Beyond the kitsune, Alaran and Tadrick had engaged the other two monsters in combat, and while Alaran seemed to be doing well, Tadrick wasn’t having nearly as much success, as his blade bounced off the chitinous armor of the monster. Worse, Ruethwyn heard the woman beginning to chant a long, complicated spell. Fortunately, her snakes seemed to be doing their job, but it wasn’t good enough.
“Fine, let’s see…” Ruethwyn murmured, aiming her wand at the woman and triggering it, this time throwing more mana into the bolt than she had before.
The green bolt of air hit the barrier, and Ruethwyn flinched as a blast of flame erupted from the shield, obliterating her attack. The woman was grinning as she continued to cast, crimson magic slowly enveloping her arms.
“Korima, can you hit her with a stone inside her barrier?” Ruethwyn asked, knowing that the answer was likely no. Most barriers blocked spells like that.
“Nope, but mind taking care of the bear-thing? I’ll see what I can do,” Korima said, dropping her dagger as she began a rapid incantation of her own.
The bear-eagle was just getting up, looking rather upset to Ruethwyn. Turning her wand toward it, the sudden crack of lightning through the room startled her. A glance showed that Sella had launched a bolt of lightning into Tadrick’s opponent, and the creature was sagging, smoke boiling from the crevices in its armor.
Shaking off her surprise, Ruethwyn hissed the command to activate her wand, launching a bolt into her opponent. To her surprise, the bear-eagle shrugged it off, despite the dent in its torso from the stone and the blood dripping from where her bolt hit. So, as it lumbered forward, she hit it twice more. It was only when she launched a fifth glowing bolt into the creature, expending all the mana in her bracelet, that the monster fell, shattering the tank where the body of the wolf was. It’d made it far closer than Ruethwyn would’ve preferred.
“Rue!” Sella’s exclamation accompanied the end of the cultist’s chant.
Spinning, Ruethwyn froze as a ball of fire came flying at her, terror spiking through her at the sight of it. She only froze for an instant, but it almost was her undoing. Her ring was just creating the shield when something hit the fireball and it exploded in a torrent of flames.
Her shield shattered as the wave of fire hit it, and Ruethwyn felt an instant of heat as a shockwave sent her flying into the wall. The impact against her injuries was agonizing, and Ruethwyn’s breath caught, her eye watering as she tried to recover from hitting the ground.
“Hah! You fools will fall before my goddess, and I’ll spread her glory throughout your entire pathetic kingdom!” the woman crowed, grinning as she stared at Ruethwyn arrogantly. “Then I’ll be granted everything I—”
A loud sound, like a cleaver hitting a chunk of meat, echoed through the room, and Ruethwyn’s eye went wide. The head of the drake fell, almost entirely detached as Alaran straightened, only slightly winded and without a single scratch on him.
“I think not. Thank you all, you allowed me to take out the biggest threat first,” Alaran replied, smiling thinly as he glanced at the woman. “In fact, it appears that you’re all that’s left. Lady Issa, was it? A cultist of Larimos as well? I’m afraid that’s a capital crime in Selwyn.”
The woman’s face contorted in anger as she glared at them, then at her fallen creatures. Ruethwyn shoved herself upright, her injuries still aching, while Tadrick freed his blade from a seam in the armor of his opponent.
“It doesn’t matter, then. If this is how it’ll be, I’ll just drop the building on all of us! My shield will survive, and you’ll die!” the woman spat, beginning to chant.
“Really?” Korima asked, a smile on her face. “I wouldn’t be so certain.”
“Wha—” the woman began, and Korima snapped her fingers.
“Goodbye. You shouldn’t have kidnapped my mother,” Korima said.
The ground below the woman abruptly ripped open, the stones around the section of floor the barrier protected pulling upward and away, and the ground the woman was standing on collapsed. As the woman fell, the circle broke and the barrier vanished. Ruethwyn’s eye widened, though, as the ground suddenly surged back into place, burying the woman alive.
“Er, Korima, you didn’t just… just…” Tadrick began, stammering.
“Crush her like she deserves? No. I buried her, and that was it. Good luck casting spells in that position,” Korima replied viciously, kicking a rock away, then clutching her foot as she hissed in pain.
“Good. Hopefully we can get her out and interrogate her in time, but I’m not going to hold my breath on that,” Alaran said, letting out a sigh as he looked around the room. “Not that this isn’t enough of a mess as it is. Larimos.”
“Who’s Larimos?” Sella asked, and as Ruethwyn tried to climb to her feet, Korima came over to offer a hand, which Ruethwyn accepted gratefully.
“Thank you, Korima,” Ruethwyn said, smiling at the kitsune. “That was impressive.”
“You’re welcome, Rue. You gave me the time to do it,” Korima replied with a grin of her own. “I always said I had a talent with earth magic.”
“You did,” Ruethwyn conceded, then looked at Sella, allowing Umbra to go back to her home while sending her thanks to the elemental. Clearing her throat, she explained. “Remember how I mentioned Devaran, Sella? They’re at war with a nation called Palto. Larimos is the demon queen of corruption, and she’s the patron of the cultists who’ve taken over Palto.”
“Oh! Oh, gods above…” Sella said, putting a hand over her mouth as her eyes widened.
“Exactly. That means that you and me are going to need to visit the priests, Tadrick, along with Lady Rithara once we find her,” Alaran said, the ghost of a smile playing across his lips.
“Why’s that?” Tadrick asked, looking confused.
Ruethwyn looked at Alaran as well, as she wasn’t entirely sure what he meant either.
“Ah, you don’t know? They spread their corruption via a magical plague of sorts, one which is sometimes communicated through injuries. It’s a curse and plague both, so we’re going to need to be checked, even if I wasn’t injured. You got scratched, so it’s a risk,” Alaran explained, and as Ruethwyn recoiled in horror, he chuckled, adding, “Oh, don’t worry; it takes quite a while to take effect. We’ve got some time, but this is a problem we didn’t need. Her Majesty is going to be horrified at the thought of Larimos setting her sights on us.”
“That… that’s a relief,” Tadrick said, swallowing. “That it can be checked for, I mean.”
“What about my mother? I smell her… though not much with all the blood,” Korima said, then paused and asked, “Umm, Rue? What happened to the things you were fighting? I remember shadow-snakes eating them, but they’re just… gone.”
“I…” Ruethwyn paused, blinking as she looked over the spot where the snakes had been. They were gone, as were the strange horrors that they’d eaten. After a moment she shrugged. “I’d guess that the snakes were summoned, so they just took the chimeras with when they vanished.”
“Okay… well, let’s check the last door. Everyone, step carefully around the creatures. I don’t want to have to have us all checked for the plague if I can avoid it,” Alaran said, carefully circling the monsters.
Ruethwyn followed, cringing at the sight of the bear-eagle from a closer distance. The monster was horrific, but worse was how the different body parts didn’t quite join together correctly.
“Hmm, locked. Let’s see… yes, there’s the keys.” Alaran pulled a keyring from a nearby table to unlock the door.
Everyone tensed as the door swung open, but Ruethwyn relaxed as she saw Rithara. The woman was chained to the wall and looked very annoyed with the gag in her mouth, but her eyes brightened as she saw them. The kitsune was still in her dress from the play, though it looked torn in a couple of places, and she was otherwise alone in the cell.
“Mother!” Korima exclaimed, rushing forward.
“Well, thank goodness for small f
avors. It’s good to see you’re relatively unharmed, Lady Rithara,” Alaran said, smiling and stepping inside. “Let’s get you out of here, shall we?”
Korima threw her arms around her mother, and Ruethwyn smiled, though her expression stiffened slightly as she saw Sella speaking quietly to Tadrick, relief on her face. It took a moment to throw off the slight sense of disappointment she felt, watching them and Korima and Rithara, but she managed it after a few moments.
Ruethwyn managed to relax still more as she heard the sound of boots from above. The guard had arrived, obviously, and it was better late than never.
Chapter 34
“I’ve heard a few rumors that you, Korima, Sella, and Ruethwyn had an interesting night, Tadrick.” Master Mara’s tone was dry, and Ruethwyn paused in pulling out her engraving tools, surprised to see him in the artificing lab.
Tadrick looked at Korima, then at Sella and Ruethwyn. It was almost like he was trying to decide what to say, especially since the others in the room started focusing on him. The only odd thing about the class was that Lissa hadn’t shown up, but the relative normalcy of things was also somewhat reassuring after the events of the previous night. She had some bruises where she’d been thrown into the wall, but Ruethwyn had decided against healing them, as she thought it was a good lesson to be more careful in the future. Mistakes like the one she’d made could’ve ended far worse than mere bruising.
“Emrick, it’s a surprise to see you down here. You usually leave teaching artificing to me,” Vrenne said, the teacher looking rather amused.
“You’re better at teaching artificing than I am, so what’s the point of me getting in the way?” Master Mara replied. “I just got word that they were involved in that mess over in the noble quarter last night, so I thought I’d check on them.”
“Oh?” Vrenne turned to them, and Ruethwyn couldn’t help the heat rising in her cheeks as the woman looked them over. “What’s this? I seem to recall something about a kidnapping and other problems, but nothing too bad…”
“Lady Rithara was kidnapped; I wouldn’t call that minor,” Delvin chimed in, sitting up straight.
“She was kidnapped?” Master Mara’s smile vanished and he scowled. “Now that wasn’t in any of the news I heard. I knew a performer had been kidnapped, but that was about it. That and that these four helped in a rescue from someone who was also performing illegal magical experiments. Is she safe?”
“Ah, I can’t say too much, since we were asked to keep the details to ourselves, but I can tell you a little,” Tadrick said, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Lady Rithara is safe, which is a relief, and we weren’t in too much danger, though it was pretty nasty. We were just backing up Sir Whisperblade.”
“Really?” Vrenne asked, giving Ruethwyn a sidelong glance, but fortunately she didn’t say anything more.
“Yes, he was… really impressive,” Sella chimed in, hesitating for a moment before asking, “I was just curious, though… what’s a chimera?”
The relief that had been forming on Master Mara’s face vanished abruptly at her question, and Vrenne’s face grew serious as well. The others quieted slightly as they noticed their reactions, too.
“Umm, did I say something wrong?” Sella asked, looking worried.
“No, you didn’t,” Master Mara said, glancing at Vrenne and asking, “Would you like to address this, or shall I?”
“Go ahead. You’re more versed in the field than I am, Emrick,” the other mage said, frowning slightly.
“As you wish,” Master Mara said, turning to the class and taking a deep breath. “Chimeras are the creation of magi and are an extremely controversial subject in the field of magic. Those who delve deeply enough into the sphere of life, or in more focused other spheres, are able to permanently modify living creatures. Some magi choose to use this ability to change creatures, or even to graft parts of animals together to create an entirely new species.”
“Why would they do that?” Yalline asked, looking slightly revolted. “I mean, that doesn’t sound like it’d be a good idea.”
“That’s because it rarely is a good idea,” Master Mara replied, shaking his head. “As to why? Some magi want to create guardians that are more powerful than the creatures that they have available. Others simply wish to see what can be done, while still others are sick and twisted, wishing to inflict agony on others… the reasons vary wildly. The issue is that chimeras are rarely stable creatures, and often fly into rages and attack everything in their path, making them very risky to have around. That’s why creating chimeras requires permission from the Crown in Selwyn, as does any other form of permanent physical transformations of the type. Even then, performing experiments inside any town or community is expressly forbidden.”
“Oh,” Sella’s voice was soft, and she paled slightly. “No wonder Sir Whisperblade said what he did.”
“I’ve no idea what he said, but if there were chimeras being created inside the city, it’s no wonder rumors have been spreading that rapidly. If one escaped, it could do immense damage before being discovered,” Master Mara replied, then smiled. “Still, obviously it was dealt with, if they haven’t called on the academy to investigate the situation. That’s something of a relief.”
Ruethwyn exchanged looks with Korima, the kitsune looking like she was almost biting her tongue as she suppressed the urge to chime in. Ruethwyn had to admire her restraint, considering how eventful the night had been for Korima and her mother. Watching Rithara scold Korima for rushing into danger had been rather amusing, though.
“As an aside, Emrick, do you know where Lissa is? She’s been ill before, but she always let me know she wasn’t going to make it to class,” Vrenne asked, frowning. “I know we’re just continuing their projects for the day, but it’s still somewhat worrisome.”
“Ah yes, that was the other matter, and I thought… well, let’s take the bull by the horns, shall we?” Master Mara said, sighing as he continued. “It appears that Lissa has felt even more uncomfortable here in the academy than I’d believed. Last night, she packed her bags and left, leaving only a note saying that she was leaving to find her own path. I find this… worrying, especially after the events of last night, but I’ve passed the information to the headmaster. He’s said that he’s going to see if he can’t have some of our magi track her down and see what can be done, but in the end, it’s her choice.”
“Lissa? I didn’t think she’d just leave like that…” Korima murmured, and Ruethwyn nodded, frowning to herself.
Ever since the incident in the summoning room, Lissa had gone out of her way to avoid Ruethwyn. For her part, Ruethwyn hadn’t tried to socialize with the other woman either, as the idea of Lissa being able to summon a fire dragon caused a good deal of anxiety for her. That made her feel bad, because a part of her wondered if it’d been her actions that had driven the young woman away. If so, Ruethwyn would feel terrible about it.
Ignoring their comments, Master Mara continued after a moment, growing more solemn. “Still, Lissa having left has brought a number of concerns to the fore. I want to assure all of you that you’re welcome to stay here for the rest of the year, at a minimum. I believe that with work, you’re all capable of passing the exams before the year truly comes to a close. If you have any concerns, if you need to talk to someone about anything… talk to me, Vrenne, or if you’re uncomfortable with us, go to Cora, head of the tower of water. I don’t want you neglecting your potential simply because you’re uncomfortable with something.”
“Seriously, Master Mara? Anything at all?” Barthel asked, sitting up suddenly as his eyes lit up. The teacher sighed and smiled, shaking his head.
“Barthel, I did say anything, yes. However, that doesn’t mean you’re getting out of the exams and tests. You have to prove your mastery of magic to be able to continue through the school, regardless of how much you may wish to skip them,” Master Mara replied firmly.
“Well, drat. I’d far rather spend my time on more interesting t
hings,” Barthel replied.
Vrenne smiled, her voice almost sweet as she asked, “Is that so? As it happens, I know that the army just requested a large number of suits of enchanted armor made of wyvern scales, and I’m afraid the artificing department is rather short on the raw materials. If you’d like, I can have you assigned to the hunting party going to Verdant Valley next week.”
“I… I think if I was going to hunt something like that, I’d want to go in the spring or summer, not on the onset of winter,” Barthel replied hesitantly.
“Yes, but the army isn’t going to wait, is it? Neither are the people who might attack them,” Vrenne countered, smiling at Master Mara. “What do you think, Emrick? Do you think that letting Barthel join the hunting party would be good for him?”
“It might at that. You’d like excitement and practical experience, wouldn’t you?” Master Mara said. Ruethwyn quickly realized that the pair were teasing Barthel, who was looking worried at this point.
“No, no… I’ll stay in the classes, thank you,” Barthel said quickly, swallowing hard. “I really don’t want to try hunting wyverns.”
“If you say so,” Vrenne said, smiling more warmly as she looked around the room. “Now, we’ve wasted enough time this morning, I think. Each of you have your projects, so get to work. If you have questions, feel free to ask, and I’ll see if I can’t help you figure out the problems.”
“Of course, Master Vrenne,” Ruethwyn said, finishing arranging her tools, then pulling out the metal die she was working on. The iron shard was oblong, with four flat faces to it, two of them covered in intricate carvings. Ruethwyn took a deep breath on looking at it, trying to relax. If she made a mistake on the remaining two, she’d have to start over.
So she put her worries about Lissa and the events of the previous night out of her mind and focused on her project, picking up the paintbrush.
The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1) Page 27