by B. T. Narro
Leo ran to the farm where Rygen last worked. He asked around, telling people her description and age, but no one knew of her. Leo couldn’t locate the overseer until the man arrived at his mansion and announced the midday meal. Leo tried to ask about Rygen, but the overseer wouldn’t speak with him until he had finished handing out food to his workers. Leo should’ve worn his uniform. That would’ve made this go faster. But he had changed out of it right after leaving the capital. He hated the looks he got—or more like the lack of looks because people feared him. He especially didn’t want Rygen’s first look at him to be in uniform, though he did have it in his bag to be put on right before returning to the capital.
Finally, he had his chance to ask the overseer about Rygen, but the man said he didn’t know who she was. Trying to describe her amounted to nothing.
Leo figured he would have better luck finding her by visiting the Bookbinding Guild and speaking with Gartel. Hopefully they had kept in contact if she wasn’t there.
Could she have left Jatn? The idea pained Leo. He had promised to come back as soon as he could. It had taken too long, though. He couldn’t be insulted if Rygen had a chance to improve her life and took it. Still, the thought put more speed into his run.
He arrived at the Bookbinding Guild in the afternoon. Most of the day was already gone and he still had no idea where Rygen was. He didn’t see Gartel, and his office door was open. But Leo was surprised to recognize a woman writing at one of the tables. He still feared for Rygen, but he couldn’t help but smile as he approached the woman.
She glanced up and smiled politely, but she didn’t seem to know him. “Hello, young man. May I assist you with something?”
“It’s me,” he said with a large smile.
“I’m sorry, do I know…? Wait! Leo!” She hurried around her table and hugged him. “You’ve gotten so big!”
“Yeah.”
“You look well!”
“Thank you. Can we talk a little more privately?” He gestured for her to follow him to one of the corners of the room.
She smiled up at him when they came to a stop. It was a little strange to be taller than her.
“I just can’t believe how you look now! I didn’t even recognize you.”
“And you haven’t aged a day, Auntie.”
“Oh, stop.” She tossed her hand and pretended to blush as she framed her face and turned from side to side.
“Have you heard anything from my father?” Leo asked.
“I haven’t yet, but there’s talk of the rebels gathering in the Analyte capital. I don’t know how true it is. As a soldier you might know better than me.” She squinted with a turned head. “Are you still a soldier? Rygen showed me the note.”
“I’m glad she did. Yes, I’m still a soldier…for a while longer. If there is going to be an attack on the rebels, Andar and I should be sent there.”
“Your father would not want you trying to help him.” Her frown shifted into a wry smile. “But I like it, so long as you and your brother stay safe. Oh, I wonder if we’ll ever see each other again if you are sent after the rebels. We must have a way to find each other.”
“Where do you plan to spend the next few years, Auntie?”
“Years? Gods, I can barely plan out next week.” She gestured at the table she’d left. “I wrote a book about magic that has sold enough for Gartel to decide to give me more writing work. Not all my stories sell, but I do enjoy creating them. I only wish I could earn enough coin to purchase a home for Rygen and me to share. Have you seen her yet?”
“No, I’ve been trying to find her. I have to leave at dawn,” he told his aunt with urgency.
“Ah, say no more. She’s still farming and living in one of their homes, but she switched to work at Rhenol’s farm the same day you left, I believe.”
“Why?”
“That ghastly man who put his hands on her showed up. You remember the one, who Andar wrestled as you fetched the commander?”
“I wouldn’t forget him. What did he do?”
“Nothing that we know of. He arrived at the other farm after being removed from the army, he said for drinking, but Rygen and I think otherwise. He went to work there, so Rygen left.”
“I would really like to see her,” Leo said quickly, hoping his aunt would excuse him so he wouldn’t leave so rudely.
“She’ll be leaving for the market to purchase supper ingredients soon anyway. You should come with me to my place. We can eat and you can tell me everything you have time to divulge. Then you can rush over to Rygen’s. I’ll give you her address.”
Leo was eager to see Rygen right now, but he couldn’t refuse his aunt. She was family, and she was right that Rygen would be leaving the farm soon anyway. He might miss her by the time he arrived, then he’d have to wait at her home, and he’d much rather surprise her by knocking.
He left with Yune, who said Gartel wouldn’t mind her excusing herself from work early.
“I’ll just tell him I have no ideas left and need inspiration. Hey, that’s actually true! I’m sure you’ll give me plenty with your stories. Enough about me, Leo! Tell me everything.”
He spoke briefly of his travel and then flew through his days of training. There wasn’t much to say, for everything was a routine. Meanwhile, his aunt brought him to the Red Crown Tavern, where she had a room. Leo had passed by this establishment several times. It was moderately fancy and therefore moderately pricey as well, with a big red crown on the banner at its front. He thought it strange for her to waste coin here, but perhaps she was only staying temporarily for reasons he couldn’t figure out.
He rushed through his story, thankful there wasn’t much to tell. As soon as they were finished eating, he hurried out. He felt a little silly running through the city, but most people were headed home themselves with eagerness. They seemed to care little about anyone else, for they would soon see their families.
He came to Rygen’s house and quickly fixed his hair. He’d had it trimmed before leaving, but it could still be messy if he let it stick up. This Farmers’ Guild home was smaller than most others. He hoped Rygen was happy here.
That was unlikely. Instead, he just hoped she would be as happy to see him as he was excited to see her again. He didn’t care if the years were unkind to her. He remembered her to be as beautiful as a sunrise, down to her heart. She would always remain that way to him, no matter what she looked like.
He knocked on her door. He had one final fear about returning to the capital late. He might be a day late already, even if he left now. I really must leave in the morning.
He was glad when she opened the door without asking who it was first. He could see the surprise on her face as she recognized him immediately.
“Gods…” Her mouth dropped open.
She was older, certainly, but she was still Rygen. She had long hair, just as fair as it was before. He gray eyes were wide and full of knowledge that Leo couldn’t wait to find out. She was slight in stature, perhaps barely taller than she had been at ten, but she was blossoming into a beautiful woman just like Leo was becoming a handsome man, as he’d found out over the years.
She gaped in surprise. He felt as though he should say something, but he didn’t know what. Finally she spoke.
“Leo?” Her voice had changed, unfamiliar to him now.
He nodded, too full of worry to utter a word.
She smiled as she jumped over and hugged him tightly. His nerves were gone, replaced with a burning attraction that he tried to ignore as he wrapped his arms all the way around her thin frame and pulled her closer.
“I can’t believe you’re here at my door!” She leaned away. For a moment he thought she might kiss him as their lips were close. He lost his breath. “You’re like a mountain now!”
He reluctantly let her step away. She grabbed his shoulders and squeezed. “Gods, you’re strong!”
He laughed, painfully aware that he still hadn’t spoken and had better utter something soon or she
might think he’d hit his head and gone mute.
You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in years. No, not that. But what else could he say? It was all he could think.
She seemed a little concerned at his reticence, turning away to eye him sideways.
“Yeah, they feed me well at the training grounds,” he finally managed to get out. Leo felt a slight tension between them then, as both were reminded that Rygen was not fed nearly as well. Or perhaps it was his deeper voice that surprised her.
“Come in,” she said. “Tell me what they have you doing up there.”
He shut the door after himself as he entered a familiar kitchen. All the houses had the same design, with just a small circular table in the middle. This one only had one chair. Rygen seemed content to stand and stare, a little close but he enjoyed her proximity.
“My days are boring to talk about. I train with Artistry most of the time, but I spend many hours on horseback and many more sparring with sword.” He thought of one interesting thing, though. “Besides linking, I participate in magic duels with the other mages.”
“Duels? How do they work?” She folded her arms.
The tension was still there. Leo felt strangely aware of his hands, wondering what to do with them. Was this a mistake? Were he and Rygen even friends still?
“Two items are linked together, and then two mages fight over making the items do various things. It’s much harder than linking, so it makes pairing difficult items easier after building our strength against another mage.”
“So they still call you all mages, not Ascendants?”
“Yes, but only as a formality. My brother and I link as well as the instructor already.”
“I would bet so! And do you always win your duels against the others?”
“I suppose,” Leo tried to answer modestly. “But the instructor still understands Artistry and Esitry far better than the rest of us. We have a lot to learn still.”
She frowned and asked quietly, “So you’re going back?”
“Yes, but not until I hear all about you.”
“No no! I won’t say a word until you finish telling me more. My curiosity about you and your brother has been eating away at me for the last…how long has it been exactly?”
“Exactly? Forty-one months and ten days.”
“Forty-one months and ten days!” She tilted her head. “You kept track?”
It was easy when his contract was forty months long, and it took twenty days to travel from Jatn to the capital. But he just smiled and said, “How could I not have? I’ve missed you every day.”
He felt the tension melt away as she let out a breath and smiled sweetly at him. “I’ve missed you, too.”
She surprised him by stepping close to embrace him again. Holding her was like hugging warmth on a cold day.
When they parted, she asked, “Who wins the duels between you and your brother?”
“Andar wins most of the time. He’s an excellent mage.”
“You said you spar with sword as well?”
“Yes, frequently.” Leo didn’t want to boast, so he didn’t know what else to say.
“And…?” Rygen smiled with raised eyebrows. “How are you with sword?”
“I’m decent.”
She pushed his shoulder. “Don’t be modest with me. How good are you?”
“Well, Andar is better than I am.”
Rygen grinned knowingly. “But you’re still better than everyone else, I bet. And I would assume you’re one of the youngest there. Am I right?”
It was true. “Enough about me, Rygen. I can’t wait any longer to hear about you!”
“Alright, I’ll let you get away with no more answers for now. Well, as you can see, it turns out I’m going to be short.” She extended her arms and spun around. Then she made a fist. “But I’m fierce.”
“I would never doubt that.”
The same thoughts circled through his head about how beautiful she was and how he needed to kiss her. It was hard to focus on much else.
He reminded himself that he was the only mage in the training grounds to link a shoe, a belt, and a rock together and hold the Artistry in place strong enough for all three to be lifted. If he had the focus to do that, then he could focus on Rygen’s words. On her beautiful voice that came out of her succulent lips…focus!
“I can’t wait any longer,” Rygen said. “There’s someone I need you to meet.”
His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. Who was this man? Leo fumed with jealousy.
Rygen stepped back and pushed out her arms. She opened her hands and focused. A black arc formed in front of her. Its edges extended, sweeping down until they met to form an oval. It grew outwards and became spherical. White lines shot across, reminding Leo of the rift in the Tisary here in Jatn that he hadn’t seen in many years. But this was not red. It had a blue tint to it, though dark overall.
A foxlike creature jumped through that Leo immediately recognized. He had lain awake many nights wondering about not only Rygen but her summoned creature. It looked just like he remembered. Its snout seemed a little too wide and short, and it seemed to have too many teeth, but that was probably just because Leo was more used to the appearance of a fox. It had thick, strong legs, with sharp claws. There was no doubt in Leo’s mind that this creature would win a battle versus any other creature around the same size, at least in their realm. Jin’s blue fur was strange yet beautiful. It had a friendly look to its eyes as it regarded Leo.
He was too shocked to say anything as the creature came over and sniffed around his boots. It looked up at him curiously. He was a little frightened and didn’t mind showing it with his expression as he looked at Rygen.
She gave a quick laugh. “There’s nothing to fear, big large Leo! You can even pet him.”
Leo cautiously reached toward the creature. It took a step forward to allow Leo to graze its back, walking past him as if hardly interested anymore and circling around to Rygen.
“Rygen, you are incredible.” He’d meant to say this was incredible, but he’d let his true thoughts slip out. “I’ve met a few summoners, and the only ones who can open their own rift are much older than you and have been training for far longer. You must have exceptional skill with Esitry.”
He expected her to be curious, but she just nodded and said, “Yeah, I figured that.”
His excitement diminished as he remembered one summoner in particular, a woman who had entered his thoughts many times over the years.
“Rygen, I push for Celia’s arrest every time I have the opportunity to speak to someone who might have the power to stop her. I tell them about what she’s done to the people in Jatn, but they do nothing. They either can’t help or don’t care, or both. It constantly reminds me of how awful those in charge of this army really are.” He was about to add how he wanted nothing more than to take away power from the army but she interrupted.
“Don’t worry about Celia anymore,” Rygen said. “I don’t care anymore. What’s done is done.”
Leo sensed that it wasn’t done, though. And how could it be? Her mother had been murdered by someone who had gone unpunished. Leo held anger toward the army for ruining his father’s life…twice, but his father was still alive. He knew Rygen to be angry, but she didn’t seem to want to talk about it. At least he’d told her what he’d been trying to do. He still would punish Celia if he could, even if Rygen said not to worry about it.
“Jin is hungry,” she said as she stepped back from Leo. “I’ll let him go hunt in his realm because I don’t have any food here.”
She effortlessly opened another dark blue rift. Leo marveled at it as long as he could before it closed. The summoners he’d met who could call their creatures into this realm had only stopped at the training grounds briefly for business. One demonstrated a rift, but it was far more difficult for the man to open it than it was for Rygen.
Leo and Andar’s closest friend there was Edward. But after a year, as part of hi
s continued training, Edward had been sent back to Jatn with little to show for his efforts. He had gone with another summoner even older than him, the two of them given forms to allow them entrance to the Tisary. They had come back months later telling tales of one creature they had each managed to bring through the rift, but still neither of them could bring the creature through their own rift after returning.
Leo had given Edward a letter to deliver to Rygen at her house that said how sorry Leo was for leaving and how much he thought about Rygen every day. Edward had regrettably been unable to deliver it, as he could never sneak away from the instructor who’d gone with him and the other summoner in training. Leo had been heartbroken to hear the news, but now he supposed Rygen might’ve moved from their former home by then. He’d have to ask her about the collapsed roof.
“I suppose you spoke with Miqu already?” Rygen asked first.
“I did. She gave me your address.”
“And she told you I’ve been working on Rhenol’s farm again?”
“Yes, because Marcus Dowl showed up at the other.”
Rygen nodded. “I’ll probably be working at Rhenol’s farm for years. Did you see what happened to the home we shared?”
“I did. I worried it came down on you.”
“I was asleep when it broke, thankfully not in the kitchen. A storm caused it. They put me here instead, one of their few homes with only one bed because I’m alone. There are rumors that they aren’t going to provide housing to workers one of these years. A lot of their coin went into finding the rift. A lot also goes into repairing the homes they own so they can one day sell them for quite a lot of coin.”
Leo opened his mouth to divulge a plethora of worries that would end with requesting her to come with him, but she pushed out her hands to interrupt.
“I don’t want any coin from you.” Rygen lowered her voice. “I know you and Andar must have plans to leave the army one year and join your father and the rebels. You’ll need everything you can to better help them. That’s important. Where I live is not.”
Leo could feel himself making a face of concern. He couldn’t stop it.