by David Ekrut
“You want me to leave,” Elwin realized.
Zaak’s face hardened once more. “What I want is not relevant. I am king now. I must place the safety of my kingdom above all else.”
“Where will I go?”
“Daki is returning to his people. I would like you to go with him.”
“What?” Daki hadn’t spoken of this to him. Sure, they hadn’t seen much of one another, what with the dragons attacking and everything, but this was big. Why had he not said anything?
“He confessed to me that his patwah was to keep you alive until the Awakening. Now that the dragons have come, he can return to his home victorious. He is willing to petition for sanctuary on your behalf.”
“You’ve already discussed this with him?” It sounded more accusatory than he’d intended.
“I have.” Zaak spoke as if he was unbothered by the insubordination. “Daki is already waiting for you outside the city, just north near the forest, where I trained you and Zarah on survival techniques. Do you remember the place?”
“Yes,” he said, angry when his voice cracked. “But why?”
“Even before the attack, we knew the guardians would come for you. Jasmine and I have been discussing what to do about you since leaving Northport. We knew Jorus Teblin would not accept our judgement, but we had hoped putting him off would buy us time to find a place for you. I asked Daki if he could hide you in his forests. He graciously accepted to help you. I am sorry, but there is no other way. You must leave.”
“So the guardians win? You know this was them, and they are standing in the square denouncing you. Why don’t we fight them?”
“Careful, Elwin. I am giving you some latitude, but I will not be called a coward.”
“I didn’t call it cowardice,” Elwin said, not willing to back down. “But I am young and naive. Maybe you can explain it to me. What would you call capitulating to your enemies? Is there another word for this?”
Zaak’s eyes widened with surprise, then the barest of smiles made its way to his lips. “There’s the acid wit that comes with Jasmine’s tutelage. She’s been trying to bring that fire out of you for a year, so I will not squash it now. You will need that passion in the months to come.” Zaak placed a hand on his shoulder.
Elwin felt his anger recede at the kind gesture and tried vainly to hold onto it. No words would come. He only stared at his king.
“You have every right to be upset,” Zaak continued. “When I am able, I will confront the guardians for their crimes. I assure you, they will not go unpunished. For now, I cannot spare the troops. Bain’s invasion has cost us dearly, and without the use of elementalists, the guardians will only grow more bold with the return of the dragons. I cannot fight a war from three sides. I must deal with the dragons first. Then the guardians. Then Bain. I do not have the resources to watch over you as well. If you stay here, it is only a matter of time before the guardians succeed in killing you. I am sorry. Truly, I am. Life has seen fit to give you a tumultuous path. But there is strength in you.”
“But I cannot train,” Elwin protested. “I cannot tame. What will I do now?”
“Perhaps Daki’s people will hold some of the answers we seek. You can still serve our kingdom, but not from here. The risks are too great.”
“The man who attacked us, today,” Elwin said, “Those markings use the words of power.”
“That fact is not lost on me, child. Our attacker was a warder, what the guardians call their assassins. You see? I cannot protect you. But they cannot reach you amongst the Children of Nature. You will be safe there.”
Elwin didn’t like the idea of leaving, but he understood Zaak’s reasons well enough. But Daki’s people were so secretive and not exactly receptive of outsiders.
“What if they don’t accept me?” Elwin asked.
“Then I will give you gold for travel to Alcoa, but that is the guardians’ stronghold. It will be safe enough, so long as you do not tarry. Passage to Norscelt is cheaper and easier to acquire from Alcoan ports. The guardians have a smaller presence there. But ultimately, where you go is up to you.”
“Right. As you said. Just not here.”
“This is not indefinite, Elwin. Once we find a way to defeat the dragons, we will no longer be vulnerable to the guardians, and you can return.”
“Your sword glowed. That was the dragon, wasn’t it? You can beat them.”
“Perhaps, but I have been fighting with this sword for nearly two decades, and I still do not know the depths of its powers. Not even Jasmine can read all the glyphs on this artifact. You saw yourself how much good the weapon did me against the dragon. I fought like the abyss, but I could not even reach it. We do not know enough. Days will not unlock what has eluded us after years of study. In the meantime, you cannot stay here.”
What could he say to that? He would have to leave.
“Take heart, Elwin. There are legends of dragon slayers, which means they can be killed. If the Chai Tu Naruo take you in as one of their own, they will share their secrets. Scour their libraries. Once you find a way to defeat the dragonkin, return to us.”
“What about Feffer? Can he come with me. And Zarah? What if the guardians come for her?”
“Let me worry about the daughter-heir. As to Feffer, if it is your wish, I will send him with you. But if the guardians find you, he will be in as much danger as you. If he remains under my command, I will continue his training. In time, he will make a good soldier.”
Zaak stared at Elwin without judgment. Either way, the king would honor his word. If Daki’s people took them in, there would be little danger. But what if they wouldn’t? Or what if it still wasn’t safe, and they still had to flee? What sort of life would that be, running from the guardians?
Elwin took a deep breath and asked, “What will you tell him?”
“When the time is right, I will tell him that I ordered you to leave.”
He felt a coward, but Elwin only nodded. “It’s best this way.”
“For what it is worth, I agree.” Zaak stood. “Now, I fear we cannot delay. Where is the tome? In your rooms?”
Elwin rose to his feet and asked dumbly, “The tome?”
“I am sorry, Elwin.” Zaak’s voice grew grim. “If there is a chance that this book of yours contains the answers to save my kingdom, it is too valuable to part with. The dragons know the words of power. If we can learn how to counter them, they will be less of a threat.”
Elwin opened his mouth to protest, but the words died on his lips. Zaak’s jaw was set. And the king was not wrong. Besides, Feffer was probably right. It was likely just a book.
“It is in my room,” Elwin confessed.
“Let us go,” Zaak said. “There is much to be done, and I would like you to depart as soon as you gather your belongings.”
Elwin followed Zaak to the outer hall. When they reached the stairwell, Zaak paused long enough to say, “Bring the tome to the infirmary. Do not tarry.”
He watched Zaak go, suddenly aware the king had delayed seeing to his wife to speak with Elwin, but now his steps were filled with purpose and determination. Elwin wanted to follow. To check on Jasmine. Feffer would be there as well. Zaak never gave Elwin a backward glance as he disappeared around the corner at the far end of the hall.
Then, Elwin was alone.
He climbed the stairs with a sense of dread. The feeling grew heavier with every step. Two guards were outside the door to his private chambers. They looked on him with disgust as he entered his rooms.
“Thumping Seeker’s spawn,” one muttered and made as if to follow.
Elwin closed the door and locked it. He might be banished, but he wouldn’t let them treat him like a prisoner. This had been his home for over a year.
The guard mumbled more curses through the door but made no demands of Elwin to open up.
Elwin
stood in the entrance and looked around his rooms, soaking in the memories one last time. This place had seemed so large at first. But now it just felt like his. He’d practiced here and reflected on his lessons. He’d spent hours by the hearth, reading the works of the great elementalists of history. How many times had he fallen asleep on the sofa, listening to Zarah’s badgering? He’d never had a sister, but she was like family. Now, he didn’t even get to say goodbye.
He walked over to the shelves, inset on either side of the fireplace. He thumbed across the spines until he came to the tome Asalla had given him last year.
Looking at the cover brought back the memories of coming into his powers. How fortuitous both Asalla and Jasmine had been there that day. Remembering the merchant’s words of advice, Asalla had known somehow, which could only be true if he could see the future. Asalla was a magus. This tome was proof of that.
Elwin sat in the large, cushioned chair and threw his leg over the armrest as he’d done a thousand times. He opened the leather binding. A letter from his father was in the front. This had come before Zeth’s attack on Elwin’s home. Elwin had left the tome in the grass behind the Madrowl warehouse. His father had sent it to him along with his encouragements. Elwin scanned over the message, trying to suppress the tears. His father’s words were filled with hope and promises, none of which would come to pass.
Each word felt like a tiny cut in his resolve.
Taking a deep breath, he put the note to the side. He wiped his tears and turned the page. Just as he remembered, the beginning gave instructions on how to use the tome, along with a list of contents. There was a brief history on the magi and their orders. This was as far as he’d ever read.
Elwin flipped to the page entitled, Letters and Intonations. It gave the phonetics for each letter. Sounding them out, he felt a shiver go down his spine. These sounded familiar.
He flipped back to the contents. There was a section called, Incantations, which was broken down further into several chapters. He turned to the one, called Temporal Manipulations.
“Dimensional Folding.”
He skimmed the brief description on how the incantation worked. By the time he reached the Words, his heart was racing. His eyes traced the letters several times. He thought back to the battle with the dragon. The dragon’s incantation was longer, but parts of it were in this one. Without having heard it, he never would have known the cadence or that the vowels hit harder than the consonants. He sounded out the syllables several times, speaking through them slowly.
Nothing happened.
Of course, the dragons had spoken the incantation so precisely. How had it gone? He opened his mouth to say the entire phrase, but stopped when someone banged on the door.
“Elwin Escari,” a voice called. “Open this door. You better not be taming in there.”
“I’m thumping packing,” he yelled back. “Can I at least gather my clothes in peace?”
“Open the door, boy. Or I’ll tear it down.”
He looked down at the incantation again. What was he doing? Zaak had said not to tarry. And this was exactly what the kingdom needed. He knew in his heart, these instructions were authentic. With these words, he could fight them. They could bring an end to the dragons. Defeating them was the only path to mastering the Elements. He would tame again without fear. Or he would die trying to set Arinth to rights.
Elwin closed the tome and placed it gently on the ottoman. He crossed the large closet and began shoving his best clothes into the knapsack, alongside his collection of gold. He had been receiving a commission from the crown for over a year without much time to spend any of it. This would be enough for a farmer to live on for a lifetime.
But tilling fields was no longer Elwin’s dream. He could not return home to that life. He would have to leave his family and friends behind. They would understand.
Just as he shoved his arms into his travel pack and picked up the tome, a loud bang came from the outer door. Then another. Each one made the wood crack.
“Thumping wait,” Elwin said, moving toward the door. “Curse it all! I’m coming.”
He stopped with his hand on the doorknob and stepped back. A red pool seeped from beneath the door. The banging became more insistent. The hinges came loose. One of the bolts clattered to the stone floor.
Elwin backed away, but there was nowhere to go. He didn’t have a sword or a weapon, save taming.
The door fell inward, and a man in plain robes stepped forward. Just like the first warder, his shaven skull had the crescent tattoo, and flowing script covered his arms and neck. His face was spattered with red, and drops of blood dripped from the warder’s fists. Behind him, the two guards laid on the ground, bodies broken.
Elwin didn’t recall moving backwards, but he found himself on the balcony with open skies surrounding him.
“Elwin Solsec,” the warder said, stalking forward, “you have been found guilty of sins against Arinth. The penalty for taming the Elements is death. Surrender yourself, and I will make your end as painless as possible.”
Elwin continued backing away, until the balcony rail was at his back. He looked around for anywhere to run. Above and below were more rooms. If he could climb up and reach one, he could run for help. But he still held the tome. It was too large to stuff down his tunic. He wouldn’t abandon it. Not to the guardians. But what could he do?
The incantation. The dimensional folding could take him away. If he could only make it work. Elwin flipped through the pages. The warder stalked toward him, face without emotions. He found the proper words. He took a deep breath. And he spoke the incantation.
He felt energy stir within him.
And it popped like a bubble. Pain wracked his head. Suddenly, two men moved toward him. The warder leapt. Elwin held the tome up like a shield.
The strike knocked the breath from him. His feet swept from beneath him. He felt stone hit his lower back.
He was falling.
He clutched onto the tome as wind rushed around him. The cobbles surged toward him. Dragons take him, he was falling! There was only one choice. He seized the Air around him.
And Elwin tamed.
Chapter 7
A New Order
Dear Anetia,
It was a great joy receiving your letter. To answer your question, yes! I have rented a post-chest large enough to hold the sweater, so feel free to send it my way. I would love nothing more than to see more of your superb craftsmanship!
I also appreciated receiving your dissertation on the morality of empathic transference. I especially enjoyed seeing Cartye’s logical principles used in conjunction with Airidoten’s adverse moral force argument. But as you guessed, I have a few objections!
Fundamentally, transmutation of any kind is the manipulation of stored forces. Just as the energy from a boulder resting at the top of a hill can be changed into a concussive force by falling to the valley below, transmuters alter the nature of stored energy. Transference of memories is no different. Good nor evil factor into the act. In fact, transference could be a mercy, when a person is the victim of wanton violence. Yet, the entire practice is outlawed in the Treatise of Incantical Principles. In our previous discussions, you’ve relented to the woes of dogmatic condemnation of these useful incantations. How is my work any different?
All matter and material is subject to the influence of change, and there is no greater known source of power than an elementalist’s essence. I understand your resistance to my research, but in the Spending, much can be accomplished. If we could harness the essences of elementalists, think of what that might mean for our kind!
Remember, this is only secondary to my primary work. We need the dragons, and until I solve this quandary, my work is stalled. I must first discover how Abaddon bound the dragons to himself. It is possible to heighten the strength of an essence through artifacts of power. Before transcend
ing, Abaddon procured several such items. I do not believe in coincidences. Still, I feel as though I am attempting to unlock a door with no lock and no key.
Yours always,
~R., 2993 A.S.
~
Spires rose from the mountainside, casting cylindrical shadows over the crowd of onlookers in the castle’s large square. Those wearing the black robes of savants stood alongside the soldiers, adorned in varied types of armor. Every man, woman, and child carried weapons now. Even the servants.
Though none dared touch the statue, they crowded around the colossal dragon in their midst, casting a wary glance at the stony creature’s eyes. They were still closed, but had it moved?
Despite the number in attendance, silent anticipation filled the courtyard. This was the moment they had long awaited. All eyes watched the man walk from the castle toward the raised platform. He walked, not flew, as he had intended. The very action felt like weakness.
Bain Solsec stepped up to the dais and turned to face his troops. Instead of taming Air to amplify his voice, he called out loud enough for all to hear.
“The moment we have long feared is upon us. The guardians have declared martial law in Alcoa. As we speak, they hunt our kind to extinction. Unlike the so-called king, we will not sit idle in the face of such crimes. Upon the morrow, we will set sail for our southern holdings in Alcoa. From there, we will march north. No mercy will be given. No quarter for our enemies. Not a single guardian will be spared. Any who carries the crescent moon of the guardians upon their breast shall be destroyed. Utterly and completely.”
Several of his soldiers were nodding. Some tapped fist to heart, but the savants appeared stolid. He understood their reservations, but he could not tolerate a weak resolve.
“The dragons have returned,” he continued, “ahead of our designs, but they will still become our instrument. I give my word—”
“How!?” A voice called from the back. “How can we control them now? The Awakening is upon us. Without our tamings, we are lost.”