The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “What happened?” Sella asked, her eyes going wide. She was only an apprentice in a pair of spheres, so someone on the verge of mastery… that was two to four circles above her skill level at a minimum.

  “Mellesyn,” Navaan said, swallowing hard and shaking his head. “Mellesyn happened.”

  Sella stopped, her blood going cold as her thoughts froze. Waterstone didn’t get much news, but even she’d heard about Mellesyn. The attack by Resvarygrath had rocked the country, as had his proclamation that he was claiming another twenty miles of land beyond his former borders and had destroyed the town as an example. It had only been a few months since the attack, and it had horrified everyone in Waterstone.

  “Gods… are you saying she was…” Tadrick began, his voice trailing off, and Navaan stopped, turning to face them, his expression sober.

  “Yes. She survived it, if only barely. I’ve heard some of the teachers talk, and her master threw her mostly clear of the dragon’s breath. Even so… you saw what happened. She lost an arm, halving the speed at which she can power a spell, and her mana core was damaged,” Navaan said, his voice heavy. “She shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t be in a class with you, but she is. I imagine it’ll make your lessons interesting.”

  “I… I guess it would, at that,” Sella said, swallowing hard as pity overcame her revulsion, along with a sense of shame for feeling the revulsion. It wasn’t fair, but she set it aside as she said, “Her mana core was damaged? Is that even possible? And why is she so… so injured still? I’d think the priests would’ve healed her by this point.”

  “They can’t heal her,” Navaan said grimly, continuing forward again. “The dragon appears to have enhanced his breath to burn magic when he attacked, which allowed it to set fire to her mana veins, based on a discussion with my teacher, plus it cursed her wounds. They’ve tried to heal her, but no regeneration spells have worked, and they’d decided that the only way to break the curse is to kill him. Ruethwyn is likely to remain as she is for the remainder of her life, sadly. It’s a miracle she survived at all.”

  “Oh,” Sella said, her voice now soft as they went through another pair of doors and into a wide reception area in the bottom of the central tower. Stairs led upward, and she could see doors that must lead into the temple to the desk’s right.

  Behind the desk was a harried-looking scribe, and the man looked up as Navaan approached. “Yes? What is it?”

  “I’ve a pair of new students to check in. Tadrick?” Navaan said, looking at his brother.

  “Tadrick Daskar, if you please,” Tadrick said, nodding politely to the scribe, who looked like he was relaxing.

  “Oh good, an easy one. Let’s see here…” The scribe began to drone on, asking questions as he pulled out some papers, and as he did, Sella felt her mind drift back to Ruethwyn’s injuries. She just couldn’t get them out of her head.

  Chapter 5

  Each morning was difficult for Ruethwyn now. Even with the salves she’d been given, her injuries itched almost like a sunburn, though the pain had subsided over the weeks since she’d been rescued. She had to be careful not to aggravate them when sleeping or bathing, all of which was made more difficult by the loss of her dominant hand.

  Her room was small, the most basic one available in the academy dormitory. The dormitory caretaker had looked startled when Ruethwyn had told her that she didn’t want a larger room, but Ruethwyn hadn’t paid it much attention. The room might only be a little over six feet on a side, but the bed was comfortable and the furnishings sufficient. It was larger than her room had been in Mellesyn, even if the furnishings weren’t that much better.

  The thought of Mellesyn sent another spike of melded anger and despair through Ruethwyn, and she paused in pinning up the arm of her robes to brush a tear aside. Then she returned to preparing for the day. She was determined not to be late for the first class, and Ruethwyn found herself slightly curious about her classmates.

  Anything that distracted her from the pain of everything she’d lost was good. It didn’t always help, but sometimes it did.

  Hissing as she slipped the robe on, Ruethwyn closed her eye and let out a breath, murmuring, “Why did she help me live? Her motivation can’t have been that simple… could it?”

  After a moment, she shook off her curiosity about what Essryl’s reason might have been, grabbing her satchel and heading for the dining room.

  Ruethwyn opened the door and turned her head slightly to make sure she could see the floor in front of her properly. After the time she’d tripped on something that had been on her blind side, she’d grown a bit more careful about watching where she was going. It would just be nice if it was easier to tell how far away something was.

  The classroom was empty when Ruethwyn reached it, and she took a moment to scan the room again, just to be safe, and frowned as she did so. There were twelve desks in three rows of four, plus one for the teacher in the corner, which was much larger than the ones that must be for the students. There was a slate board and a few glow-globes on the walls, the latter currently dark. The room was plain, and not what she’d expected when she’d thought of the academy, but it didn’t much matter.

  Slipping into the room, Ruethwyn debated on a spot before deciding to claim the one in the back corner, farthest from the door. She half-expected others to avoid her, so making it easier was for the best, plus it kept anyone from being on her blind side. But first she needed light. Approaching the first of the glow-globes, Ruethwyn reached up to touch it and braced herself before drawing on her mana.

  Using her mana was like pulling needles through her veins. Instead of a cool core of mana, Ruethwyn’s core now felt almost… brittle or crystalline, like sand which had been struck by lightning and imperfectly fused into glass. If she had to describe it, instead of her mana feeling like cool water in her veins, it was like fire. Not that she was going to let it stop her as she carefully fed mana into the globe to light it.

  The crystal globe’s enchantments woke gently under her mana, and it began to glow with a soft yellow radiance that helped overcome most of the room’s darkness. Releasing her mana with a sigh, Ruethwyn dropped her hand from the globe and took her seat. The others would be along soon, she imagined, but in the meantime, the least she could do was get some reading in. Artificing was a difficult subject, and Ruethwyn was grateful she’d learned the basics with Sinera, though another spike of anguish went through her at the thought of her dead teacher.

  Ruethwyn tried to push back her simmering frustration again, along with the worry about the time limit she’d been given. Letting her emotions control her after what she’d been through would end poorly. A couple of the clerics had thought she’d been asleep when they’d discussed whether she should be taken to a monastery to be taken care of until they were ‘sure she’d recovered’, and it had been a sobering thought. She wasn’t willing to give up the chance Essryl had offered, even if she doubted that the dark elf was being honest. Because of it, suppressing her anger was almost natural at this point.

  A few minutes later, the door opened again and another woman stepped in. Ruethwyn looked up at her and paused, examining the brown-haired, brown-eyed young woman who clutched a book to her chest as she looked around quickly. She gasped on seeing Ruethwyn, then swallowed and quickly walked to the rear desk in the opposite corner, giving Ruethwyn a nervous look. Even if she was used to looks like that, Ruethwyn couldn’t help feeling the sting of her rejection.

  The girl was just the first of the other students to enter, though. Shortly after her came a blond-haired man, standing quite tall and grinning as he glanced around the room, his eyebrows rising at the sight of Ruethwyn before he took a seat in front of the other girl. A few moments later came a boy and girl, the boy with sandy-blond hair and brown eyes, and bearing a sword, while the girl was in simpler clothing that looked like it was from the outskirts of the kingdom. It was quite similar to the clothing Ruethwyn had grown up with, and her eyes were a light blue, which c
ombined with darker hair, made the woman remind Ruethwyn painfully of Sinera. The two slowed on entering the room, looking like they were debating. It surprised Ruethwyn when they came to the back and the girl chose to sit next to her, the boy sitting the next desk over.

  “Hello, my name is Sella,” the woman said after a few moments, her voice hesitant as she looked at Ruethwyn. “I heard your name is Ruethwyn… is that right?”

  “Yes, that’s me. Hello, Sella. It’s good to meet you,” Ruethwyn replied politely, her intention of keeping her distance weakening slightly at the woman’s attempt to talk. She hesitated before adding, “I hope we can learn a good deal in the class.”

  “Me too. I… oh, they’re interesting,” Sella began, only to have her voice trail off as another boy and girl entered the room.

  “That… they are,” Ruethwyn agreed, blinking in surprise.

  Not many elves had truly unusual hair colors, as most tended toward more natural tones in general, but the two who entered were an exception to that. They looked almost delicate in many ways, their features somehow finer and almost doll-like. The boy had pitch-black hair and brilliant white eyes, while the girl had bright white hair and pitch-black eyes. They were a study in opposites, save that they were both wearing near-identical tunics and trousers. The two only glanced across the room before taking the two seats opposite from Ruethwyn, with the girl nearest the door.

  “I’ve heard of them,” the boy who’d entered with Sella said, his voice just loud enough that Ruethwyn could hear him. “That’s Dana and Delvin Issan. They’re from a merchant family with a strong bloodline of magi… I don’t know much about them, but I heard that three stars fell the night they were born, and one was born just before dawn, and the other after. It was supposed to be an omen, from what I’ve heard.”

  “That would make sense…” Ruethwyn murmured, considering the two before setting her curiosity aside with a sigh. She didn’t know enough about the two, and everything she’d heard about the academy indicated that everyone in the class would be talented in one way or another.

  Next, a pair of women entered the room, and they were odd. The first was a strawberry-blonde-haired woman with pale skin, who wore an elaborate blue dress, which didn’t restrict her movements, along with numerous bracelets and earrings set with sapphires that matched her eyes. Just behind her was a dark-haired woman with topaz eyes who wore an elegant, soft pink dress. The second was obviously a servant, which startled Ruethwyn, as she hadn’t thought servants were allowed in the academy.

  The blonde’s gaze found the first man to enter the room and she smiled broadly, exclaiming. “Barthel! I heard you might be in the class, but I just couldn’t believe it! I’ll just sit next to you. Yalline, why don’t you take the next one over?”

  Ruethwyn caught a flicker of distaste in the noble’s eyes as she met Ruethwyn’s gaze, but then the well-dressed elven woman took the seat, fortunately well away from her. The woman’s servant took the seat just in front and to Ruethwyn’s left after giving Ruethwyn an uneasy glance.

  Moments after that, a man entered the room, and both his imperious attitude and the black robes he wore made Ruethwyn straighten slightly in her chair. His head was shaved bare and his hands glittered with rings, each finger adorned with a ring bearing a different gemstone, and with a wave of his hand he lit the remaining glow-globes, glancing over the room with agate-hard hazel eyes.

  “Hm… only nine of you? We’re missing one, but no matter,” the man said, shaking his head. “We’ll just—”

  “Wait! Please wait!” A woman’s voice echoed through the room, and Ruethwyn’s eye widened slightly as the door burst open and a woman ran inside, panting.

  The woman was a kitsune. Ruethwyn had only seen one of them when a small carnival had come to Mellesyn when she was twelve. There weren’t many kitsune in Selwyn, and she’d heard that they tended to keep to themselves in the southern forests. She looked like a fox-eared woman with bright green eyes and vertical pupils, her hair a soft auburn midway between red and brown. The woman was somewhat disheveled but was quite beautiful, and she swallowed hard as she looked at the teacher.

  “You must be Korima. I do not approve of tardiness, young lady, so what did you think you were doing?” the man asked impatiently, a scowl on his face.

  “I’m sorry; I got lost. When I asked for directions to the classroom originally, they said it was to the right, but I didn’t realize that was when facing the Great Hall from the south, while the dormitory is to the north. I was in a classroom in the opposite wing when someone told me, and I came rushing over as fast as I could!” Korima explained, her words coming out so quickly they were almost tripping over one another. “Please don’t kick me out. I didn’t mean to be late!”

  The man, who Ruethwyn assumed must be the teacher, paused for a long moment, then asked gravely, “Are you going to be late again?”

  “Of course not! Now I know where the classroom is!” Korima exclaimed, shaking her head firmly. “I want to learn as much as I can here!”

  “In that case, just don’t be late again, at least not without a very good reason,” he replied.

  “Oh, thank you!” Korima said, abruptly hugging the teacher, and Ruethwyn heard Sella giggle at the look of surprise on the teacher’s face. “I was so afraid of losing my chance to attend classes here. I’ll find a seat!”

  The kitsune almost scampered over to the seat on the front row directly in front of Ruethwyn, giving her a startled glance as she did so. While Korima took her seat, the teacher regained his composure and closed the door, turning to them as he folded his hands in front of him sternly.

  “I am Master Emrick Mara, or Master Mara, to all of you. I teach the apprentice class of students every year, and it’s my decision who is allowed to progress to adept classes at the end of the year. If you don’t satisfy me, no matter who your backers are, you will not be allowed to progress through the academy,” the mage said, his eyes scanning across the room coolly, and his gaze paused on Ruethwyn as he continued. “That being said, I don’t care what your background is. Show that you have talent and a desire to learn, and I’ll send you onward.

  “Before we continue any further, I believe that I should clarify why I’m trusted to teach you and make such decisions. I have reached third circle or higher in all of the twelve major spheres of magic as determined by the Royal Magi Conclave twelve centuries ago.” Master Mara’s voice was level, but his words sparked murmurs from the others, and Ruethwyn felt a bit of shock at the revelation. The degree of knowledge the mage indicated he had was impressive, but he didn’t stop speaking. “I know of innumerable minor spheres, but I’ve trained in artificing, metal, and plant spheres specifically. I’m considered the best teacher in the school for helping to guide your progress in the first year, so I expect you to treat my time and effort with respect. Is that clear?”

  There were murmurs of agreement from the others, but Ruethwyn contented herself with simply nodding. Master Mara smiled at that. “Good. Now, we have a class of commoners and nobles alike. I want to remind all of you that titles of nobility do not require acknowledgement on academy grounds. You’re here to learn, and you’re all considered equal here. Now with that in mind, I’d like each of you to stand and introduce yourselves and what sort of magic you wield. Dana, would you start?”

  “Of course, Master Mara,” the white-haired woman in the front corner said, standing and turning to face the rest of the classroom. She looked them over as she spoke coldly. “My name is Dana Issan, and I’m the daughter of the Issan family. We trade across much of the region, and our family has merchant factors as far south as the Sea of Mists. My magical talent is for light magic, and I’ve been learning to wield it for the past decade.”

  There was a moment of hesitation as Dana sat, then her brother stood and cleared his throat. His tone was much more approachable as he smiled at them, his gaze lingering on Ruethwyn for a moment, but also on Korima for that matter. “I’m Delvin Issan, Da
na’s twin. I don’t have much to add that she didn’t already say, but my talent is in shadow magic. It’s nice to meet all of you.”

  Korima all but jumped to her feet, smiling broadly as she spoke, her ears flicking in excitement. “Hello, everyone! My name is Korima Lightweaver, and I’m from the Lightweaver clan in the south. I have a talent for earth magic, but my passion is for fire magic, so I’ve been trying to learn that. It’s wonderful to meet all of you, and I look forward to our lessons together!”

  Ruethwyn debated standing for her own introduction, but then the girl called Yalline stood slowly, nodding to each of them as she turned, speaking calmly. “My name is Yalline Scorva, and I’m from the Azure Duchy. I’ve served as Lady Madeline’s lady in waiting for the last decade, and while I have a talent with water magic, I’ve yet to fully develop it.”

  The woman in the blue dress then stood, smiling as she spoke confidently, almost disdainfully. “I’m Lady Madeline Rosemeadow and the Duchess of Azure, or will be once I reach the age of majority. My talent is with air and earth magic, both of which I’ve developed equally.”

  That caused a chorus of murmurs, and suddenly Ruethwyn understood the woman’s arrogance. If it weren’t enough that the Azure Duchy was one of the wealthiest regions of Selwyn, having talent for two opposing spheres was impressive, and despite herself, Ruethwyn felt faintly envious of the noblewoman.

  The man next to Madeline stood slowly, stretching as he did so, and spoke in a lazy tone, his confidence obvious. “I’m Barthel Storm, and my father is the Earl of the Eastern March. I’ve a talent for lightning magic, which I’ve been trying to develop as much as I can.”

  Barthel sat, and for a moment the room was quiet, then the woman in the back corner slowly stood, swallowing hard. She looked a little pale, Ruethwyn thought.

  “Um, I’m… I’m Lissa. Lissa Nerrine, daughter of a m-miller,” the woman said, looking around the room nervously. “I have a t-talent for fire magic. My t-teacher thinks it goes further, though, so sent me here. N-nice to meet you.”