Varana’s voice hung at the edge of Tallen’s perception. His entire being focused on the strip of steel warping and writhing in his hand. Sunlight bounced off the metal while it smoothed out to a length of several inches, thinning as it stretched. Tallen poured Earth into it, giving him rein to shape the steel to his will. It was the most complex task he had undertaken in the week since his arrival.
“That is correct.” Tallen heard a hint of surprise in Varana’s voice. “Now remember, you must focus on strengthening the heart of the dagger. The edge need not be perfect; it can be sharpened. However, it must be as hard and compact as you can make it. The blacksmith will shape the hilt separately. The handle can be wood, ivory, or wrapped leather just like any other knife.” She placed her hand lightly on his shoulder, where he knelt outside the Academy’s smithy. The warmth of the sun was a distant murmur next to his power. “Now is the time to infuse it with magic. There are many useful ways to do so. Some of the most powerful artifacts in history began as simple devices like this.”
Tallen’s own voice echoed in his head from far away. “What do I do?”
“That is for you to decide. It is different for every mage, depending on their strength and what Aspects they can touch – especially the first time.” Varana leaned in closer to his ear. “You have almost anything at your call. The possibilities are endless.” Her voice became a whisper, but one that rang clearly within his mind. “We have taught you the basics of what each Aspect can do. Choose one of them – I will not allow you to call on multiple Aspects in artifact conjuring just yet – and infuse your choice into the knife just as you finish it. Remember to force it into as compact a form as you can. Condense the metal. That is what gives it strength.”
Reaching the relative shape and length he remembered, Tallen compressed the steel with the Earth Aspect, careful that its weight balanced where the hilt belonged. He withdrew the Aspect, while reaching toward the Water that bubbled next to Earth. Drawing upon it, Tallen pushed the Water into the dagger in the instant he extracted Earth. The knife pulled in the Water, lapping it from him as he drew more.
“That’s enough, Tallen,” Varana called through the roar of his power. “Release the Aspects.”
For half a second more, Tallen let the Water pour into the dagger. Then he let it loose.
A sudden exhaustion rushed over him, worse than his usual afternoon fatigue during the last week of training. He gasped for breath as if he had been running rather than kneeling under a shade tree. The dagger blade glittered. It held a slight curve to it that he had not planned.
“Damn.” Tallen sighed. “That will probably make it harder to throw.”
Varana knelt down beside him to examine the knife. “It is not balanced properly for a throwing knife, if that is what you intended. The weight of the added handle and hilt will throw off its balance.” She held out her hand, and Tallen passed the dagger to her. “What magic did you intend to infuse? I know you used Water.”
Tallen shifted back on his haunches. “I have learned to use Water to aid in healing. I hoped to make the dagger heal the person who used it.”
A bright laughter trickled from Varana’s lips and across the Academy yard. She covered her fine lips with even finer fingers. “Forgive me, Tallen. Your power is great, but your ambition may be greater. Even I have never been able to create such a powerful artifact.” She shrugged. “Besides, such a weapon would also likely heal the person it stabbed.” Varana turned the blade in her hand. “Let us see what you have made.”
Tallen felt her embrace her power, but the mix of Aspects became too complex for him to follow. Varana’s brow drew down and she focused. A slight smile of pride formed on her face. “Come. Walk with me and watch your dagger.”
Rising from her position beside Tallen, Varana strode off toward the small fountain bubbling up in the center of the yard. He rushed to follow her, his eyes fixed on the blade he had created. As they approached the fountain, a faint blue glow emanated from the dagger. It distinctly lit up Varana’s creamy skin, even in the bright afternoon sunlight. Brighter it blossomed, until Varana dipped it into the pool surrounding the fountain. Bright sparks of blue coursed up and down the metal. They danced harmlessly around Varana’s fingers.
“It appears that you have created a blade that finds water.” Fascination tinged her voice. “This is an amazing accomplishment for a first attempt. Few students even make a serviceable stabbing tool on their first try, and this…” She cast her smile upon him. “Do you know that there are nomad chieftains in Hadon who would pay you a thousand goats and one of their daughters for this blade?” Her laughter put the dancing sound of the fountain to shame. “Well done. I look forward to your next experiment.”
Tapping the blade against her open palm, Varana looked toward the sun. “I believe you have an appointment with Magus Trevarie to work on your use of Fire.”
And that old windbag lives on the far side of the Isle! Tallen nodded to Varana. “Yes, My Lady. I should get going. It is quite some way out to his tower.” He raised an eyebrow. “My knife?”
Varana lifted the blade to point toward the smithy. “I will have Jerome put an edge on it and affix a hilt.” She lifted a corner of her mouth. “And this weapon deserves a finer one than the average first attempt.” Fixing her violet eyes on him, Varana granted a gracious smile. “I wish to study it a bit more as well. I will have it for you in a few days.”
“Thank you, My Lady.” He turned to begin his jog across the island.
“By the way, Tallen,” Varana called after him. He stopped and looked back. “You will be certain to avoid the forest in the depression between Walnut Hill and Acorn Hill. I understand that some think it a shortcut to Magus Trevarie’s tower. I have made it clear to students that no one is to pass through there.” She knit her brow. “It is a cursed area that interferes with magic. It is forbidden to everyone.”
Tallen knuckled his brow. He had heard rumors from other students. “Yes, My Lady.” Damn. They said that makes the journey twice as long, though none have dared to try the shortcut. His eyes drifted toward the deep woods in the distance. I don’t think I will either.
Peaceful calm covered Tallen. He focused his thoughts on breathing, ignoring the sounds of the Academy grounds surrounding him. The twitter of birds and the breeze in the tree limbs passed over his consciousness, as did the chatter of students walking nearby. Tallen also avoided the rhythmic pulse of his power, churning about in the back of his mind. Instead, he drew his mind into a tight point, allowing only his breath to draw his attention.
“I would not interrupt so accomplished a trance, but I have not seen you since we arrived.”
Tallen opened his eyes with a wide smile. Tomas Harte stood over him.
“Dorias sends his regrets.” The paladin offered a hand to help Tallen to his feet. “He is captivated by this search of his. He currently roams Acorn Hill, exploring the empty structures there. I believe he intends to examine every scrap of paper and parchment on this island.” Tomas gestured toward the pathway. “However, I made some inquiries and found you have some free time this afternoon. I wanted to show you something.”
Tallen fell in beside the paladin. “What is that?”
The expression on Tomas’ face mixed pride with sadness. “The temple where I took the vows of my order.”
The paladin led Tallen eastward on a quiet stroll leaving the Academy grounds. The path widened and dipped down the edge of what the students affectionately called Peanut Hill, the rocky knoll on which the Academy sat. Soon it curved back upward where Walnut Hill began to rise. Scattered with the trees that gave the hill its name, the slope gradually steepened. A few dozen towers surged above the forest, only about half of which looked inhabited.
The two men climbed in silence, Tallen’s gaze constantly drawn to the distant sea encircling the island. At least the prairie rolls, and groves of trees break its
horizon. That blue expanse does not end, and the horizon melts into the sky.
Near the crest, only a few ancient trees remained. The terrain became rockier. Tomas stepped over the crest of the ridge, a faint light appearing in his emerald eyes. He gestured down into the vale below.
Tallen heaved himself up beside the paladin, his breath heavy from the climb. Below him, a wide, circular building sat nestled between two northern spurs of Walnut Hill. Built in two halves, it matched the sigil of the paladins and the Temple of Balance – one half built of glistening white marble, the other of a glossy, black granite, dark as obsidian. From each curved, droplet-shaped half climbed a tower, built in the opposite color stone. A silver and steel bridge extended from the top of one tower to the other, with a small platform resting at its center.
Tomas pointed to it as he began to descend the path leading to the temple. “The Cathedral of Balance predates the Cataclysm, as does my order. Sadly, much of what it has become since is mostly a bastardization, used by black-hearted men to gain power.” The paladin shook his head. “The priestly order now controls the Temple, and only a handful of paladins remain.”
He stopped, turning his eyes back to Tallen. “They do not feel the Balance the way we do when we sense the life forces around us. I admit, many priests want no more than to heal the sick and minister to the poor.” His frown sharpened to anger. “Some, however, have other motives.”
Listening to the paladin brought a creeping disquiet to Tallen’s heart. He gaped at the white and black columns of the Cathedral rising before him. However, Tomas’ words shook him more than the breathtaking sight.
Why does he tell me this?
“Father Vernin in Dadric was pretty nice.” Tallen shrugged in order to hide his deeper thoughts. “I guess we did have worse in the past. Father Edric was a sour old despot.” He could not help a laugh. Upon noticing Tomas did not share his mirth, Tallen quieted. He searched for a question to change the subject. “How come there are so few paladins left?”
Tomas’ frown only deepened from anger to sadness.
Wrong question.
“Well, for one thing, the kingdom snatches up anyone sensitive to psahn, and makes them into healers for either the Doctor’s College or the military.” Tomas watched his feet on the path. “Add the fact that tradition requires that a paladin come from a noble house – and that paladins, like wizards of the Circle, may not marry – and it becomes even more difficult to find true Talent.”
Tallen knitted his brow. “You mean those with Talent, like Maddi, are like you – they could become paladins?”
“Perhaps,” Tomas said, his expression lightening. “It does require a great deal of training. And the…rules…are far more strict. Maddi could probably learn. She has the athletic ability to handle the physical training, and from what I have seen she has a keen, strong mind.”
They crossed a round space of trimmed grass and scattered trees. Tallen felt the unnervingly cold shadow of the stone temple pass over his face.
Tomas led him up the white marble steps, and under the wide, colonnaded roof. The Cathedral of Balance loomed before them, open on all sides. From where he stood, Tallen saw the gated entries to the towers. The soft breeze flowing between the pillars created a ghostly whistle.
Turning to face Tallen as he stepped backward, Tomas nodded his head. “You could probably be a paladin too.”
“What?” Tallen’s voice echoed through the deserted temple.
Tomas laughed, the first mirth Tallen had heard from the man all afternoon. “Again, perhaps. Dorias and I have been friends for a long time. We have spent many months together on ships, in lonely camps and in isolated inns. He has many theories – but I’m sure you have already noticed.”
Tallen nodded. “Yeah. But I’d love to hear them all.”
Clutching his stomach, Tomas laughed again. “Spoken like a true wizard.” He turned about and strolled across the shining white marble. “Dorias’ theory is that the Psoul Aspect of magic and the energy maintained by all life, what those with Talent can see and manipulate, are related. You will find the basics of it in that book Joslyn Britt gave you. Likely you could learn to use Psoul in much the same way I use psahn.” Folding his hands behind his back, Tomas watched the columns. “Dorias is the only other Dreamer I have known. Even he has learned a few tricks from me. As young as you are and with your strength…who knows?”
Freezing in his steps, Tallen raised an eyebrow. “Could you teach me this?”
The paladin shrugged, an ironic grin curling his lips. “Again, perhaps. This is what I brought you here to discuss. As long as we are together, we can spend some time training as well. I know that you are quite busy already, but if we can find the time…” He spread his hands. “I will know quickly if it cannot work.” Tomas laughed once more, and it echoed between the black and white pillars. “If it does, then you will just have to learn to become the first wizard paladin in over a thousand years.”
A brisk breeze tumbled across the Isle, reminding Tallen that autumn hung just around the corner. Green still held prominence among the trees that swayed across his path. The short structure ahead sat not far from the Academy. Magus Yasmine’s tower rose in the saddle between Peanut Hill and Walnut Hill, just where the slope began to climb again. At least it is much closer than that windbag Trevarie’s tower. And Magus Yasmine is far more pleasant to visit with!
The door opened before Tallen could knock.
“Welcome,” the lithe woman said, shading her dark, almond-shaped eyes from the morning sun. Her short black hair hung about her scalp in loose curls. “I suppose today is nice enough that we should work outside. Tahmat knows there are only so many left until your northern winter sets in.” She gestured at an iron-wrought table and chairs that rested in the shade of a maple tree. Once seated, Yasmine leaned toward Tallen. “Are you excited about your first lesson in using multiple Aspects? I happen to be quite proficient in Fire and Earth, as well as the Air that I have been teaching you.”
Tallen folded his hands upon the table. “I have used multiple Aspects before. In Bridgedale, when I killed the troll, I used lightning made from Fire and Water.”
Magus Yasmine nodded, her chocolate colored smile warming him more than the sun. “Indeed. The casting of lightning is one of the most popular and most tricky of spells using multiple Aspects. Tricky because Fire and Water are opposing Aspects – popular because it is very powerful.” She shrugged. “I do not have the strength in Water to create much more than a small shock. Terrible irony for me to be born in the deserts of Hadon, yet have no skill in Water. Nevertheless, we shall learn something simpler, if no less useful.”
The mage closed her eyes, signaling Tallen to do the same. “Now I want you to take a small piece of Fire, no more than if you were lighting a torch.”
The call of his power waited for him to find it. The five Aspects reached out to him, but the roiling warmth of Fire won over. He drew on the Aspect, holding it at the ready.
“Good.” Yasmine’s voice remained a pool of calmness beyond the torrent of his power. “Now wrap that Fire in Air, an equal amount. I want you to then invert both Aspects as you have been taught, so the spell self sustains.”
Tallen stretched his will to grasp Air, whirling about next to Fire. He pulled a measure of it within himself, wrapped it around the strand of Fire, and then fastened the flow so it would remain once he let go.
“Now open your eyes.”
A small ball of light floated in the air above his head, casting a faint glow that hid part of the tree’s shadow.
Yasmine’s smile widened, her teeth sparkling. “Imagine the usefulness of that little spell. Sadly, very few mages have the skill in Air and Fire to create it. It is such a simple thing…”
The globe dimmed almost imperceptibly while he watched. “How long will it last?”
“That is the trick. You
must use finesse. Simply stuffing more power into it only makes it brighter. You must balance the Fire with Air and…squeeze the ball of light tighter.” The smile leaped up to her coal eyes. “You will learn in time. Here, let us try something else…”
Leaning against the tiny windowsill of his dormitory cell, Tallen drew in a deep breath of the night air. Cool winds drifted down from the north, bringing the fresh scent of the ocean to the Academy. In his weeks there, Tallen had learned to enjoy the salty aroma. It somehow soothed him, even though he had never seen the sea before he arrived in Daynon.
He stepped to his bed and collapsed. Exhaustion pervaded his mind and body. Not only did the wizards test every limit of his power, but they also tested his physical strength with the schedule he maintained. At the Academy, the students went to the teachers, no matter how far their towers sat from each other.
It’s the running between them that has me so drained. My legs are ready to cry! Tallen forced himself to rise and move to the writing desk and stool. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small, glittering object, and sat it on the desk. The golden cup Maddi had given him sparkled in the flickering lamplight. He smiled.
Underneath the lid of the desk, sheets of elegant white parchment hid. Tallen pulled one out, dipping the sharp goose quill into a well of squid ink.
Tallen wrote and rewrote the letter before settling on his words. After sealing it with plain gray wax, he wrote upon its outside.
Maddi Conaleon, Student – Doctor’s College of Daynon
In the morning, a ship’s captain leaving the Isle would take his coin to deliver it. At least that’s what the other students told me. The few that will talk to me, that is.
Laying the letter aside, he picked up the worn book. Its soft leather cover had frayed slightly at the edges, but the pages remained crisp and clear. He traced Dorias Ravenhawke’s name, scripted as the author in gold press upon the leather, and opened it to the first page.
A Balance Broken (Dragonsoul Saga) Page 30