"Let's start at the beginning. Was your encounter with Don Millan in the slums a coincidence?"
"No."
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere. What were you doing there?"
"I was working a contract."
Layola cocked her head. "Greggor said you used the same line on him. His underlings went to check on your contract, but it didn't exist. When they turned around, you were gone."
"That's true. But that's because they were searching for an acquisition contract. I was actually working a scouting contract."
"Scouting? Don Millan?"
"That's right. Anoctis is pretty strict about not revealing the identity of our patrons, but let's just say the coin was top-notch for spy work, so I didn't mind keeping an eye on the kid. I figured it'd be less dangerous than my usual jobs. That is, until he wandered into the slums."
"So, you went in after him and tried to pull him out."
"Yeah, didn't exactly go as planned. You already know I have a past with the douters."
"Yeah, they think you tried to kill their leader," Layola said.
"Right. But I'm no assassin, and it's not worth the risk. I'm too good of a thief. Greggor, on the other hand, not great at being either."
"And when your father failed, he showed Horvin an assassination contract with your name on it, so you took all the blame."
Aksil's eyes widened. "Exactly, how did you know that?"
"Your father likes to drink. And when he drinks, he likes to talk. Apparently, this stunt of his is something he's quite proud of."
"Yeah, that sounds like him. So anyway, I gave Greggor's goons the slip, but my job was to keep an eye on Millan. So, I submitted my scouting report as soon as possible. My guess is that's how Candelux got to him so quickly."
"And that was it?" Layola asked.
"Of course. The contract was over."
"Is there any way to verify you're telling me the truth?"
"You still don't believe me?"
Layola straightened the creases in her robe. "It's not that. The story makes sense, but some proof would be nice. Otherwise, how do I know it's the truth?"
"Well, I can't help you there. Anoctis policy is to burn all contracts once both parties agree it's closed. I'm sure you can understand why."
"Very well. What about the next day? How did you end up in the ambassadorial caravan?"
Aksil winced as he leaned to his side. "Wait. Look, I've been pretty open so far, but I haven't eaten in days and every time I breathe, it feels like I'm being stabbed in the ribs. How about some food and healing as a sign of good faith? Oh, uh, but not rat. Then I'll tell you rest."
"I don't know. You seem to be doing pretty good so far."
"Hey, you don't want to use your seed. I don't want you to use your seed. I told you the truth to show you I'm serious about this. I'm not asking you to untie me and let me wander the streets, at least, not until we're done here. I mean, you're going to let me go once I tell you everything, right?"
Layola paused. "Of course."
Aksil knew from the moment of his capture that such a scenario would never happen, but he played along anyway. "Well, then, I think a little food and healing isn't too much to ask, is it? Then I'll tell you the rest of the story. Whatever you want to know."
Layola stood and picked up the plate from the table. "I'll see what I can do about some dinner. The healing will take some time. I'll try to get you a healer tonight."
"You're a priest. Can't you heal me?"
"I could, but like I said, it's going to take some time, and I have other things to do." Layola winked at him. "We'll chat later."
Chapter 23
"Relax. Breathe and relax." Her tone was calm and soothing.
Seated, with eyes closed, Millan inhaled through his nostrils. A smile crept across his face as he peeked through one eye. "Have I mastered breathing yet?"
"No jokes," Sundancer shot back. "This is important."
"Of course." Millan's smile vanished and he squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry."
"I understand your frustration, but you need to trust me."
"It's not that I don't trust you. I do."
"But?"
The Nesinu priest looked up at the bloodseeker. "But, I've been breathing my whole life."
"Yes, your body has, but your mind hasn't."
"But we did this all day yesterday. And all this morning. When do I get to move?"
Sundancer smirked. "And if I show you how to move, tomorrow you'll want to fly, right? This is no different from anything else you learn in life. There is basic knowledge that serves as the foundation for all later forms. If you skip this step, you'll only be hurting yourself. Tell me, did you learn to cast blessings on your second day as a squire?"
"No."
"What did you learn?"
"Well, the first year was mostly history and what the different spells do," Millan said. "Casting didn't happen until second year."
Sundancer sat in front of him. "Your existing knowledge of summoning energy will help you, but that's just the energy you pull from within. Dyato'aw is also about connecting with the energy around you. Energy in the air, in the plants, in other people."
"I understand. I'll do better."
The bloodseeker held up her palms to Millan. "Here, I want to show you something. This is one of the first practices taught to students. Mirror me and place your hands on mine."
Millan followed her instructions. As his skin touched hers, his heart thumped wildly.
"All right, now, close your eyes and breathe as I taught you. Whatever you do, keep your eyes closed and don't speak. Just listen and feel."
Millan complied, and the darkness enveloped him. He enjoyed the warmth of her hands as a soft wind blew past. The cool air rushed in through his nose and into his lungs. His lips barely parted and allowed the air to make its escape.
"As you inhale, allow yourself to sense everything around you. As you exhale, allow your energy to flow out and touch your surroundings. Empty your mind. Set it free."
Millan was no longer able to determine where his hands ended and the paladin's began. Their hands glided through the air in unison.
"Don't try to push and don't allow yourself to be pushed," Sundancer instructed. "Relax and follow the rhythm. Let your body decide, not your mind."
Over the next few minutes, the Nesinu priest lost himself in the exercise. His mind was empty, and he took simple pleasure in touching hands with the bloodseeker with whom he had become enamored. Their hands slowed to a standstill, and Millan felt the cool air on his palms once again.
"We have company," Sundancer whispered.
Millan opened his eyes to find the bloodseeker standing and brushing off the bits of snow from her clothes. As he copied her, Millan spotted Lunargrace approaching with a young woman.
"Was that Gentle Breeze?" Luna asked.
Sundancer gave a respectful nod. "Yes, it was." While not completely amicable, her tone had softened since their first encounter two days prior.
"That was your favorite practice as a child." When the bloodseeker didn't acknowledge the statement, Luna turned to the Nesinu priest. "It can be so intimate, wouldn't you agree? You can really connect with the energy of your partner."
Millan shifted uncomfortably under his black coat. "I wouldn't really know. We just started."
"Let him be, Father," Sundancer insisted.
Luna innocently held up his hands. "I meant nothing by it. That's not the reason I sought you out. Millan, may I introduce you to my daughter and Sundancer's younger sister, Snowlily."
Millan politely bowed to the young woman. Her petite frame was shrouded in a black sheer robe, which provided a sharp contrast to her nearly white hair. Her features were soft and her skin was smooth. Millan estimated she was younger than he was, probably somewhere around twenty.
Snowlily returned the bow. "Luna has spoken about you quite a bit." Her voice was quiet, matching her seemingly fragile physique.
"Oh? I can't imagine what about. I don't really speak in the meetings."
"Sometimes speech isn't necessary to learn about someone."
Millan raised his eyebrows, unsure what exactly she meant. "Ah, I see. Interesting."
Luna stepped in. "There is an energy that connects us all. If you open yourself to it, it's amazing what you can see. Not here"—he pointed to his eye—"but here," he said, pointing to his chest.
"Your heart. One of the three aspects," Millan said.
"Oh, so she is teaching you properly. Very good." Luna faced Sundancer. "Perhaps, the ambassador would like to see a more advanced practice. One that no one has ever seen before, present company excluded?"
Millan nearly leaped. "Seriously? That would be incredible."
Sundancer folded her arms. "You couldn't possibly remember."
"Oh?" Luna said playfully. "I've been practicing the Maelstrom for years. When Snowlily was old enough, I taught it to her. The question is, do you remember?"
"Of course. It's the foundation for my fighting style."
Luna walked a few paces away and held out his hand. "Shall we then?"
As the bloodseeker cautiously joined her father, Snowlily tugged on Millan's coat. "Come, we'll sit over here and watch."
As the two found their seats in the snow, Millan asked, "So, what's the Maelstrom?"
"There are many tests a student must pass in order to become a sen'dya. One of the final tests requires the student to create their own practice, typically a reflection of their inner self. Doing so demonstrates independence. Once you become a sen'dya, you are free to name and teach your practice to anyone who wishes to learn. Sundancer left the Coast before completing her final test, but she had spent months working on it. She called it the Maelstrom. It is one of the most aggressive practices I've ever partaken in."
"Aggressive?" Millan watched as father and daughter stood back to back with their hands by their sides.
"I know you've spent the many years as a paladin, but try not to hurt me too much," Luna said.
In unison, Luna and Sundancer raised their hands over their heads before bringing them to the front of their bodies. With eyes closed, they took a step forward and slowly rotated to face each other. Sundancer made the first move, appearing to strike at her father. But Luna easily dodged and attempted to hit her back. Their movements were so fluid and graceful, it looked more like a dance than a fight. Steadily, they increased the speed after each step, every attack being dodged or parried, then followed by a retaliation. Offense and defense blended together as attacks and counterattacks happened simultaneously. They were moving so quickly, Millan had trouble knowing where to look.
"Incredible, isn't it?" Snowlily said.
"Absolutely, but it's a little hard to"—Millan glanced over to find Snowlily with her eyes closed—"follow?"
The young woman opened her eyes and smiled sweetly. "You must look with your heart."
"I don't know how to do that."
"I'm sorry. It will come in time, though."
"In that case, can you tell me what you see?" Millan asked.
Snowlily closed her eyes once again. "It's difficult to explain if you haven't experienced it yourself, but I will try. Their energies are completely synchronized, but never touching. There is such animosity, such spirit, but it is always restrained by peace. It's like simultaneously witnessing both a raging storm and the calm that follows. It's so beautiful."
Millan scowled. He was missing it.
Lunargrace and Sundancer slowed their movements as they circled each other. There were no more strikes or dodges. When they were back to back, just like the starting position, they opened their eyes and rejoined Millan and Snowlily.
"Thank you," Luna said. "Truly extraordinary."
"I agree," Snowlily added. "Luna always talked about how amazing you were before you left. I see that hasn't changed. To experience the Maelstrom like that fills me with awe."
Millan scratched his head. "But didn't Luna say he's been practicing the Maelstrom with you?"
"Yes, of course, but one's own practice is a reflection of their inner being. When I performed this with Luna, we were merely going through the motions. To truly experience the Maelstrom, you must have the fire my sister possesses. I'm afraid I don't have that."
"It's quite all right, my dear," Luna said as he helped Snowlily to her feet. "I love you the way you are. Now, as for the real reason I came. Snowlily and I would like to invite you both to dinner tonight at our tent."
"I'd be honored!" Millan answered. "Thank you."
"Excellent. Tonight at sunset then. Sundancer, you remember the way, right?"
The bloodseeker was quiet. Her eyes fell to the sand, and she barely nodded.
"Then we won't interrupt your lesson any longer. See you tonight."
"Tonight then," Millan said as the pair walked up the snowy beach toward the tents.
Sundancer lowered herself to the ground and stared across the frozen ocean.
"Sundancer? Are you all right?"
"Yes," she said quickly. It sounded like a brush-off.
"Should I not have accepted the invitation?"
"No, it's not that."
Millan dropped to his knees. "Look, I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I can tell something's bothering you. You always tell me how I'm not alone. Well, you're not alone either. You can tell me, if you want."
Sundancer forced a smile. "Maybe telling someone would do me some good, but it's difficult to explain."
"I'm starting to think nothing that happens on the Coast is easy to explain."
The bloodseeker tittered. "There are many types of people who live out here. Some engage in activities that are frowned upon in the kingdom."
Millan knew of shape-shifting pan-mages who lived their lives solely in their animal forms. "Like wildamages?"
"Yes, that's one example. Another would be the freelovers."
"I've heard of them, but I don't really know what they do. I could probably guess, though."
"I suspect you could. Freelovers don't subscribe to the kingdom's views on relationships, marriage, monogamy. They believe anyone should be able to be with anyone else at any time. My father is a freelover. My mother was not."
"Oh. She didn't know he was?"
"She knew. She accepted it. I never understood why, though. It tore her up to see him cavorting with other women. In her mind, my father was her one true love. That's why she wanted to be with him, even though he was a freelover. He'd come and see her every so often, but his time was spread thin. Everyone loves Lunargrace."
"So, he didn't spend time with you?"
Sundancer grumbled. "He did, but I was one of a dozen or so children he'd fathered. He spent time with all of them. Some of them were actually my friends growing up. Anyway, my mother was so attached to him, I thought maybe if he stopped seeing her, she could move on. I mean, what kind of relationship was this for her? Pining after him? When I turned thirteen, I finally got up the courage. I was going to tell him to leave her alone. But the next time he visited, he stayed."
"He stopped being a freelover?"
"No, I don't think he'd ever do that. Freelovers are about more than just sleeping around with different people. It's a philosophy of life. Love for all, including demons, or some such nonsense. When he came to stay, it meant he was going to spend most of his time with my mother. He wanted to stay close to me and her. I was pretty frustrated at the time, but I could see my mother was happy, so I tried to be happy for her."
Sundancer interlaced her fingers and rubbed her thumbs together. "A year later, Snowlily was born. My mother died giving birth to her."
Millan's mouth fell open. "Oh, I'm so sorry."
"My father took care of us after that." Sundancer pursed her lips. "I hated him so much. At every opportunity, I lashed out. He tried to help me confront my sorrow through meditation, but it only made me angrier. I don't envy what he had to put up with over the years that followed.
Looking back, I see he was trying his best, but I could never forgive him. My mother and I had each other, and if he hadn't decided to stay with us, she would still be alive.
"Then, add on all the sharing and caring, and being nice to demons after they tried to destroy Light's Haven. It sent me over the edge. The only thing I wanted was my mother, and I was never going to get her back. So, I ran away from the problem. I left the Coast and started over with nothing in Light's Haven. I let myself forget my past. I pushed everything down—my anger, my sorrow, my guilt—and locked it all away. This is why I was so anxious to face my father again."
"But you've been around him for the past two days, and it didn't seem so bad. All right, the first day was a little awkward, but you seemed to be doing better. What changed?"
Sundancer held her head in her hand. "It was the Maelstrom. The energy, the intensity, it brought everything back."
"We'll cancel dinner then. I don't think I'm feeling very well anyway."
The bloodseeker shook her head. "No, that's unacceptable. We will go to the dinner. You will fulfill your role as ambassador, and I will fulfill my role as your bodyguard."
"Maybe you can discuss this with your father then?"
"That would be inappropriate. I'll deal with my father later. There's no rush. But you, on the other hand, are wasting precious breathing time. Or have you given up on your quest to become a sen'dya in two days?"
"Very funny." Millan rocked backward into a sitting position and closed his eyes.
"Millan," Sundancer said.
The Nesinu priest's eyes fluttered open. "Yes?"
"Thank you."
Chapter 24
Erynion stood in the middle of where his purge had swallowed Nesinu. It was a strange sensation, not only being at this location physically, but also in his mind. The wolves were right, though. He felt a stronger connection here than at the ruins of his twisted gate.
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