Her brother was many things, yet a murderer he was not! She was no longer enjoying this line of conversation. The girl was upset—any fool could see that. Still, to accuse Aritian of…well she just would not have it. She rose to stand at her full height, putting her well above her guest. “It is clear that you are upset, yes? I know Delmith well. I will see him on the morrow and get to the bottom of this.” Raising a hand as the dark-skinned Human started to speak, Sarshia continued. “I will be discreet, yes? No one needs know what we discussed. As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, we were rekindling our friendship, yes?”
Wiping her eyes, Shaith appeared consoled by her words. “Very well, then. I should return to the Chandril’elian. Thank you for seeing me.” She curtsied once more. “And welcome home. I know what it be like to be away for so long.”
“I am sure you do, dear.” Gliding to the door, Sarshia tilted her head as the girl left and walked down the hall. Closing the door, she leaned against it in thought.
Murder, most definitely not! Still, little Aritian, what are you up to?
Glancing to the side table, she sighed. Her raz had grown warm.
In the tendays that followed, Arderi Cor spent his days training with Larith in the art of Sujen and his eves walking and talking with Rinear. He felt he had grown better at both. Larith had finally come to him, apologizing for his lack of attention, and now Arderi stayed bone-weary most days from the training he received. Rinear, so unlike any girl he had ever known, was not only smart, she was witty as well. And her laugh—so full of life! He smiled just remembering the sound of it. He enjoyed teasing her about her cute, little pug nose, and it did not bother him when she ribbed him about his country upbringing. He still had difficulty thinking when she came near. She was so—
“Pay attention, Arderi!” Master Rine’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
I have difficulty thinking even when she is not near!
Swirls of color danced around him. It had taken several attempts to gain the Sight of Sujen, and now that he had let his mind wander, it threatened to slip away. Concentrating, he held onto the Sight and refocused his thoughts to the task at hand. Nocking another arrow in his bow, he drew the string back until the fletching grazed his cheek.
“Remember, do not rely on your skill alone.” Master Rine adjusted his stance and pointed from Arderi to the pile of sacks some fifty paces away. “Reach out and grab a Strand and use it to connect the tip of the arrow to the center of the target.”
As hard as it was to gain the Sight of Sujen, seizing one of the multitudes of Strands floating in the air was near impossible. It felt like trying to take hold of a greased-down grass snake that was trying very hard to squirm away. Arderi thought it was the whole reaching out part of this process.
It still baffles me that I can reach out and grab something with my mind.
It felt odd. So far, he had been able to accomplish this only once. That happened two days gone now, and all he managed since was to make one Strand he reached for twitch. Worst of all, he was not sure he had even been the one to cause that!
Still, the fact that he actually saw the Strands around him gave him reason to believe he could do it. So, he reached out.
The strand floating just before him trembled. His heart leapt as one end of it moved closer to him. Somehow—he had no clue how—he placed the end he held onto the tip of the arrow. They touched, though he did not think they were connected in any way.
A loud clap from Larith broke his concentration and the Sight slipped from him. Looking over at Larith, who grinned from ear to ear, Arderi released the tension on the bow and lowered the weapon to his side. “I am sorry, Master Rine.”
“No, no, Brother! That was fantastic!” Walking over, the man clapped Arderi on the shoulder. “Never have I seen anyone advance with the speed you have shown.”
“Speed?” Bowing his head, Arderi raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “It has been more than two tendays and I have not been able to take hold of a Strand more than twice!”
Larith reached out and took the bow and arrow from Arderi. “Yes. That is a wonderful accomplishment. It normally takes a person several moons to just grasp the concept of gaining the Sight of Sujen. You did that your second day.” Turning, he headed back into the Citadel. “You are being too hard on yourself. Come, let us make a warm drink to chase away this chill.”
The days were growing colder. Rinear said snow would be upon the Citadel soon, and was surprised it had not already fallen. Looking around the barren courtyard, Arderi sighed.
If I am doing so well, why do I feel like such a failure?
Following Master Rine into the building, the warmth of a large fire burning just inside the door greeted him. He had learned they called this room the mudroom. However, he never figured out why. It was nice and roomy, with a plush rug covering the slate floor. Several chairs and benches sat scattered about.
Arderi crossed the room to Larith who stood at a side table pouring two cups of a hot drink he called tea. The orange-tinted liquid tasted bitter unless sweetened with honey, which Arderi added from a small jar sitting on the same tray as the tea. Steam rose from the small cups as Larith set the pitcher back on the silver platter. Picking up the other cup by a small protruding handle, he motioned for Arderi to join him in the sitting area. Once the two settled in, Larith’s face became grave. “You are doing well, Arderi. You will have to trust me in this.” He took a sip of tea, then placed the cup on a small table next to him. “Sujen is not a parlor trick. It is physical. All around us. Much the same as what a Shaper sees when he holds the Sight of the Essence.”
The mention of a Shaper spawned a memory in Arderi. “Master Rine, I have had two Shapers tell me they could feel something in me. Was this Sujen they were feeling?”
Leaning forward, the older man put his elbows on his knees. “Yes. I think you are powerful enough to have had that happen. Before you bonded with Ka’gana, you would have radiated your power out. Think of it like a torch. It lights up the area, though it is not directed. Anyone with the ability could have sensed it, even an untrained Shaper. A Shaper would not know what he felt, however. Once Brother Rillion bonded you to Ka’gana, it was like taking your light and placing it into a lantern. A lantern with its shutter closed. Now that you are bonded, no Shaper can feel anything from you. When you use the Sight of Sujen, you open your shutter, focusing your power as you see fit.”
“Be that as it may, this power—this Sujen—it seems more of a hindrance than an aid.”
Leaning back in his seat, Master Rine tilted his head to the side. “Why would you say that? How can you see any of what you have learned as a hindrance?”
“Time.” It was the one thing that bothered Arderi about all he had learned. “All this…” He waved a hand toward the outside. “…letting the Sight fall upon me, reaching out and grabbing Strands, pulling them here or tying them there. It all takes time.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I do not see how any of that will be a help during a fight. It takes too much time.”
While Arderi spoke, he watched Larith’s puzzled look turn to one of amusement. “Ah, I see. No, it is not like that.” He shifted in his seat and seemed to grope for the right words to say. “Time…Well, time is not what you know it to be. You think that the sun moves across the sky at a steady pace and once it has gone a hand spread, an aurn has passed and this is constant, right?”
When Arderi nodded, Larith continued. “That is the physical time. However, time is more than that. There is also a mental time.”
“I am sorry, Master Rine.” Arderi knew it was rude to interrupt, however this line of thinking went beyond him. “That makes no sense.”
Larith ran his fingers through his long, jet-black hair and sighed. “I have no gift for teaching.” The man spoke more to himself than to Arderi. After a moment, he looked up. “Which is faster, walking across
the room or thinking that you are walking across the room?”
Glancing to the far side of the room to where Master Rine pointed, it was Arderi’s turn to comb his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Thinking is faster than doing. I understand that. Still, I cannot think myself across the room.”
“Ahh!” The older man’s excitement made Arderi look back. “That is not my point. My point is that you can think yourself across the room faster. In your mind’s eye, you can see yourself crossing the room, or even see yourself already there without the actual getting there. The fact that you have not crossed the room physically is irrelevant to understanding Sujen.”
Something clicked for Arderi.
That night when the O’Arkin attacked, everything seemed to freeze in time. Even my body. Just not my mind nor Master Rillion’s.
“So, when I am holding the Sight of Sujen, I am moving at the speed of my mind?”
“Eureka!” The old man clapped his hands together. “Now you are getting it, Brother! Although, your body is not, your mind is free of physical time. You can assess your situation, take the time to manipulate Strands, even move your body in the precise direction to dodge a strike. It is a very powerful advantage to have to be able to think outside of physical time.”
The smile on Larith’s face became contagious, and Arderi felt himself mirroring the man’s look. “Is this why everything froze when Master Rillion used his powers?”
Mention of Clytus wiped the smile from Larith’s face. “Yes. That is called the Melding. Without you being bonded to Ka’gana, you were caught up in it. We call that a Shared Meld. As your skill strengthens, you will have the ability to balance Sujen with the Essence. Once you can do this, it will be as if you have the ability to stop time. Or, more accurately, your mind will be free to move at the speed it wishes without the hindrance of your body. When this happens, you will feel that your body is holding you back. You will always have to deal with the limitations of physical time. Just because your mind moves freely, does not mean your body does as well. Though some, like Brother Rillion, do gain gifts that even other Brothers of the Order find amazing.” Leaning over, he picked up his cup and took a sip of tea.
“Is this how Shapers do what they do?” This train of thought—anything about Shapers really—always brought him full circle to the death of his brother.
Oh, how I wish you were here, Alant. You were correct. The Cor brother’s would have been a force to be reckoned with!
“In a way, yes.” Larith smoothed the front of his white robe. “The Essence and Sujen are like opposite sides of the same coin. Both originate from the same place.”
“Wait!” Again, Arderi mentally chastised himself for interrupting, though he could not help himself. “The Essence comes from somewhere? I have always thought it was simply in everything.”
“It is in everything, just as Sujen surrounds everything. Yet both come from somewhere.” The older man raised a hand to stop any further questions. “From where it comes is not important. Now listen.” When Arderi nodded his head to indicate he would not interrupt again, Larith resumed his instruction. “Unlike a Shaper, a Tat’Sujen cannot change things. We can manipulate them, yet not change them. Make your arrow more accurate, nudge something out of the way, control your own body to move with more alacrity. With Sujen, you use the forces surrounding everything and bend them to your will.”
Arderi needed time to wrap his brain around Sujen and all it entailed.
A man could go mad trying to understand this!
His thought brought him to another line of questions. “And this Mah’Sukai, how is his power different?”
A chuckle rumbled deep in Larith’s chest and he shook his head. “I am not sure you are ready for the answers you seek. Suffice it to say, Melding the Essence as the Shapers do, and Melding Sujen as we Tat’Sujen do, are both ways to safely interact with the powers that infuse this Plane.” The same intensity filled his eyes as the last time he spoke on the subject. “To become a Mah’Sukai, one must submit to the Essence, body and mind. They willingly sacrifice themselves to it and let it bond to them—through and through. When a person gives that much of themselves to the Essence, they are no longer who they were. They are no longer…Human.” He stared deep into Arderi’s eyes. “In doing this, they gain the power to destroy the entire Plane, and lose the ability to stop themselves from doing it. That is why the Tat’Sujen exists—to ensure that they do not succeed. To ensure that no man gains so much power. To let them live is to sacrifice all other life on Talic’Nauth!”
Larith’s eyes flitted down to the sword at Arderi’s waist. Clytus Rillion’s old sword, Dorochi. “Have you ever killed before?”
Arderi wanted to avoid thinking about this. Learning the sword excited him. However, he was not sure if he could use that training for its intended purpose. “Nix, Master Rine. I have not.”
“It is a hard thing, taking a man’s life.” Reaching out he placed a hand upon Arderi’s knee. “If you are the one to find this Mah’Sukai, remember, he will no longer be a man. He will be a monster. The Essence will have mangled him. Changed him to the point of being unrecognizable as Human. Also, remember he will wield untold power. You must not hesitate if you get the chance. You must strike.” His fingers tightened. “You must kill him. Or everything dies.” Abruptly, he sat back. “You have family?”
Terrified by this man’s words, Arderi could only nod.
“Know this, the Mah’Sukai will kill them.”
Thinking of his family, Arderi realized how much he missed them all. His Ma and Papa. They had supported his decision to go to Mocley and finish what Clytus had started. His sisters, so fragile and lovely. They deserved more than to be killed by a monster. His little brother Rik, still in the throes of discovering everything around him. Would he never know how wonderful life could be?
Even Siln. With all his faults, he does not deserve to be slaughtered by a monster!
“Will you allow that to happen? Will you let your family die?”
When Arderi had learned of Alant’s death, it felt as if a piece of him had died as well. How could he survive if the rest of his family passed into the Aftermore? “Nix.” The word came out in a choked whisper.
Larith nodded, a somber expression on his face. “Good. You keep my words in your heart alongside your family. And if you get the opportunity to strike down this Mah’Sukai, let my words and thoughts of your family lend you the strength you need to follow through with what must be done to ensure the safety of everyone on this Plane.”
The door to the room banged open and both men jumped. Saven came storming in. “There you are! I have searched half the Citadel looking for you.” Walking over, he stood next to his brother.
Though he had seen the winged man on several occasions, the large feathered tips sticking over the man’s head still filled him with awe.
Placing a hand on Larith’s shoulder, Saven looked down at Arderi. “I am afraid your training time is up, boy.”
Arderi’s heart sank when Larith jumped to his feet. “No, Saven. The boy is not ready!”
“And for that, I am sorry. Still, Jinro just arrived from Keitory. A blizzard is on its way and will be here within a few aurns. Jinro was just able to keep ahead of its winds.”
Confused by the conversation, Arderi asked a question before he realized he was interrupting. “Why do we need fear a blizzard?”
Saven glanced at his brother before answering. “If you are to reach Mocley in time to search for this Mah’Sukai, you must go there by Sending Stone. I fear that Larith has kept you here far too long as it is. It is high time we had someone in that city searching for our target.” Glancing at Larith, he continued. “If we have missed finding this abomination because of your caution…”
Bile rose to the back of Arderi’s throat when he thought of using a Sending Stone to Travel. The last time he used one,
each bone in his body felt like they had snapped—an experience he wished never to repeat. “How does a blizzard stop me from using a Sending Stone?”
“The Sending Stone near here is two valleys away, in a small cave that was once part of a temple. If the blizzard hits the Tandeba, the valley will fill with snow and be inaccessible for several moons.” Turning, he placed a hand on Larith’s shoulder. “I am sorry to force this. I always let you have the final say with your Order. However, no matter if this boy is ready or not, I am afraid if we do not leave within the aurn, he will be spending the winter here in Bin’Satsu with you. We may lose our chance to end this before this new Mah’Sukai has gained enough power to stop us. And if he falls into the wrong hands…”
Larith let out a long breath and stared at the floor. “We cannot take the chance that the Mah’Sukai is already in Mocley and then lose him. I know he is on Ro’Arith. Mayhaps in Mocley, mayhaps Orlis or Velvithia, though I have heard nothing from the Brothers there.” Lifting his head, he locked his gaze on Arderi. “I am sorry, Brother. Saven is correct. It is time for you to head back to Mocley. Hopefully, you can return later for more training.” Turning to Saven, he placed his hand on the bigger man’s shoulder. “Do you feel like carrying me?”
For some reason this caused Saven to smile. “Yes, brother. It would be worth it to see you leave this place once more, even if for only a few aurns time. Are you sure you are willing to be carried by me?” For some reason, the big man looked at Larith with a mix of nervousness and pity.
With a nod, Master Rine grunted. “There are still things I must tell Brother Cor. If time is of the essence as you say, I will need to speak with him before he uses the Sending Stone.” For the first time, Arderi saw hesitation in Larith’s eyes. It lasted only a moment. “Have Jinro put on a harness as well. After we send Arderi on his way, tell him I will want to hear of this new mate of his.”
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