by L. L. McNeil
‘Topeko!’ she gasped, but the flames died in an instant, leaving the ring cool with the liquid solidified into a small, blue crystal, about half the size of the Samolen cheek jewels.
Moroda held the ring flat in her palm, a few wisps of smoke floating from it. ‘This… is…?’
‘Let me see,’ Anahrik demanded, holding his hand open for her to give him the ring. Moroda handed it to him without question, and the young Ittallan inspected it closely, picking at the crystal and turning it in his hands.
‘Put it on, Moroda. It will help,’ Topeko said as he carried out the process on Eryn’s ring, and then Morgen’s.
‘Is just a plain silver ring?’ Palom asked, peering into Anahrik’s hands, unimpressed with what he saw. ‘With your stone in it.’
Once Anahrik and Palom were satisfied, Moroda took it back and slipped it on the index finger of her left hand. She caressed it with the thumb on her other hand, and felt quite out of place all of a sudden.
‘I said earlier that we are all Rhea’s creation. We all have access to the power she has given us, the energy, the same magic of the dragons. Ra,’ Topeko said. ‘The crystals in these rings will harness your inner power, and bring it forth to protect you when you call upon it. You will have little time to practice, so you must listen carefully, and do as I tell you, to be able to access it. The crystal is a conduit of your own abilities. Do not forget this. The stone does not hold the power. You do. The stone simply helps enhance it in useful ways. Do you understand?’
‘Yes.’ Eryn said, echoing Moroda’s thoughts.
‘Linaria is full of life. Of energy. Every living being is connected to it. So we can move flames, we can warm up or cool down, we can take the energy we have moved or drawn and shield ourselves from harm. It saps your own energy while you are learning, and you will have no time to build up your reserves, so you will find it draining very quickly. But, it will keep you safe, if you have no other options.’
He waved his arms, and caused all the torches around the room to ignite simultaneously, save one, right in front of where they stood. ‘Raise your ring hand to one of the lit torches,’ he instructed. ‘Feel the heat, feel the vibration on the palm of your hand, allow your eyes to blur and see yourself and the flame as one stream of energy, of light.’
Moroda did as she was told, and although she could feel the heat from the fire, she struggled to see herself and it as one.
‘Relax your arm, allow your elbow to bend. Your stone will identify your energy and the fire’s energy when you do. When you have this knowledge, this connection, you can see it can be moved easily from one place to another, like tipping water from the jug into a cup.’
The three of them stood beside Topeko, arms outstretched. Moroda found her arm trembling with the effort to keep it held up, and Topeko’s advice to relax was not helping. Amarah snorted again, eating the fruit and watching, but giving no encouragement.
Moroda could feel Sapora’s eyes on her, and her stomach quivered at the sensation. Her body trembled, and she felt a chill along her back, though his gaze pierced right through her. It made her uneasy, and she tried to regain focus. But the cold sensation on her back was hard to ignore, and she whipped around to see whether he was actually looking at her or imagining things.
It was a mistake.
The flame from her torch burst from the bracket and followed her hand movement, whirling around the room as it flew towards where Sapora sat. Moroda’s eyes grew wide as she realised what was happening, and Sapora, reflexes on form, bolted out of the way as the chair he sat on burst into flame.
‘Watch what you’re doing, Moroda!’
Moroda blinked and jumped back—Sapora was right beside her, and he did not look pleased.
‘I… I… I don’t…’
‘She is a student, Sapora. No harm was done,’ Topeko said, extinguishing the flames with another wave.
‘She is careless and stupid,’ Sapora replied, glaring at Moroda, his nose almost touching hers. ‘In my country you can be killed for attempting to harm royalty.’
‘Then it is good thing we are not in your country,’ Palom said, brandishing one of Topeko’s swords at the Varkain. ‘It was accident. She is clever enough for being able to do this magic trick.’
‘Sapora, I’m so sorry, I… I didn’t mean,’ Moroda said, overcome with fatigue and fear. ‘I was trying to do as Topeko said, I…’
‘All is well,’ Topeko said, earning another scowl from Sapora. ‘An excellent first attempt. It’s a natural ability, but it isn’t easy to harness. Eat, all of you. Then try again.’
‘Without using me as a target.’ Sapora added, skulking off to the other corner of the room, away from where they would be practicing.
Moroda and Eryn shared a look, and Moroda saw Morgen’s concerned face, though the three of them were tired from their first attempt. The last thing she wanted to do was incite a battle, especially with Sapora, but she couldn’t help but feel elated that she had used Samolen magic and hardly realised she had done so.
She sat down and gratefully took some of the fruit, her mind spinning with possibilities.
Andel returned carrying two large tomes, dusty from their time in storage, and a small parcel wrapped in soft leather. He bowed to Moroda, placing them on the table in front of her.
‘Thank you,’ Moroda said, immediately opening the cover of the first, and thumbing through the thick, dry pages. The small parcel rolled off the books and onto the table, the leather unravelling as it came to rest.
‘What’s this?’ She picked up a small glass sphere—a red- brown feather curled up within. ‘Andel?’
‘I’ve never seen something like that before.’ Morgen said, leaning close to the item as Moroda held it up. It was divided into two halves by a thin sliver of gold, and the feather within floated as she turned it in her hand.
‘Isn’t that an ereven sphere?’ Eryn said. ‘Andel—you’ve brought an ornament, too? Andel? We only need the books?’
Moroda peered around the room, but the young apprentice had disappeared, leaving them to study the tomes and the ereven sphere. ‘Is it a gift for us, do you think? They’re worth a lot of money. Could help finance the rest of the trip?’
‘I don’t know. Be careful, looks like it’s delicate. You don’t want to break it.’ Morgen said, taking the small, glass ornament from Moroda and inspecting it closely.
‘You definitely want to fly across the sea?’ Eryn asked her sister, watching as Moroda turned back to one of the tomes, scanning the scrawling text and faint illustrations on the pages.
‘Ro?’ Eryn pressed again, causing her sister to glance up from the pages.
‘You want to go home?’
Eryn remained quiet, dropping her gaze to the bowl of food on the table.
‘We couldn’t possibly return to Niversai now, not after what we’ve learned from Topeko,’ Moroda said. ‘You’re not returning, Morgen, are you?’
The soldier placed the ereven sphere on the table. ‘Not yet. The guard is stretched thin, but one man won’t make much difference. Besides, I can learn more on this trip, and hopefully come back with information that’ll help. If war is coming, as Topeko predicts, I need to know all I can of Aciel, of the dragons, of anything that might be a threat to Corhaven, or Linaria itself.’
Moroda looked back to her sister. ‘As he said. We may not be in the guard, but this is bigger than all of us. If we are to survive, we need to know more. Palom and Anahrik are doing that, and so are the others. Look at what we’ve just learned! We’re here now, it’s an opportunity, and we would be foolish not to take it, Ryn,’ Moroda said. ‘I’m scared to go back… to go back to the dark of not knowing, not being aware. With Aciel coming to Niversai, using his compulsion on the King, on the guard, on the townspeople… it scares me. The trip ahead of us scares me too… but less.’
Eryn sighed and shrugged.
‘We’re here for each other,’ Moroda smiled, reaching her hand across the table to c
lutch Eryn’s. ‘Morgen is looking out for the group, so is Palom, and Anahrik…even Kohl, in his own way. Plus, Khanna will be fixed before we leave, so the journey will not be long at all.’
‘If you want to learn more, why don’t we just stay here and read?’ Eryn suggested, pointing to the two heavy books on the table.
‘These are histories. The real thing is out there. We need to find a dragon, an old one. Sapora will notify the armies of Val Sharis through his sister, their princess, when we arrive, so they’ll be ready. Remember he told Amarah he’d pay?’
‘Wow, you’ve really thought all of this through, haven’t you?’ Eryn asked, raising her eyebrows.
‘I wouldn’t trust Sapora,’ Morgen added. ‘Especailly after your close call just now. Best thing you can do is stick together. That’s how the last war was won. We stood side by side with the Ittallan against the Arillian threat,’ he explained. ‘The majority of the battles took place in Val Sharis, the Ittallan homeland,’ he continued. ‘The Arillians were wild with power, and couldn’t be controlled. So the King of Corhaven met with the Council of Val Sharis, and the Imperial Guard was formed of a collection of personal guard, mercenaries, and those who wanted to earn a bit of coin. It made all the difference, when it came to it.’
‘They all banded together to fight a common enemy,’ Moroda added. ‘We’re doing that too.’ She stood up, raised her hand again, and practiced.
Chapter Fifteen
By the time Khanna was repaired and ready to fly, Topeko had filled the ship to bursting with food, drink, clothes, accessories, and books; more books than Moroda could ever read in a lifetime, and she was in awe at his generosity. She vowed to take the greatest care with them, especially as she would need them to practice her magic and further understand what she had learned in Berel.
The scholar had provided them with an intense lesson on their innate magic the evening before they set sail—using their rings as a tool to help harness and direct it, and both sisters were giddy with joy when they learned how to confidently move a flame from one side of the room to the other.
Moroda took to magic more naturally than her sister, but was humble enough not to point it out or boast. Morgen felt more comfortable with steel in his hand, and Moroda could understand that; after all, he’d been training with sword and shield for the past few years. Magic, that intangible power, felt unnatural in comparison.
Amarah had found the whole thing ludicrous, and if there were any unexpected fires on her ship, she’d hold the pair personally responsible and wouldn’t hesitate to throw them overboard into the sea.
Moroda felt close to the scholar, and gave him a warm hug in farewell before boarding Amarah’s ship. She wanted nothing more than peace in Linaria, and she felt Topeko was the only one in their company who shared her views. He also had a lifetime’s worth of knowledge and access to vast resources; he wasn’t just guessing, he knew what he was talking about. He had opened her eyes to other cultures and to the rich history of Linaria and its people, as well as that of the dragons and their crystals, and of course, magic. It was an incredible gift, and Moroda felt doubly fortunate and very grateful for the experience.
‘I feel more at home in Berel than Niversai, especially now.’ She confided in Eryn before they left.
‘I can see that! You’re certainly in your element here, Ro. It’s quaint. Pretty. There’s a lot to learn… but it’s too hot and dry, and nothing really goes on. It’s too quiet.’
‘Ah, but I love how simple it is. There’s too much going on in the city. I feel overwhelmed there.’
‘We’ll come back.’
‘We have to! I have so many of Topeko’s books, I’ll need to return them! I’m sure we can get an airship back here, even if it isn’t with Amarah,’ Moroda said, making her mind up. ‘But first, we need to sort out the finding an old dragon… and Aciel.’
Anahrik flew out ahead, as had become his routine—he preferred knowing all that was around him, and with his incredible swiftness, could report back to alert the others before a threat had any chance of becoming a real danger.
Moroda enjoyed sitting up on deck and reading through Topeko’s library of books while talking with Amarah. The sky pirate had not been keen on the idea at first, but when it came to discussing Khanna; how she worked, how fast she could fly, what scrapes she had managed to escape from, Amarah became much more animated and open to discussion. Moroda saw it as another opportunity to learn. It was wonderful to see which levers did what, how the sails and wings worked, and feel the wind through your fingers.
Their journey to the sea was short due to Khanna running at full speed, as Amarah was sure to remind them. Moroda was pleased with what they’d learned in Berel, and her own magic, though nothing like Topeko could do, did not fail to amaze her every time she tried something and found it worked. Her fears of Aciel and his growing army seemed to fade now she had unlocked secrets within herself she hadn’t even known were there. The threat of dragon attacks, of Arillian scouts, of bandits, of Imperial soldiers… everything paled in comparison to her wonder she had at her fingertips.
Topeko had taught her how to move energy from one place to another, and she had gotten the hang of moving fire or igniting sticks of wood fairly quickly. He had also tried to teach her to create a shield, a field of energy that was barely visible, to protect herself from any attack. But that was taking a little more practice. Moving energy was one thing. Conjuring and holding it still and strong while under attack... that was something quite different.
Eryn had warned her about not letting the newfound power go to her head, and she tried, really, she did—but it felt she had been asleep her whole life and only now had opened her eyes. She knew this magic was not some toy to be played with, but a very real connection with Linaria, with Rhea, with everything living. How she wished she could simply be left to explore the depth of her powers and see what she could really do, given time to study at the university—or perhaps under Topeko himself, if he would have her.
Moroda skipped along the deck of the ship on the third day of their flight, fingers tracing the sides, feeling the warmth and strength of the engines below which kept them afloat. She had practiced moving power from one engine to another, much to Amarah’s amazement, but after a few minutes she was told to leave Khanna out of her sorcery lest she did irreparable damage.
‘Have to admit, I’m impressed with how fast you picked up Topeko’s tricks,’ Amarah said, though she did not look at Moroda when she spoke. Moroda glanced up from the page she was reading, but remained quiet. She could sense Amarah wanted to talk, but interrupting her would remove any chance of hearing what it was she had to say. ‘Never had the knack for it myself. Sapora made that clear enough, didn’t he? Bastard.’
‘It’s alright,’ Moroda soothed.
Amarah snorted again and looked off to the side of her ship. ‘Even those damn books didn’t help. Letters all jump about on the page. Gave me a headache trying to hold them still, never mind read what they said!’
Moroda returned to the page of the book she was reading. It was a book on compulsion, some wider reading to give her a break from the intense studying of magic.
“Beware sweet-speakers who only say words you wish to hear. For this is the charming, venomous tongue of Apii Aso, the Heart-Eater, who lives an existence only for his selfish desires.
As much as his words tell you he has your best interests at heart, they are spoken only to trick and fool you. He will use you, swallow your soul and leave you a poisoned husk without a second thought.
While you provide some use to this creature, his seemingly nice nature will endure. As soon as he has no use for you, you will feel his true nature and be cast aside when he is done.
You will be used as it suits the Heart-Eater.”
‘Of course everyone said I was stupid back then ‘cause I couldn’t read it, and ‘cause I couldn’t do the magic, either,’ Amarah continued, laughing at herself. ‘Even had that damn crystal in
my cheek and it did fuck all.’
Moroda looked up again and remembered Sapora’s jibe about the scar on Amarah’s face. She marked her page and closed the book, giving Amarah her full attention.
‘Cut it out myself when I left. Family didn’t want anything to do with me if I couldn’t do it. Why would they? I was worthless. Well, I was some half breed mixed blood piece of shit anyway. No better than the gutters I crawled to after I left.’
In spite of learning what she had about the sky pirate, Amarah seemed to bear her no ill will—her disdain seemed to last only for the other Samolen, and Sapora, which Moroda was grateful for. She understood what it was like to lose those you called friend, to have those you had always been there for turn their back on you the moment you needed help of your own. While her life had not been changed as dramatically as Amarah’s, the feelings of broken trust and sorrow were there. Perhaps rage, too, buried somewhere deep. To be something you’re not, having been told one thing your whole life for it all to change in a heartbeat… that was something Moroda could relate to.
‘I’m self-taught of course,’ Amarah admitted. The Sea of Nami had opened out before them through the night, and the small ship was surrounded by deep blue in all directions. The speed and smoothness of their flight out of Berel was far better than their flight into it, and they ate up the leagues effortlessly.
‘When I made it to Corhaven, hah, I got there mostly stowing away on airships. My cabin was just the engine room. Loved the noise. Was amazed to see what all the machinery did, and what happened when I messed around with it.’
‘You did what?’ Moroda gasped.
‘Nothing that bad,’ Amarah waved her hand dismissively. ‘Just opened up the casings, pulled at some of the pipes, you know. These were massive cruisers. They had five engines for each wing! Nothing like my little Khanna, here! Even if I completely wrecked one of the engines, it’d never fall out of the sky. More indestructible than warships, I tell you,’ she cackled. ‘But I got to know them. I got to know the different types of engines, the ones that purred, the ones that roared, the ones that just rattled,’ she said. ‘There’s not a lot of variety.’ She adjusted one of her sails slightly. ‘So you have to customise. Build your own out of the best bits of others. That way the Imperial scum don’t know what you can do, how fast you can go… You can always, always outrun them.’