by Jasmine Walt
Tan felt a stirring in the air, like the sizzle of energy he had sensed as Amia had done her shaping, and felt the pressure building in his ears. This was a slow buildup, different than what Amia had done, and there was neither the force nor the pain he had sensed during her shaping. Then Roine inhaled deeply, suddenly exhaling, and the energy was released in a wave outward. Tan had never known anything like it before.
Roine looked at Amia. “Which way?”
Amia removed one hand from his waist and pointed up the slope. “Up.”
Roine looked up the slope and Tan followed his gaze. A trail meandered up the rock, cutting between some of the towering pines and ash trees. He didn’t recognize these lands.
How far had they come running from Velminth?
“We should hurry,” Roine said.
“Did your shaping tell you how far they were?”
Roine looked at him with a strange and curious expression upon his face. His mouth pursed as if he had a question he wanted to ask but did not. Instead, he nodded. “Not a definite distance. More like a vague sense.” He looked down the slope. “Several lisincend.”
“How many hounds?”
Roine looked back to him and smiled. “You’ve faced one of the lisincend and survived, but ask about the hounds?”
“I think we can outrun the lisincend. I’m not as certain about the hounds.”
Amia shivered behind him. “I don’t wish to see either.”
Roine watched them for a moment. “I don’t know how many hounds,” he said, and then turned his horse and spurred it forward. Tan and Amia followed, hurrying the horse up the slope after Roine. The climb was steep, though manageable, and led quickly upward. The sky began to lighten even more. The wind picked back up, sending hot gusts blowing through the trees.
The harsh baying of the hounds startled them when it started. It came as a sudden chorus of calls, howls, and snarls.
“They found where we stopped last night,” he called to Roine.
He’d been riding ahead of them, silent as he rode up the slope. With Tan’s comment, he turned and nodded. “They’ve never really lost us.”
“How’d they find us so easily?” Tan asked.
“The hounds are relentless,” Amia answered. Her voice was soft in his ears yet filled his mind. The words carried to Roine’s ears as well, for the man nodded. “Once they have your scent, they never forget it and rarely give up.”
“So they follow you?” Tan asked.
He felt Amia shake her head behind him. “There were too many of us for them to have a clear scent of me.”
Tan turned to look at her. Amia’s face was pleasantly close to his. “Me?” he asked. Was he the reason Nor had been destroyed? Had he led the hounds to it?
“That’s what I fear,” she answered. “You said they attacked when you tracked them, that you were treed. Something scared them off, but they didn’t forget the scent.”
“You should go with Roine. I won’t be the reason you are captured. Or the reason his mission fails.” Doing so meant certain death, but if he had led the hounds to Nor, didn’t he deserve it?
Roine slowed and looked over to Tan. “Though noble, Tan, it wouldn’t matter. I fear these hounds have my scent, as well.”
“How?”
“The distraction in Velminth,” Roine said. “So it seems it doesn’t matter. We’ll continue forward.”
“You aren’t concerned about the hounds?”
“Hounds I can manage. Their lisincend masters present a different challenge altogether.”
Tan shivered each time he heard the braying of the hounds. The day was fully light, though the clouds threatened rain again. The wind blew, alternating warm and cool. He suspected they managed to stay just ahead of the lisincend.
What would happen when they had to rest? Did the hounds or the lisincend have the same needs?
They stopped at a stream to rest the horses and let them drink. Roine pulled some stale bread from his saddle and passed it around. They each ate in relative silence. The hounds howling behind them were a constant reminder that they were being hunted. The air grew ever warmer as well. They did not stop for long.
“Do you still sense it?” Roine asked.
Amia nodded, closing her eyes and pointing. “Still up.”
Tan felt the energy Amia created during her shaping on the box—could almost see it if he tried. Like a straight line up the mountain face, disappearing from view over the peak. If that was where they traveled, then they had a long climb left before them.
“I don’t know that I’ll be able to find the pass from here,” Tan said.
Roine looked over.
“When we ran from Velminth, I…I lost my bearings,” he admitted.
Roine smiled. “If we follow Amia’s shaping, it shouldn’t matter.”
“If it does?”
“Stick to the trail. It’s faster,” Roine said.
They continued the slow switchback up the mountain. Roine began to look around more frequently, his eyes darting from side to side along the trail.
Not far from the stream, there was a subtle flurry of brown movement, streaking so quickly that Tan wasn’t sure what he saw. Roine raised his hand and the ground trembled. At first just a tremor, but soon the ground on the slope below them started to slip and peel away, tumbling into a rockslide. A howl erupted, a harsh and pained sound, which was silenced as the rockslide moved farther downhill.
“Was that—”
Roine shushed him with a gesture.
Tan had felt a tingling, like a sizzling across his skin, with the shaping.
Roine closed his eyes and Tan again felt the steady buildup of energy quickly released, spreading out from them in a wave. Roine listened for long moment.
“There are several others near,” Roine started, and then closed his eyes again. A low and steady rumbling began again, building like rolling thunder, far down the hill from them. A few pained cries followed. Roine’s mouth turned in a satisfied smile. “That should buy us a little more time.”
As they continued, Tan suspected each shaping taxed Roine more and more. He’d seen how weakened Amia had been with just a single shaping. Roine did several, each enough to trigger a landslide. What would happen if they encountered one of the lisincend? Would Roine still have strength to face it?
“I don’t think we can continue much farther like this,” Amia whispered in his ear.
Was there a sag to Roine’s shoulders that wasn’t there before? Tan wasn’t certain. They paused several more times and each time Tan felt the building pressure before it was released, followed by the low rumble of another rockslide. Roine was slowly eliminating the hounds chasing them, but each time he grew weaker.
Did Roine spend himself too soon? Even if he did, what other choice did they have?
By midday, the clouds thickened and darkened. Thunder started from the north, rolling toward them. With it came a heavy wind. Roine looked up to the sky, staring at it as if expecting something more than rain that never came, before shaking his head.
Not long after, lightning struck. It repeated, loud crackles that fried the air followed by sharp claps of thunder. Roine closed his eyes and Tan felt the building pressure, more quickly this time and not as strong as earlier in the day. When it was released, it was directed up the mountain face, pressing out before fading.
Roine listened for long moments before snapping his eyes open. “Off the path! Now!”
Tan didn’t argue. They hurried into the light underbrush of the forest. Their horses had to move slower to avoid the tangles and roots, but were able to pick up speed across the level ground.
As he wondered what Roine feared, a wave of heat answered his question. His eyes and mouth went dry. His skin felt boiled and tight.
Roine kicked his horse forward, moving in front of Tan. He held his hand out before him. A gust of wind pressed forward, sweeping through the forest.
One of the lisincend stood before them. The creature w
as horrible and immense, and radiated heat like a raging fire. A smile pulled at its lipless mouth and what Tan saw of the thick and scaled hide seemed as if it was peeling away. Its tongue lashed out quickly as it smiled at them. The creature wore dark black leather. No…that wasn’t quite right. Rather, the leather was so red that it appeared black, the shirt and pants pulled tight across the creature’s muscular frame.
“Theondar,” it hissed. “The girl. That is all. Then you may live.”
Roine eyed the creature for a moment. “That’s all you want? Then you will leave my kingdoms?”
Tan’s heart raced at Roine’s words. Would he give Amia to the lisincend? Tan wouldn’t allow it, realizing it a moment before hearing the echoing command in his head.
Protect me.
Amia clung tightly to him, trying to hide within the folds of his cloak.
“Your kingdoms? You are king now?” The lisincend laughed, a dry crackle. “You have always wanted to rule Theondar.”
Roine shook his head. “You have no idea what I desire, Fur. I would like to know how you penetrated the kingdoms.”
The lisincend appeared to smile again. “You would.”
Roine frowned and the lisincend crackled again with the strange sound that could only be laughter. “I can’t hand over the girl.”
The lisincend hissed again. “Give me the girl. Now.”
“Leave. Now.” Energy sizzled with the words, though nothing like Amia’s commands.
“Then you will die. And I will still have her.”
It raised its arm and a torrent of flame shot from its arm. Roine was ready and brought his own arm up. A surge of water shot as if from his palm. Roine raised his other fist, bringing it down, and the ground rumbled, nearly splitting at the feet of the lisincend. The creature started to stumble, righted itself, and then laughed again.
“Weak, Theondar,” the lisincend hissed. “You spent too much on my hounds. And you have barely injured them.” A chorus of howls cried out in answer.
Tan felt power building moments before he felt the heat that came with it. Roine’s eyes grew wide as he realized what the lisincend prepared.
He had been played.
He thrust one hand in front of him and another toward Tan and Amia. There was a surge of energy, much stronger than any Tan had felt before, building to a near ear-splitting level of pain. It stabbed into his skull like a knife.
The pressure built until he could no longer take the pressure and pain.
He felt it behind his eyes, through his head, and under his skin. It built so quickly that he trembled with the energy, more afraid than ever.
He prayed for some kind of release.
Roine looked over to him. “Hold on to Amia!”
Tan spun, grabbing onto Amia and hugging her. Her body shook and he felt her fear in his mind with the silent command to protect her.
He did not see the explosion.
Tan felt the release of pressure and pain within him like a dam bursting, then heard something loud, a horrible roar, followed by screaming. It was only later he realized it had been him screaming, yelling as he was thrown in the air, caught in a torrent of wind up and over trees and forest, holding Amia as they flew across the sky, propelled by the immense blast.
There was another surge of energy, something foreign and powerful, that caught him, leaving his skin tingling and his ears pulsing with its thunderous energy. It pulled upon them, streaking them higher and farther across the forest, and they sped like a loosed arrow. The wind howled around them. Droplets of glistening water formed on his arms and eyes and he blinked to clear his vision as they streaked through the air.
Then they were coming down. The ground flew up to meet them. Amia met his eyes, a mixture of fear and acceptance written upon her face. Both knew that there was no way they could survive the landing.
Then they crashed through trees and brush. The ground came up quickly and they landed with a splash.
23
Place of Convergence
Tan awoke slowly. He rested against the trunk of a tree and his back ached from the position. His head throbbed, a slow pulsing, and he closed his eyes again, hoping it would help. Pain stretched everywhere in his body and he worked his legs and arms, slowly realizing that nothing was broken.
Opening his eyes, he saw the lake where they had landed. A green film covered the water and his prints led from the water’s edge toward the tree. When had he crawled out of the water? Massive trees, huge roots curling up out of the water, lined most of the lake. Farther down the shore it turned rocky. Stretches of sandy beach interrupted the rocks. A small mountain peak rose up at the far end of the lake.
Amia lay next to him, still breathing but not awake. Tan let her rest and stood carefully to investigate, feeling a wobbling dizziness as he did. At least he still had his bow, though water had seeped through and it would need time to dry. And he still had his hunting knife. Better than nothing.
Near the lake, a small feeder stream flowed slowly enough that the water was still clear. He drank thirstily. The encounter with the lisincend had dried his mouth, and he worked his tongue over his lips to moisten them. Tan sighed as he finished drinking, standing again. Still lightheaded, at least he was a little better and able to stand without holding his hands out for balance.
The lake was set into a small valley in the mountain. Tan didn’t recognize anything around him. How far had they been thrown?
Or pulled? The vague memory of another energy pulling on them echoed in his mind.
What he should do now? Wait for Amia to awaken, but then what? Roine had convinced him of the need to find the artifact. If nothing else, Incendin couldn’t be granted the power Roine thought it possessed.
But how could he do that? Follow Amia’s shaping? Without Roine’s compass, would it even work?
Or did they wait for Roine? If anyone could survive the blast of energy from the lisincend, one of the warriors could.
As he walked along the shore of the lake, he stopped. They couldn’t wait for Roine. This task was his now. Somehow, in spite of everything, he still had to serve the king.
But the alternative—letting Incendin pass easily into the kingdoms—was not acceptable. War would return. Other towns might end up like Nor or Velminth. How many would die?
He closed his eyes and let his focus wander, sensing the forest around him. There was no unusual sound in the forest. There was the underlying buzz and hum of the late summer insects. He heard the quiet burbling of the stream and smelled the pungent algae growing within the lake. Somewhere far in the distance, a lone wolf howled plaintively, a reassuring sound, though Tan sensed that it was very far away. A circling hawk cried overhead before it fell silent. There was a rustle of the wind through the leaves of the trees, cool and steady across his face as well, and the air smelled of crisp pine.
All of this felt reassuring.
Over everything, he felt the shaping Amia had made. It was clear and bright within his mind, like a streamer of light pointing up the nearest peak. He wondered again how it was that he saw it.
He made his way back to Amia. She had sat up and looked around, eyes touching on the lake and the mountain in the distance.
“What happened?” she asked.
Tan shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure. Roine did something and then we were here.” He motioned around him. “Wherever this is.”
“I remember an explosion.”
“There was that,” Tan agreed, laughing softly. “And something else. Do you remember landing?”
She looked at him with her dark eyes and frowned. “No. Why?”
Tan laughed quietly again. “Your body will remember for you.”
“That’s why I am so sore?” Amia looked at him. Pressure built behind his ears, the sign of a sensing or a shaping. “You’re uncertain.” Amia placed a hand on his arm. “But that’s not all. You blame yourself. You think the hounds followed you to Nor.”
“No secrets from you?” he
asked and Amia smiled. “They followed my scent. I know I couldn’t help it, but if I hadn’t tracked them into the forest, would they have come after Nor?”
“You lost everyone.”
“So did you.”
A pained look pulled at her face. “We’ve been chased away before. As Aeta, we come to expect that. But what Incendin did…what the lisincend did to my people…the Mother…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? If not for you, I’d be dead too. What you did gave me a chance.”
“If we don’t find this…artifact, it won’t be much of a chance.”
“You’ll go on without Roine?” Amia asked.
“What choice do we have? If we do nothing, everyone suffers. If we try—”
“Then we might suffer.”
Tan laughed. Considering everything they’d been through, it seemed they’d already suffered enough. “Better that then watching when we could’ve helped.”
“That’s not your real reason. Not all of it.”
Tan sighed. How could he put words to why he wanted to make sure Roine’s task was completed? Amia touched his arm and a wave of relief washed over him. Tan wondered if he’d been shaped, but didn’t really care. “Since my father died, my mother has wanted me to go to Ethea.”
“The university?”
Tan nodded. “You know of it?”
Amia breathed out softly. “Mother always tried to avoid Ethea. She was afraid one of the shapers there would recognize my…gift. You have to understand, not visiting Ethea creates challenges for my people. The trading is always good at the heart of your kingdoms, the prices better than we can get anywhere else, and there are things we just can’t trade for anyplace else. Not visiting Ethea was a sacrifice made for me.”
“Did your people resent you for it?”
Amia smiled. “They understood the reasons. And we followed the Mother where she led. I can’t say I wouldn’t like to visit Ethea some day. I’ve heard the palace is breathtaking. Shaped by your earth shapers in such a way that can’t be replicated by masons.”