‘Yes,’ Cosia said quietly, the snakes hissing. ‘And no, I am not jesting.’
‘Which one?’ Ron asked brutally. ‘The one you like the least, mistress? The least useful one? The weakest one? Take the Frenchie.’ His eyes settled on small Albine, then he saw Cosia looking at me. He grasped my shoulder, smirking like a simpleminded school bully, sensing weakness, immediately ready to pounce. ‘Or take the addled one if you must. Despite her looks, she seems to be a burden we don’t need to carry. She is the weak one. Just take this one.’
Ron was making a claim for the leadership of a bunch of slaves, and the look he cast about was brutal and aggressive. I ripped my shoulder free of him.
Ulrich shook his head. ‘Wait. I …’
Dana sighed, apparently resigned to take my side. ‘I say take the one who keeps talking. Take the ape here, the fat, foul-mouthed piece of shit.’ Dana pointed spitefully at Ron, and the large man reddened, taking a step forward. He was not fat, of course, but thick with muscle. It made no difference for Dana had sweetened the insult with a smile and a tilted head, and like bullies, he was not one for words.
‘No, we must not bicker …’ Anja began, but Cosia clapped her hands together. We went silent.
Cosia was ticking her nail on her tooth. ‘I see you lot are going to need a lot of discipline. I’ll take the one who is the weakest, of course,’ she said happily as if discussing breakfast arrangements. ‘But not at face value. So. Let us see. You all see the Shades, the power that makes us more than those who do not. One spends a lifetime learning spells, of Fury, the force for destruction, of Gift, the gentler arts. The masters of this world teach their students slowly, gently, coaxing their minds to see the right ways and paths, the braids and weaves of wondrous creation, and they have such time to spare. In our world, where we come from we do not teach anyone like that. It is too slow. For us, the method to learn spells is another spell, one I master. It’s rather more dangerous and uncomfortable that taking your time. It is painful, harsh even. And it can only be cast on those who are weaker than the caster. You all qualify in that regard.’
I hesitated, for could I not see all the spells they wove?
Cosia continued, ‘Some die from such teachings, as the master forces his will over the students, thrusting aside the natural guards of the victims so perhaps if that takes place no further lesson will be needed. Yet, you humans are hardy, much stronger than the finer beings of this land. Now, I shall give you the one spell you will need this year. You have discovered some on your own, already, and will in the future. Such is the way of the Shades, it sometimes teaches the students who grasp the Shades for the first time, but this spell will be what you shall use for now. Now, be strong. I shall not be able to see to your minds, but I will grasp and harness it, like a parent holding a naughty child by the hair, and you will look and learn the spell I shall cast after.‘ She snapped her fingers, we could see the Shades, and we all laughed with the force tumbling in our minds, making us whole.
It was a pleasure we enjoyed only for a moment.
Her hands moved, and I sensed she was making a delicately complicated spell. She was touching fire and ice equally and then, suddenly, we could all feel her mind grasping at us and we, in our blissful moment of joy had no chance to resist. She was forcing her will on us and strangely, we could all feel she was forcing our eyes towards what she was doing. It was a crushing, soul-breaking feeling as all our fibers resisted the spell. Someone was whimpering, another was screaming, and we all fell to our knees and fought, instinctively but weakly. It was impossible. She was beyond our strength to resist, she had no need for subtlety, and was well used to the game. She thrust inside our heads, and we all found ourselves visitors in our own body as she dragged our minds to stare at what she willed.
‘Gods, let it be quick,’ I prayed, for it hurt so badly. We were dimly aware of her arms pumping crazily in the air as she was murmuring softly. In my head, I saw she was forcing us to reach for the power in a certain way. I dimly heard the roar of ancient fires as she showed intricate ways of plucking at that far away energy. She showed us what to reach out to and what to combine. There was a bit of heat here, some flame added to the mix and a touch of roaring noise, then she was combining them very delicately, pulling and braiding the fire, the heat and the noise, binding them together to throw a spell out of her fingertips. We saw thick, angry yellow weaves of fire burst away, making their way to the wall.
Then she released our minds, leaving us sweltering and covered in sweat. Albine was breathing hard on the floor and was dragging herself up, so was one of the Russian boys. Ron was massaging his forehead and the girl called Cherry was whimpering.
Cosia nodded at us as we stared at her in stupefaction and then at the far wall, where she had built a thick wall of flames, sizzling and burning cobwebs in a fantastic show of deadly art. The flames were thick, near sentient and fierce as they spread up and down, left and right. ‘Imagine that teaching performed on one of the less hardy races. You humans are resilient, that is true. You saw what I did. This is a way to make a simple wall of fire, deadly, of course, but simple still. Most spells are much more complicated and to hold you for so long at this time as to teach you, would break you. You will grow stronger and next year we shall teach you more. Remember, none of you will be anything but weapons. You will all learn useful spells here, mostly for the simple art of destruction, and some of you will specialize in more … focused spells, but it will all be about fire for that is all you few human saa’dark can see anyway.’
I shook my head and opened my mouth, but thought better of it. I could see ice. It was so close, and fire so far.
Cosia furrowed her brow at my confused look until I looked down and then nodded, her fires disappearing, leaving the fiery art of slowly burning cobwebs spreading on the far wall. ‘Now, one by one, make a wall of fire over the yonder wall.’ She pointed to her right. ‘You, girl.’ She pointed at Albine. ‘You tired yourself with your buffoonery, so you had better hope to impress, even if it kills you. I care nothing for children; will give you no special treatment, even if younger ones are quicker learners than the older ones. Quicker, but also too delicate, we have seen before.’
Albine scowled at her and then turned to look at the wall, brooding and angry. Able was whispering to her, but she was paying no heed. Perhaps she was contemplating on throwing the wall at Cosia, but her predator’s eyes flashed and the French girl nodded, knowing better, for now. She had some sense, then. She murmured, her brow was sweating, and her hands moved. I saw her pulling at the spell, trembling with exertion. Finally, a thin gout of fire played at her fingers as she shook even more, staring at the power with round eyes. I saw she was not doing it right anymore. She was beyond tired, shocked by her glowing hands. She was trying to fix them frantically. She managed it, nearly spent. She grimaced, shirked, and I felt her draw in much power. Then the fire burst out, uncertain and sputtering. There were slow gouts of fire weaning out of her fingers, moving towards the wall, where they exploded weakly on impact. She slumped, whimpered, and fell. Cosia smiled like a benevolent parent. ‘It is hard. But good, though not superb.’
The Russians stepped forward, eyeing each other warily. The two bald brothers began moving their hands, swearing softly as they consistently failed. They were doing it wrong until Anja stepped in between them and grasped their hands, squeezing them, and then letting go. That calmed the boys, and I saw them all pull at the powers. Their hands glowed, fire burst forth in uncertain lines and together they built crisscrossing, shuddering, mad, thick waving lines of fire that hit the wall and sputtered man high, burning with blue and green flames. Cosia nodded at them, staring as they kept at it and wove a long wall of flames, full of holes and flaws, and then it collapsed with a strange whistle.
‘Interesting,’ she said. ‘Since we often get families here, I know siblings can make each other stronger and more focused, but you have more finesse than most your kind. Next. You. Blond dolt.’
Lex stepped forward, apparently hoping to beat the challenge quickly. He was roaring with anger, pain, and he wove the spell surprisingly well, and from his hands burst forth a thick burst of fire that turned to smoke and cinders before hitting the wall. Some of the flames danced wildly around the room until Cosia scowled and cut him off the Shades. Cosia pointed at Ron. God, but I was afraid of that one already.
Ron walked up and pushed Lex aside brusquely, holding his hands out and so smoothly, so skillfully as if he had always done it, he wove the spell and stretched his hands out. Bright lines of thin fire shot quick as lightning across the room and there they expanded. He managed a wall that was fierce, but some of it burst back towards him as he did something wrong after all, and we all fell back as the flames licked between us. Cosia was staring at the performance, her eyes grading us imperiously. Ron would surely make the cut. I noted Dana was fidgeting nervously as Ron shrieked with a victorious roar, pointing a subtle finger her way. She had made an enemy.
Ulrich shrugged, stepped up, and failed utterly. Ron was whispering to him, and Ulrich was nodding, doing it again. He cursed, and I saw he was gathering, just totally the wrong powers. So did Cosia, who stepped forward angrily, but then a fierce face emerged from the floor, breathing gouts of vapor. A hand was appearing beside the head, which was now scowling at us, and we all took steps back as the cheeks of the thing puffed out; apparently ready to do something fatal. Then the face went away in an eye blink as Cosia cut Ulrich off. ‘An exceptional show! Fool. Such mistakes can kill you. This is why you will need lessons. Painful ones.’ Cosia spat and pointed a finger at Cherry, who walked forward cautiously, timidly.
She was calling for her spell. I saw her pull at fires entirely different from what had been taught. She was skillful, powerful, and deft as if used to such work. She grinned.
And disappeared in fumes.
Cosia’s face lit up with a grin. ‘Well done.’ She snapped her fingers as she cut Cherry off from the Shades, and the thin-faced girl fell to the ground behind Cosia. She had tried to escape through the door and was backpedaling from the angry hostess. ‘With some discipline you shall be most useful, little one. Though next time, you shall do as you are told.’ Cosia smiled, harnessed the power and brought a spell of Fury forth. The mute Cherry actually made a sound. Or rather, she shrieked in pain for blue flames danced on her back, leaving angry red welts as they drove her back to us, on her fours. She was sobbing in pain, and I grabbed her away, hissing as one of the hot flames danced around us, before disappearing. Her back was angry red and some black skin hung in small tatters. ‘Go on,’ Cosia told us, uncaring of Cherry’s pain, folding her arms beneath her breasts. Able stepped forward uncertainly, but Cosia pointed at me. ‘Shannon they call you? Throw a firewall over the wall.’
I hesitated and let go of Cherry, who was whimpering at my feet. I stepped forward and took a deep breath. I saw the Shades and grasped at the flames, but they were far, far from me as if they spoke a different language. Cosia’s dark eyes twinkled as she saw my struggle. I managed to pull the power, just a bit but lost it, for it was slippery and distant. I felt like I was trying to lift a truck. I gave up and in a panic reached for the ice instead, gasping at the tumbling force of freezing waters and icy winds. They filled my being. I did what I had done before, held my hand out, weaning and weaving a gentle combination of power, not as strong as before. I let it go. It burst out, feeling like fresh ice flowing around me, and I looked around.
Nothing. Nothing happened, and the rest looked at me askance, some in relief, Ron definitely very happy by my apparent lack of skill.
Cosia nodded, her snakes hissing softly. ‘It seems this Ron is right. Your Bone Fetter is lifeless. There is an issue with you. So be it,’ she said coldly.
She was gathering power for a spell. The others swiftly moved away from me.
All but Dana.
She glanced at me in fury and then she stepped forward, interrupting Cosia. My sister harnessed the Fury, her hair flying around her head. Crouched and trembling, she wove a gout of fire that flew from her hands, both hands, thin and thick lines both twirling and playing in the air, then splashing to ignite the hall’s far wall, roaring to life, blackening the stone and the carvings with exceptional heat. She kept the firewall there, terribly concentrated, and by the look on her glazed eyes, mesmerized. Then she glanced at me and winked, sweat running down her forehead. ‘Enough,’ Cosia said, at least a bit impressed.
But Dana was not done.
An offshoot of fire danced away from the wall, racing for us with near intelligent, malignant purpose. We scattered, yelling warnings as the flames filled the air, and we all saw how the flames reached for Able. They danced across his thigh and up his chest, trying to choke him, and I grasped at him, pulling him away. I saw Dana mumbling under her breath, her face twitching with concentration. She was doing it on purpose. She was sweating in anger and pain of holding the spell of Fury, but with her last shreds of strength, she threw the cheated gout of fire at Ron, who had been standing behind Able.
Ron’s eyes popped out of his head and he screamed as the infernal spell engulfed him, he hollered and clapped his hands on his flaming torso as the heat tore at his hair, setting it alight, his flesh bared by the clinging, living heat. The stench was terrible. Dana fell on her fours, panting, but I saw she was excited as she eyed Ron. The man was running around, screaming, and scraping at his blackening flesh until he fell on his knees. We all could see Dana’s flames clinging to his meat, and then his bones, and he fell down on his face with a sickening crack. He was dead. It was clear. He was gone so quickly we could barely understand it. Ulrich screamed in unholy rage and ran for Ron, going on his knees next to the smoking skeletal bones and meat.
‘Shit,’ Dana whispered. ‘They’re related?’
‘Don’t think so. Or perhaps?’ Anja answered coldly. ‘But you … piece of shit.’
‘It was an accident,’ Dana said sullenly, but I saw the glint in her eyes. She climbed to her feet. Cosia walked forward and gazed at Ron’s corpse, probing it with her foot. She snapped her fingers, and we all lost the power. We were all staring at Dana, who held an austere, concentrated poise, her hands behind her back, her breasts proud. Ulrich sobbed and got up on shaky feet, wiping his face and mouth with the back of his hand. He turned and saw Dana standing there. Then he charged.
Cosia intercepted him, her leg shooting up from the ground, lightning fast, and Ulrich was on his back, nose bleeding, groaning. Cosia’s sword was on his chest. ‘You will not attack her, you filth. She did what she had to do. She saw your … brother? Yes, your brother was challenging her for the leadership of your miserable band, for the meaningless title of the most powerful. And so, she took the chance. I applaud her.’
I stared at Dana. Had she saved me or made herself the apparent leader? Perhaps both.
Ulrich was breathing harshly. Cosia leaned on him, her snakes brushing his face. ‘If you think you have nothing else to lose, you are wrong. No?’
Ulrich growled; a death-like mask of hatred plastered on his face. Finally, he gave a single nod. Cosia grinned. She turned and walked around us, stopping near Cherry and me. I wiped tears off my face as the demonic woman crouched next to me. She ran her fingers across Cherry’s back, and I noticed the skin was smooth again. Cosia gazed at me with interest and saw my tears. She picked one off my cheek.
‘Your name shall be the Ten Tears. The first one has rolled down your cheeks, and one is gone. This class now comprehends the value of their lives, and so I think you are ready to begin your road. For some, it will be longer, for others, it need not be, and more tears shall roll until it feels natural as breathing to lose people you know. I think you might prove to be mostly a useful bunch, saa’dark. And interesting. Thank you. Dana?’ The yellow eyes scourged my sister.
‘Dana, yes,’ she breathed, exhausted.
‘Dana,’ Cosia hissed, ‘I shall keep an eye on you. You show potential for many excell
ent rewards. Welcome to Aldheim, Ten Tears.’
CHAPTER 6
More females like Cosia entered. Their eyes were yellow like hers; most were short and sturdy, well proportioned. They were armored in supple, dark chain mail, looked callous and deadly and curiously, all sported differently colored snakes coiling around their shoulders. Even the type of the snakes seemed different, for some were thin, others fewer and thick. The women all carried simple whips, and on their belts, there were stubby, short swords. ‘Knights and goblins next?’ Dana asked with a snicker and gazed around our group, as the others were still staring at her with both hatred and distrust. Gone was the strange, hopeful joy we had briefly shared as we met each other, nude and innocent and at the beginning of something new.
I grunted. Dana had not been innocent. And now, everyone saw her as utterly ruthless. Who knew what they had done, but by the looks they were flashing at her, none had killed before.
She had. She had killed. More than once. My sister.
‘Dana,’ I said slowly. ‘You killed him. Did you do it …’
‘A mistake,’ she said with some forced humility and regret and turned to look at the other students. ‘It was a mistake, that’s all. No matter what the snake woman claims. And you should not complain, sister, for you were very fortunate.’
Ulrich said nothing, his eyes dark and burning in his skull. I felt animal-like fear as I looked at the broad Austrian. But Anja had no fears about speaking up. ‘Bullshit,’ she said with a sweet smile, and her brothers growled. ‘You went straight for him. You went for him for your sister.’
‘She did,’ Albine agreed and even Cherry seemed to sniffle supportively.
‘Yeah, and didn’t Ron’s … spell, that shoddy excuse of a fire explode and nearly kill us? We had to dodge those flames, all of us. Mine failed as well.’
The Dark Levy: Stories of the Nine Worlds (Ten Tears Chronicles - a dark fantasy action adventure Book 1) Page 9