~~~
Amethyst stumbled as the floor of the altar room dropped out from underneath her. Dazed at the sudden change of environments, she realized she was back in the dining chamber. A wave of nausea swept over her, and she vomited.
“Sometimes the vertigo does that to you, the first time you travel by magic,” said Rasul from behind her, causing Amethyst to start. He crouched next to her and held out a soft cloth, and she wiped her face and hands. He held out a goblet of water, and she accepted that as well.
After she drank to clear her mouth and throat of bile, she pushed herself away from her mess and sat up. “Thank you,” she said, her throat raw.
“You are welcome, Princess,” he said. “Do not worry about the floor here. It will be cleaned while you rest. Master Giriraj will want to see you soon. I will help you to your chamber.”
He wrapped an arm around her chest and lifted her to her feet, supporting her right side. With his help, Amethyst managed to limp to her room and collapse into bed.
“Where is Fredrick?” asked Amethyst, gritting her teeth as she lay back on her mattress.
“He is gone.”
“Gone?”
Rasul nodded. “Our Master told me to expel him from this mountain.”
“Did you kill him?”
“Would you have wanted me to?”
She shook her head. “I don't know. He was trying to kill me.”
Rasul shrugged. “Killing is easy, especially when you can bend the elements to your will. Worry not, Amethyst. Fredrick, as well as the rest, still live. I sent them somewhere safe.”
Amethyst leaned back, her emotions mixed. She had won the Choosing, as far as she could tell, despite Fredrick's attack and her injured ankle. Part of her had wanted Rasul to say that Fredrick had been punished, that his actions had cost him his life, but another part of her felt oddly relieved that he hadn't been killed. Maybe it showed that Rasul and Giriraj were capable of mercy.
“There is bread on a plate here,” Rasul said, indicating a stool next to her bed. “When you feel well enough, you should eat. When he has dealt with Tika, he will come to you, so do not fall asleep yet. You will want to be alert when he visits.”
Amethyst nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Rasul shook his head. “You do not need to call me sir anymore. We are as equals now, in the service of our master.”
“So, I am his apprentice now?”
“Not officially, until the solstice, but unless he decides to seek another, then you are the only one who has passed the final trial. You have triumphed by default.”
Amethyst frowned. “Default is not how I wanted to win.”
“Sometimes, a win is a win,” Rasul said, shrugging. “Try not to examine it too hard.” He stepped out of her room and closed the door, leaving her alone.
Amethyst lay back and adjusted her leg to let her ankle sit easier, puffing up her cheeks with a sigh. She worried for Tika; she hadn't seen her move after Fredrick had thrown her. Giriraj had said that he would see to her, but Amethyst wanted to make sure she was okay. She had grown quite close to the girl from the east over the last fortnight.
She was struggling to stay awake when her door opened. Giriraj stood in the passage, his stern gaze falling on her. Immediately, she sat up to greet him. Bowing her head, she held her fist to her chest, as she had seen her father's soldiers do in respect to him.
“Master,” she said, waiting for him to speak.
“Do not salute to me as if you were a soldier. You are not in Lonwick, and you are not one of your father's men-at-arms. You are my apprentice.”
Quickly, she dropped her arms. “Yes, sir.”
“And lift your head. You are above the rest of the thralls that populate this world. You will act as such.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your royal upbringing should have prepared you sufficiently for this.”
“Yes, sir,” she said again.
He snorted, an undignified sound. “Of the fourteen words you've spoken to me, six of them have been either 'yes' or 'sir.' I assume you have a more extensive vocabulary than that?”
“I do.”
“Good. I expect you to use it. Now, Rasul tells me your ankle is broken?”
She set her hand on her right knee. “Either broken or badly sprained, sir.”
“Enough with that 'sir' trash. My name is older than your country, I expect you to use it. Show me your ankle.”
Wincing, Amethyst pulled off her boot and drew up her trouser. From partway up her shin to the tips of her toes, her leg was discolored green, purple, black, and blue. Giriraj knelt down, lifting her foot to rest on his knee. She gritted her teeth, inhaling sharply as she struggled not to cry out. It felt as if someone had shoved a red hot poker into her ankle.
He flexed her foot back and forth, sending bolts of agony up her leg. “It is definitely broken. The ice must have fractured it, and the fight with that idiot broke it further.” He placed his hands over her ankle. “This is going to hurt immensely.”
She saw a flash between his hands and cried out, grabbing her calf as the bones in her ankle shifted and ground against each other. Lightheaded from the pain, she caught herself before she fell, panting as she fought to maintain control.
When he removed his hands, Amethyst saw that her foot, though discolored, was back to its correct shape. The swelling was down considerably, and when she tentatively tried to move it, the pain was greatly reduced.
“What did you do?” she asked in wonder.
“I mended your bones,” said Giriraj. “All men – and elves – are made up of fire, water, earth, and air. Your bones and meat are made of the same stuff as rocks, your blood is water and iron, your heartbeat and strength come from the fire. Your lungs draw the air and put it into your blood. If you are powerful enough, you can mend bone and repair breaks.” He traced his finger sharply across her leg as if he were slashing her with a knife. “Other wizards of different disciplines can heal cuts and draw sickness out of an infection. Some can even reattach fingers or hands that have been severed, provided the limb has not begun to die.”
Amethyst shook her head. “That's incredible!”
Giriraj produced a small glass jar filled with white cream. “Rub this on your ankle, but sparingly. It will numb the pain and accelerate healing. If you do so twice a day, today and tomorrow, you will be fully mended by the time the solstice is here.”
Amethyst nodded. “I will.”
“Good.” Standing, Giriraj looked down at her again. “I suspect that you will be a studious apprentice, Amethyst Leonus. Only time will tell for sure, but I look forward to our time together.” As he left her chamber, he paused at the door and looked over his shoulder. “You will not see me again until the ceremony. Spend that time in rest, reflection, and meditation. Tika will be your witness, and Rasul will be mine. She is in her room, resting. You may go see her if you wish.”
Amethyst sat in the bed, listening for Giriraj's footsteps as he left the main chamber, holding the jar of cream. Unscrewing the top, it smelled strongly of mint, chamomile, and lavender. She scooped out a small amount, rubbing it onto her ankle and foot. Immediately, her pain diminished, fading to a deep, dull ache. Her skin soaked up the cream, having been without her usual lotions and oils for several weeks. She rolled up her trouser leg, tucking it into itself to keep it from falling onto her foot and smudging the ointment, and carefully stood. It still hurt to put her full weight on her leg, but she could step almost normally, provided she didn't flex her foot too far.
She gingerly walked to Tika's room, knocking gently on the door before pushing it open. The young woman was lying on her bed, covered over with a blanket. She cracked her eyes open to look at Amethyst as she entered.
“Hey, you.”
“Hey,” Amethyst said, kneeling down next to Tika's bed. “How are you feeling?”
Tika grunted, rolling to her side. “Like I was smashed against a stone by a crazy Northman. You?”
“Like I had
my foot crushed and put back together.”
Tika nodded, closing her eyes. “That sounds about right. So you won the choosing, huh?”
Amethyst nodded, though Tika couldn't see her. “I did.”
“Congratulations. I told you that you'd win.”
She chuckled. “I couldn't have done it without you. I didn't even know how to channel energy before you helped me.”
Tika opened one eye. “Huh, you're right. Maybe I should take your place and be the apprentice. Then you could go home and push out a litter of babies, and I could learn how to crush mountains into dust.”
Amethyst scoffed. “I don't think Giriraj would approve of that.”
“Hmm. Probably not.” Sighing, Tika shrugged. “Oh well, it looks like it's the broodmare life for me.”
Looking down, Amethyst clasped her hands together. “Maybe Giriraj would let you stay as a helper, someone to assist us, to learn with us?”
Snorting, Tika turned her head away. “Two apprentices? No. That's not the way it works. Only the best is allowed to learn from a Master, and you were the best.”
Amethyst sighed. “I know you're disappointed. I'm sorry.”
Tika reached out and held on to Amethyst's hands. “There's nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad it was you and not Fredrick.”
“Me too.”
Tika leaned forward, grimacing as she pushed herself up. “I want to go swimming and take a bath. Do you want to come with me?”
Amethyst nodded. “Yes. Let's do that.”
~~~
Full Moon of the Long Night, Year 4367
Winter Solstice
Amethyst stood on the peak of Mount Stromgard, in front of the cave entrance that led to the complex below. The skies were clear, and luckily, there was no wind this night. Above her, the moon shone full and bright upon the white snow that covered everything. The fresh powder was undisturbed but for four pairs of footprints – Giriraj, Rasul, Tika, and herself. It was bitterly cold, but her wolfskin cloak helped ward off the bite of the frigid air. She shivered as she waited for the ceremony to begin.
There was a slight tremble from the mountain beneath them, and Amethyst could hear the growing roar of another avalanche. It had snowed heavily while they had been underground, which had reloaded the ridges with its unstable coating. She couldn't see the sliding snow from where she stood, but from what she could hear, this one was as big – if not bigger – than the one that had been triggered as they had made their way up to the mountaintop.
Giriraj paid it no mind as he stepped toward Amethyst. He took her by one hand and led her to a space between two of the pillars that surrounded the entrance to the cave. He turned to face her, taking her other hand in his, looking down at her in the bright light of the full moon. Rasul and Tika stood side by side, both of them bundled up against the cold, bearing witness to the ceremony that would make Amethyst officially the Apprentice of Earth.
A solid stone slab lifted out of the ground between the two pairs, shaking the ground harder with its motion. Rasul produced four torches from inside his cloak and set them into holes in the corners of the slab. It was the work of a moment for him to strike flame to them with a flint and steel, and they had at least a small amount of heat.
Giriraj was dressed in a robe similar to Amethyst's, though he wore no cloak. She wondered if he even felt the cold at all; he had been shirtless and barefoot when she had first met him, and even now all he wore was the simple shirt-like robe and trousers that had been provided to her and the rest of the Hopefuls. Around his waist, though, he wore a much more colorful belt, instead of the simple dark brown sash that Amethyst wore. It was woven with threads of every color of the rainbow and had beads stitched into it, making an intricate pattern that caught Amethyst's eye.
Rasul stepped forward. “Amethyst, you have been chosen by the Master of Earth to serve as his apprentice and, if you are willing, you will begin serving him in that capacity until such time as he sees fit to release you. Do you understand the tasks that are going to be required of you?”
She nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“Do you agree to obey him unconditionally, heeding his every word as he gives it, as soon as he gives it?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you agree to take care of the tasks of life that are beneath him, such as his washing, his food, and keeping his domain clean?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you swear to him your loyalty in mind and body?”
“Yes, I do.”
Rasul turned to face Giriraj. “And what do you offer this young woman in exchange for her service?”
“I offer her my knowledge, my protection, and my teaching,” said Giriraj, meeting her eyes with his. “I offer her the mountains and the hills, I offer her stone and steel, gemstones and gold. I offer her the power to bring whatever she dreams of into reality.”
Turning back to Amethyst, Rasul asked her, “Are these terms acceptable to you?”
Amethyst nodded again. “They are.”
Rasul clapped his hands together. “Then the contract is made. Seal it now.”
Giriraj let go of her hands and produced a knife with a long blade forged of gold and a handle made from an opal. He held up his right hand and used the knife to cut his palm, drawing it along the crease that ran from one side of his hand to the other. He took her right hand in his, and cut her palm as well, causing her to inhale sharply and wince. He wrapped his hand around hers, interlocking their thumbs, and pressed their wounds together.
She felt a tingle in her hands, then a surge, like a massive burst of energy was being sent down her arm. She almost pulled away because of how intense the sensation was, but she forced herself to maintain her grip. She looked up, meeting Giriraj's eyes with her own, and gripped his hand tightly before she closed her eyes, reveling in the power. She could see the light of the mountain, a soft glow from both Tika and Rasul, and then Giriraj, who shone so brightly that he sent a beacon of pure amber energy into the sky. She felt her own power welling up inside of her, bolstered by that of the Master of Earth, and she nurtured it, drawing from the mountain and adding to her own. Soon, she began to glow with the same intensity as Giriraj, except her light was the familiar purple instead of golden amber.
She opened her eyes and was surprised to see the light from herself and Giriraj were both real, manifesting to make the top of the mountain shine around them. His gold and her purple reflected off the snow, bathing the whole area in a surreal mixture of colors, lending an otherworldly sheen to everything she could see.
“Let me show you the power that will be yours,” said Giriraj. Suddenly, they were surrounded by rushing wind, the mountainside dissolving into a blur of shadows and color. He pulled her closer, away from the roaring chaos, and held her tight. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him, not wanting to fall into the maelstrom.
Just as quickly as it had started, the rushing stopped, and they were surrounded by ice and snow, the peaks of mountains jutting out of glaciers. Instead of the clear night skies of Mount Stromgard, the weather was overcast, the clouds swirling above them in an impossibly huge cyclone. He released her, stepping back and letting go of her hand. Blood ran down her fingertips, but she ignored it, in awe of what was around her. She had never seen mountains this high before, nor this jagged – it was as if they were all freshly chiseled from the rock, with sharp edges unaffected by weather or time.
Giriraj extended his arms toward a low spot in the land. A massive, savage earthquake, shaking the ground so hard Amethyst feared she may fall over. She braced herself to stay upright and watched as snow and rock shed from the mountains around her, cascading down their slopes. The valley split open, spewing ash, smoke, and fire from the depths of the earth. Enormous spears of stone jutted out of the ground in a ring, surging towards the storming skies, each reaching higher than the last. The red glow of fire shone from the center of the formation, and Amethyst could smell sulfur and burnt rock, the scent stinging her nos
trils.
More pillars erupted from the ground as molten stone filled the center of the ring, smoke and ash billowing upwards, carried by the hot air. The clouds parted in front of the eruption as the Master of Earth layered stone around the newly formed magma vent. Boulders exploded, hurling fragments through the air, though none of them landed near Amethyst or Giriraj.
As the lava finally reached the edge of Giriraj's newly constructed mountain, it spilled over the rim and cascaded down, splashing off the tops of the pillars that he had used to build the sides of the volcano. Where lava met ice, there were small explosions that splashed molten rock through the air, and the temperature in the area started to rise dramatically as a cloud of steam filled the valleys.
Giriraj lowered his arms, turning to face Amethyst. “With this power, you will be able to reshape the world as you see fit. No enemy will stand against you, no country will lord over you. No king will command you, and no priest will curse you. When you have the power to pull mountains out of the ground and spill the very blood of Erde, you will be as a god amongst mortals.”
He held his bloodied hand out to her again. “Are you ready to begin learning?”
Amethyst looked in awe at the towering volcano filling the bottom of the valley, reaching higher than any other, then back at Giriraj. “I am ready.”
He smiled, pulled her close, and once more the world around her collapsed into roaring, rushing chaos.
Chapter Ten
8th Waning Hunger Moon, Year 4368
Amethyst struggled under the weight of the books. Carefully, she set them on a low table near the shelf and caught her breath, wiping dust and sweat from her brow. Looking up at the tomes, she huffed a sigh and started organizing them alphabetically.
“All right, 'The History and Biology of Dragons,' let's find your neighbors,” she said to herself, stepping up on a ladder that allowed her to reach the higher shelves. “Ah, here they are. 'The History and Bardic Tales of the Northlands,' and 'The History of Dwarves in Lonwick.'” She slipped the book into its place, then took another off the stack. “And now you, 'Before the Burning Sands,' you can go... right there.”
Snowfall Page 16