room. A latticework of gold worked around the walls. Massive pale marble pillars rose through the room. Decorative sculptures were worked into the pillars, most in the shapes of elementals. Like the last time he’d been here, Tan noted the draasin carved around one of the pillars, fire billowing from their nostrils. There were no signs of anything like kaas, nothing that would indicate another ancient fire elemental.
Roine sat on the throne dressed in a long robe striped in navy and a deep, forest green. His eyes were drawn, and his mouth pulled into a thin line that tightened when he saw Tan.
“You finally return. I thought you might come here first,” he said, eyeing Cianna for a moment, “but something else was more important?”
Would Roine even understand if Tan told him that he’d gone to the draasin for answers? Would he believe it when Tan explained that it wasn’t Incendin attacking at all?
“I’m sure Zephra told you,” he said.
Roine chuckled. “Zephra most certainly did, but you’re my Athan. I would hear from you.”
“It wasn’t Incendin, Roine.”
“Zephra said there were hounds, and the veil.”
“There were, but it wasn’t Incendin.” He explained what he’d encountered, and then, “I think Par-shon released the next phase in their attack.”
Roine frowned.
“I told you that I thought Par-shon would attempt something else. I’ve been thinking about this attack, and it seems that it was timed intentionally. First the traps and then this new elemental attack.”
“I don’t have your connections to the draasin. Explain it to me in a way that I can understand,” Roine said. “From where I sit, you’ve told me how Par-shon binds elementals. Why would they risk loosing something like this onto the kingdoms?”
“I thought it bound to one of their shapers. When we faced them along the border, there was a connection I couldn’t sever.”
“What if it’s not bound?” Roine asked. When Tan frowned, he went on. “You’ve always been able to break the bond used by Par-shon. What if there was no bond?”
Tan thought about the possibility. If that were the case, then Par-shon would have released something even the Utu Tonah couldn’t control. “If that’s true,” he began, working through what had happened in the kingdoms and the way the traps were placed around the city, “then the traps weren’t intended to steal the elementals, but to draw them into the kingdoms.” There was even more reason to find out more about this elemental. If only Asboel wouldn’t ignore him now. No, not ignore, avoid him.
Roine gripped the arms of the throne. He sat motionless for long moments. When he finally moved, he breathed out heavily. “If this is true, then you must remain here, Tan.”
“Roine—”
“No.” He slapped his hands down onto the throne. “If Par-shon loosed a creature into the kingdoms, there isn’t anyone else able to do anything to protect us. Between your connection with the draasin and your ability with the elementals, it seems the Great Mother placed you here with the intent that you would protect us from just this sort of thing. Now. You may remain here while I receive the envoy from Chenir, but do not put the kingdoms in danger.”
“Chenir?” Tan asked. “Why would they have come?”
Roine sighed and leaned back, his shoulders lowering with a sigh. “Only the Great Mother knows why they chose now to make a visit. Ferran tells me they come to visit the king regent.” Roine’s tone made it clear that he doubted that to be the case. “Which is another reason I want you to remain in the kingdoms. You can help me understand why Chenir has chosen now of all times to send a delegation to the kingdoms.”
Tan wanted to argue and tell him that he had too many things he needed to do. Not only to try and discover the traps that might still remain, but to understand this new elemental, make certain Par-shon wasn’t attacking, and somehow find time to visit Incendin and work on forging an alliance with them. He didn’t have time to watch a Chenir delegation.
“Who did they send?” he asked.
Roine only shrugged. “Probably some bland ambassador. That’s usually who gets sent on this kind of thing.”
“Didn’t you say that you used to make these sort of trips?” Tan asked.
Roine shrugged. “And I hated every minute of it. Too much ceremony.”
Tan glanced at the long, dark robe Roine wore. “You truly struggle, Roine.”
Cianna laughed. “He struggles to finish the plates he’s given, too.”
Roine poked a finger at his stomach and shrugged. “I can’t say that all the trappings of king regent disagree with me. As soon as we find Althem’s heir, I won’t be the one to sit this chair. Then I’ll have no choice but to return to life as Athan.”
“You think the new king would replace me?” Tan asked.
“Well, I have served as Athan longer,” Roine said.
Tan tried not to let himself get too excited by the thought. If Roine were to become Athan again and Tan were released from his commitment, maybe he and Amia could finally have a moment of peace together.
“But for now, I serve as regent, and you as Athan. And I need you to help with this, Tan.”
Tan nodded, trying to understand how he would manage to do everything that was asked of him.
16
The Caravan
Tan stood just off the side of the road as the Chenir caravan passed the circle of Aeta wagons as it headed toward the city. Chenir clothing was all heavy woolens, darkly dyed, making a sharp contrast to the bright colors of the Aeta, and sweat poured off of them. The soldiers riding on their horses wore war heavy helms and did not turn away from the main caravan, so out of place in Ethea. Tan wondered how many of them were shapers. Even in a place like Chenir, there had to be at least a few.
Why had they come to Ethea? This many soldiers seemed like more than simply to meet the king regent. Roine had asked him to learn why, and Tan suspected he could understand more by remaining hidden, at least at first.
There was so much that he needed to do. Even taking the time to watch the caravan arrive was time that he should be spending trying to find the hidden traps, or Par-shon, or helping Asboel, or understanding this other elemental…
Amia took his hands and forced him to meet her eyes. “Tan, I know what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not so sure that you do,” he said.
“You’re thinking that you need to go to Incendin. You’ve been planning to go for days.”
“With what’s happened, that plan had to change.”
“It doesn’t change what you have to do.”
What did he have to do? The problem was, Tan wasn’t certain, not anymore. Once, it had been simple: stop Incendin. Since learning of Par-shon, life wasn’t nearly as clear-cut.
Roine was right in that he needed to protect the kingdoms. That was the reason the Great Mother had gifted him with his abilities, but Tan remained convinced that he was meant to protect more than the kingdoms, that he was part of something greater, something that would keep all of the surrounding lands safe and protected. And if that meant working with Incendin to ensure that the elementals found there were safe as well, then he would have to do it.
Except Roine had now asked him to remain within the kingdoms. That put Tan in a difficult spot. He didn’t want to disobey Roine, but he also didn’t want any elemental to suffer, not if there was something that he could do about it. It became about more than protecting the elem
entals from a forced bond. At least the bond could be severed, broken by Tan’s shaping of all the elements. But this elemental was something different, and he had to understand why.
Tan glanced around, but they were alone, standing along the side of the wagons. Behind them were the sounds of children playing, running and laughing as they chased each other around the fire. There was the sense of spirit shaping taking place, for the first time openly done in the kingdoms. There were other sounds, that of the steady murmur of voices or the crackling of the flames at the Great Fire. And then the smells of the camp, that of the oils used on the wheels, the smoke from the fire, the bread and meats cooked around the flame. It was a happy place, one that suited Amia. Tan wished he could stay here as well.
“If the elementals are in danger, you know I must do whatever I can to help. Par-shon and what they plan needs to be stopped.”
Something about Roine’s comment bothered him. Why would Par-shon loose a free elemental? It was even more reason he needed to reach Asboel and force the draasin to stop avoiding him.
Amia smiled and looked over at the wagons before glancing back at Tan. “Even if it means losing what Roine has bestowed upon you?”
Tan hesitated before answering. “I never asked to be named Athan. I’m not even sure I’m the right person for the position. The kingdoms need a shaper willing to do anything for the kingdoms.”
“And you don’t think you will?”
“What happens when I have to make a choice between the elementals and the kingdoms? What will I choose?”
“That you have to wonder tells me that you’re well suited for this role,” Amia said. “You have to do what you feel is right in your heart, even if others don’t see it.”
“Anything I do is risky,” Tan said. “But doing nothing, remaining only in the kingdoms, puts other places in danger. Doma. Chenir,” he said, nodding toward the tail of the contingent as it disappeared over a shallow rise. Soon they would reach the city, and then they would meet with Roine. From there? That was what Tan had to learn. “And yes, even Incendin. How can I not attempt to try and help the elementals?”
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