Chapter 15


    Alessandra


    Alessandra tied a waxed parchment around Ruby’s foot. The rune of soothing upon it. When they returned to Avictfell or Tarona, she would have to commission a runic brand to sear onto Ruby but dreaded hurting her. She could sew the rune into the bottom of the saddle but lacked the time or skill. Allie could not risk lacking the runic link necessary to calm her if needed--especially given what happened in the woods. For now, she had to trust that tying the rune parchment to Ruby’s leg would provide sufficient contact without the pain. Eventually, the jolts and constant movement would jostle it loose and she made a mental note to get her saddle inscribed.


    They rode past the charred remains of the carriage. The crows had already feasted on the brigand corpses. The stench soured the air. Alessandra urged her horse onward, desperate to breathe fresh rain-cleansed air once again. Mount Aryss, named after the Primordial god of sky, wind, and heavens, dominated the eastern horizon. A stout peak pierced high above the Skywoods and surrounding mountains.


    Nicco had formally allied himself with the Tarona canton long ago. “When you reach Tarona, please send word for my men to prepare the defenses of the Vacca castle,” Nicco said. “And send Diego more men.”


    “I will,” Reinhard said. Nicco held a small force of around one hundred men-at-arms, but he had several vassals and numerous knights under his tutelage. She had provided services for her brother whenever she visited the castle, but without her, no Essemancer lived at Vacca. With his lordship came the vassals of Vacca County. For Reinhard, sending the message would require traditional means, like a courier pigeon, or rider. Alessandra doubted such precautions were necessary, but there was no harm in being prepared. Reinhard and Karl turned eastward onto Narrow Road, back to Tarona. The Skywatchmen accompanied them.


    Alessandra, Nicco, and Leo continued north along the Imperial Road toward Avictfell to find answers. She felt comfort in knowing her brothers accompanied her, despite Leo having not spoken a word to her all morning. She didn’t blame him, but she fundamentally believed Essemancy should be used to better the world, not destroy it. In a moment of weakness, Leo desired power for revenge. Eventually, Leo would find his compassion and turn away from his selfish tendencies. She trusted her brother, despite his faults. Once knowledge of the lightning spell spread, every tyrannical lord in the empire would want it. Some things were better left forgotten. A lesson the Traessyean Empire learned the hard way millenniums ago.


    “What’s going on with you two?” Nicco asked. Leo answered by spurring his horse ahead. Nicco turned to her. “What happened?”


    “A disagreement is all.”


    “If I’m going to be traveling with you two for the next several days, I don’t want my company to be too brooding, siblings. What happened?”


    Damn, she thought. She had hoped the answer would satisfy Nicco. “Reinhard told us some things concerning his father. We each had different ideas on how to resolve the issue.”


    “What’s the issue?”


    “I can’t tell you. Ask Leo if he wants to tell you, so be it.” Nicco frowned, wanting to know more, but settled for the answer she had given. They rode onward for hours until, finally, the towering city walls of Avictfell welcomed her home. She spent more time in Avictfell than in any other city, mainly on the academy grounds. Alessandra knew Avictfell, as well as Leo, knew Tarona.


    “Should we be worried about the Crimson Cloaks?” Nicco asked.


    “I don’t know,” Alessandra said. “Be cautious. We should find an inn near the academy.”


    Leo nodded. He hadn’t said a single word to her the entire journey. The humidity matted his curly hair against his forehead, partially hiding his eyes, and enhancing his brooding. Alessandra tensed. The Crimson Cloaks stood guard at the city gate. A pair of them questioned a merchant escorting a covered cart. They wanted to inspect his cargo. Alessandra tensed. She gripped the reins tightly and avoided eye contact. They passed under the portcullis. After the horse had trotted past the gate, she exhaled with relief.


    “Good to know we have sanctuary in Avictfell,” Alessandra said, leading them through the streets.


    “Let’s go see the bank,” Leo said. His suggestion surprised her. Her stomach knotted, a mix of sorrow and danger.


    “Is that wise?”


    “I want to see.”


    Alessandra pressed her tongue against her lip. They passed by the Theogonist temple. Acolytes welcomed worshipers inside. They turned down a street that led toward the Medistein Bank. Leo slowed his horse as they neared the burnt ruins. Only charred boards and piles of black soot remained. The stone foundation had burned black as well. A few skeletal boards stood upright, but nothing remained. Crimson Cloaks had set up a perimeter around the burned buildings. A middle-aged man examined the debris. Somewhere among the rubble, Mia’s ashes rested.


    Alessandra’s stomach knotted. Her eyes flicked about to see if anyone regarded them suspiciously. Ruby did a little canter, and she calmed her down. Once they rode past, the knot in her stomach turned to a hungry growl. She found an inn for them to stay at near the academy grounds, where she felt more comfortable. They paid for one room, which had two beds. She devoured dinner. Her first decent meal in half a dozenday. She gorged on beef stew with potatoes, onions, and carrots. She sopped up the thick spiced gravy with warm butted rolls. A dry, dark red wine imported from the Meadowlands complimented the stew perfectly. No one spoke. Alessandra attributed it to their appetite, but part of her knew Leo hated her.


    Inside the plain room were two beds. In past such situations, Nicco slept solo since he was the biggest. Nicco locked the door and dragged his bed in front of it for good measure. He rested his sword against the bed, removed his boots and tunic, and fell fast asleep. He had acted with haste. Neither she nor Leo could object.


    Alessandra turned to Leo, who leered out the window. “I’m sorry.”


    Leo’s mouth parted. He stopped himself, closed his eyes, and exhaled. “Let’s get some sleep.” Alessandra accepted that. Does he forgive me? What else could she hope for? She empathized with Leo’s emotions and even felt the same way. She desired to find the killers of her parents and attacker and deliver justice. But there was a fine line between justice and vengeance, and Leo had crossed it.


    She took off her boots and dress and lay in bed. Leo lay beside her, right on the edge of the bed. The gap between them could have fit Nicco. She drifted asleep. In the morning, Alessandra washed her bandage in the wash basin. She would need to get a fresh one once they reached the academy.


    “Let me yours,” Alessandra told Leo. He obliged and held his arm out for her. Leo winced as she slowly peeled the bandage back. “They have yet to fester, but we must get fresh bandages and aloe at the academy.” Leo placed his arm in the cool water and sighed in relief. She rinsed his bandage in the water as best she could before wrapping it back around his forearm. “We match,” she joked, holding up her arm.


    Leo forced a partial smirk but his eyes burned hot as embers. They ate a hardy breakfast. Diced cinnamon-spiced apples, sweetened pastries, hard-boiled eggs, and thick bacon, which Nicco took triple portions of. She washed it down with coffee sweetened with milk and honey. The diverse food options in the capital became her favorite thing about the city.


    “Even though we all know her, I think I should speak with Arch Magus Sabine. I have studied under her for years.”


    “You’ll get no argument from me,” Nicco mumbled, mouth munching on bacon. Leo crossed his arms but nodded.


    Nicco gulped his coffee and let out a satisfying sigh. “Have you two made up yet? I can’t stand another day of this brooding.” Alessandra held her breath. Leo’s piercing blue eyes had lost the redness of rage.


    “My temper has waned,” Leo said.


    “Good,” Nicco said as he stood. “After we speak with Sabine, we can go see about finding Bastian and Thomund.” Leo left a few tarins on the table and downed the rest of his coffee. Alessandra took one last bite of bacon and followed them out the door.


    The stable boy brought their horses around. They mounted them and rode to the academy atop Arites Hill. Apartments and houses surrounded the academy. The primary structure was the library, which stood centered upon the hill. Four stories high with a centered glass dome to allow plenty of light for reading. Two wings held the rows upon rows of books. Over the main entrance carved in stone read the Arites Academy motto: Achieve, Accelerate, Accolades.


    The smaller buildings around the library comprised magi offices, lecture halls, and administrative nonsense. One such building house is the Magus Council. It appeared as any other surrounding building. They dismounted and tied their horse to a hitching post. Allie wound her way through narrow halls, stopped, and listened at a door briefly, but heard nothing. She peeled it back slowly and peered inside. The nine chairs of the Arch Magi Council were empty.


    “Let’s check her office next. This way.” Alessandra double-backed and came to another familiar, yet ordinary door. She addressed her brothers. “Please don’t embarrass me, I hope to one day hold the office of Arch Magus.” Alessandra knocked.


    “Come in,” Sabine said from inside. They entered. “Magus Alessandra, Lord Nicco, Master Medistein.” Sabine bowed. Her brothers remembered their courtesies and bowed in turn.


    “Leo, will you ever turn that gold ring into platinum?” Sabine asked.


    “Perhaps now that I have finished Medistein Tower I shall find the time,” Leo said politely. Alessandra knew Leo had no such intentions. Leo had attended the academy for about two years while Alessandra attended. His focus around matters of mathematics, geometry, engineering, and accounting. He left to build the cathedral in Ryvium.


    “What matter warrants such personal attention?” Sabine squinted, pronouncing the crow’s feet beneath her eyes. She wore a simple green high-collared dress with white lacework which complimented her white hair. Salt pouches hung from her waist sash. She wore a single fingerless white glove with various Essemancy runes stitched upon them. Sabine tucked a stray strand of gray hair behind her ear.


    “Matters of Essemancy,” Alessandra said.


    Sabine wore the same ring as Alessandra; tungsten denoting her as an Essemancer. In addition, a platinum ring denoting her rank as an Arch Magus. The trained eye could look at any student of the academy’s hand and know their ranks in the various colleges. Sabine had a lime green peridot stone, noting her mastery in the Alchemical College. Her gold ring denoted the rank of Magus--set with a pearl indicating the College of History. Her silver ring had gems of jade, amethyst, and selenite. The three core disciplines learned by all initiates; are grammar, logic, and rhetoric, respectively. The gems are typically adorned with simple copper rings. Once they fulfilled the requirements, most initiates studied areas of their interest. Alessandra was such a student. Others might continue their studies and obtain greater rings of achievement than Sabine had. Sabine’s final copper ring had a ruby, citrine, and sapphire for the Colleges of Geometry, Arithmetic, and Astronomy, respectively. Sabine was an intelligent, accomplished Arch Magus.


    “Reinhard could have written,” Sabine said.


    “These matters require more personal care,” Leo said. Alessandra elbowed him and he let out a grunt. “It’s best if I let a practiced Essemancer explain.”


    “Thank you, brother.” Alessandra smiled triumphantly. “Are you aware of any Essemancers who may have left the guild?” Alessandra asked Sabine, not as coyly as intended.


    “Impossible,” Sabine said.


    “I know. Might someone have trained in secret, or taken on a side contract?”


    “We maintain strict oversight on salts and runes. You know that. Alessandra, why all the mysterious questions? Out with it. If you don’t tell me now, I’ll ask your father.”


    Alessandra looked at the floor. Silence settled in the study. “Someone murdered our parents, and I barely escaped an attempt on my life as well.” She raised her head. “This is why I ask. One assassin used Essemancy.”


    The water swelled within Sabine’s eyes. She wiped them with the back of her glove, the white fabric darkened wet. “I’m so very sorry. Otto was a dear friend and Sophia and I shared gossip over wine on numerous occasions.”


    “Their Essence has made its exodus,” Nicco said.


    “Let their Essence be eternal.” Sabine gave the Sign of the Diamond. Sniffled, and wiped her eyes again. She exhaled to compose herself. “You’re attempting to locate this Essemancer assassin?” Sabine choked on the sad question.


    “Yes,” Leo said.


    “Are you sure it was an Essemancer?” Sabine asked.


    “Yes,” Alessandra confirmed. “I saw one of them use telekinesis.”


    “I’ll examine the records,” Sabine promised, “but it will take time. Though I wouldn’t place much faith in them. We diligently document all Essemancer contracts and meticulously account for any salt shipments. Check with Grand Burgher Thomund of the Scribes guild.”


    “We intend to. If you discover anything, please message me at once.”


    “Of course.”


    “Thank you, Arch Magus.” Alessandra bowed. “Before we go, one other thing. Do you have any clever mushrooms?


    Sabine squinted. “I’ve found many students rummaging for my stash. You know my rule--”


    “--There to help teach Leo.” Alessandra elbowed him again.


    Leo stumbled over his words. “Yes, yes, I need a great deal of learning.”


    Sabine held up a finger. “One dose--”


    “Each,” Alessandra finished. “He will need a guide on his journey.”


    Sabine smacked her lips together, considering the words like one tasting a new wine. “Each,” Sabine agreed.


    “Oh! And would you mind tending to our wounds?” Alessandra held up her arm. “There’s no one better to render aid than one who has mastered medicine?”


    Sabine frowned but gestured for them to follow. They obeyed. Sabine led them into a small office and gathered various herbal remedies, vials, and bandages. Medicine was one area Alessandra had hoped Essemancy would provide enlightenment but had failed thus far. Sabine resorted to the traditional treatment.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    “How did you get this cut?” Sabine asked.


    “During the attack, I used my arm as a shield,” Alessandra said.


    Sabine snorted and set to work. “Leo, while you’re waiting, unbind your bandage. Nicco, look in that top drawer on that storage shelf.” Sabine pointed with her hand. The two men obeyed.


    “What am I looking for?” Nicco asked.


    “Dried mushrooms,” Sabine answered. “Take the pouch and set them on the scale. Measure out two sets of four grams each.” Sabine applied some sort of cooling herbal paste and wrapped the arm with a fresh bandage. “Let that sit for a day before cleaning it. How is the pain?”


    “Tolerable now,” Alessandra said.


    “No laudanum then.” Sabine stepped toward Leo and winced. “This is going to scar badly.”


    “I know,” Leo said. “Do what you can.”


    “When did this happen?” Sabine asked, examining the wound studiously.


    “Half a dozenday ago.”


    “Hmmm. Looks like we will have to amputate.” Leo’s eyes widened white with worry. He pulled his arm free. Sabine continued. “The other option is we wait. You can pray for it to heal, but eventually, it will fall off.”


    Leo turned toward Allie, pleading like a scared puppy.


    Alessandra shrugged. “You heard her. Better to take it now. It will be far less painful in the long run.”


    Alessandra’s eyes flicked to Sabine. Sabine’s serious demeanor warmed with a smile, and she chuckled. “Relax. You can keep your arm. The days of archaic medicine and the Void Plague are gone. No longer do babies drink from wet nurse plague survivors in hopes of getting a shield against the disease. I’ve even read corpse cart pullers sold people their blood to drink.”


    Leo’s posture relaxed. “Why?”


    “As a form of cannibalistic inoculation.” She spread an ointment on his burn. “You have to keep this clean. Dead skin is a fertile breeding ground for infection. Most burn victims don’t die from the fire themselves. It’s the infection that kills them.”


    Nicco balanced the scale with lead weights. “Done.”


    Sabine finished wrapping Leo’s arm and went over to examine the scales. “Very good.” She retrieved a piece of parchment, folded it with a lip on the bottom and sides, and placed one pile of mushrooms inside it. She repeated the process, dripped wax on it, and let it harden to seal the contents inside. Sabine handed the two makeshift envelopes to Alessandra, who put them inside her satchel. “Let me know if you learn anything new.”


    Alessandra’s thoughts betrayed her. The scene of her casting lightning flashed in her mind. Did Sabine know? She couldn’t. The image of the lightning rune burning in the fire, but Leo’s angry expression seared her memory most. “Of course,” Alessandra lied. Leo turned away, feigning interest in the scale. At least he kept quiet. If Sabine suspected anything, she did not voice it.


    “Thank you for your consul,” Alessandra said, intending to be on their way. “I know you must have a great many duties to attend, and we won’t keep you from them any longer than necessary.”


    Sabine smiled. “Of course. I will review the records at once. Anything I can do to help uncover the truth is my foremost duty now.”


    “Thank you,” Alessandra said. They bid their goodbyes and left the academy grounds to go to her nearby apartment. In her experience, three goodbyes were three too few for Sabine. Sometimes it took ages for her to dismiss herself. Along the way to her apartment, she bought some oranges and a pony keg of beer that Nicco carried. A hot loaf of bread and three bratwurst skewers completed their intended supper. Once they reached her apartment, she took a key from her belt purse, unlocked the door, and entered. Leo and Nicco followed inside and shut the door.


    The apartment had a simple decor. A couch sat across from a fireplace, a short table between them. A rough old desk sat crammed into the corner with scattered books all about. The bookshelf and floor were cluttered with piles of books and scrolls. I need more space. Above two wardrobes, her bed sat in a loft. A small pine table with two chairs sat beneath and window. She opened her window to let in fresh air and light. “Put some wood in the fireplace,” she said to Leo. After he stacked the wood, he took the tinderbox to spark the fire. Alessandra took a spick from the jar on the mantle and lit it. She ate as she walked about her room, lighting candles. The light from the room was sufficient, but once night came, they would need light.


    “Should we go about seeing Thomund now?” Nicco asked.


    “Let’s wait to see if Sabine discovers anything first,” Alessandra said. “Perhaps it will aid us when we go to speak with him. For now, let’s eat.” She bit into the warm sausage. Grease squirted into her mouth.


    Nicco tapped the keg with a wood spigot and began filling mugs. “Let’s find Bastian the Black. A fitting name for dishonorable sellsword, if you ask me.”


    “Do you know where to find him?” Leo asked.


    Nicco shook his head. “I’ll need to ask around.”


    “Try some of the taverns on the east side of the city,” Alessandra suggested. “But be careful crossing over the canal. The north side is full of thugs and thieves.” She took another bite of the brat, tore a chunk of bread from the loaf, and passed it to Leo.


    “Sounds like the sort of place a sellsword would be,” Leo chimed. He tore a piece of bread and traded the rest to Nicco for a mug of beer.


    “Do you mean for me to go alone?” Nicco mumbled with a full mouth.


    “I’m not about to stomp all around this city looking in vain,” Alessandra said. “Especially where the Crimson Cloaks dare not go.”


    “Leo, are you coming?”


    “Someone needs to stay here with me,” Alessandra said, playing to Nicco’s overly protective nature.


    “Good point,” Nicco agreed, and let out a belch. “I’ll ask around and return if I discover where he is to be found. What are you two going to do?” He drank deeply from his mug.


    Alessandra smirked and pulled the two envelopes of mushrooms from her satchel. “I’m going to teach Leo to open his mind to better his Essemancy. To help him see connections between unrelated things. Visualize the impossible as possible.”


    “I trust you know what you’re doing,” Nicco said.


    “Of course, and if Sabine discovers anything, we will be nearby as well.”


    Nicco gave a stiff nod. “I’ll be back.” He upended his mug and set it on the table with a hollow thunk sound. With another bite of bread, he left the apartment with his brat skewer held like a sword. Alessandra chuckled to herself. He holds everything like a sword.


    Alessandra placed the envelopes on her desk and locked the door behind him. “May as well get comfortable.” She sat on the sofa and tugged her boots off. Leo unbuckled his sword belt and leaned it against the wall, followed by his boots.


    Alessandra sat her two pouches of salts on the desk. Taking quill in hand, she dipped it in the ink and wrote a rune from memory on a piece of paper. She sat it aside and drew a second rune. Lastly, she refilled her beer.


    “This should help you focus your mind.”


    “Why are you smiling like that?” Leo asked.


    “Because you’re in for a most bewildering experience,” Alessandra said with a broad smile from ear to ear. She handed him an envelope. “Eat these.” She opened her own and ate the mushrooms. They tasted of stale earth. Despite being chewy, they stuck to her teeth. She used her tongue to pick them free. A bite of her brat helped to disguise the odd taste.


    Music began to play outside her window. Looking outside, three troupers strummed away. A lyre, a lute, and a tambourine. “Give me some money,” Alessandra demanded from Leo.


    “What for?”


    “For the troupers.” Leo frowned. “You can afford it.”


    “That’s not the point.”


    Alessandra motioned her hand. “Trust me, you will thank me later.” Leo gave her a tarin. Alessandra frowned, took his coin purse, and retrieved a small handful of coins.


    “Why so much?”


    Alessandra disregarded him with a wave. “Eat your mushrooms. I’ll be back.” Alessandra unlocked the door and went outside. She gave the band the handful of tarins and asked them to play for the next six hours outside her window. A request they were more than willing to comply with, given they had just earned two nights’ worth of wages. She returned to Leo and locked the door.


    “Those tasted awful,” Leo said as soon as she entered.


    “That’s what the brat and beer are for.”


    “Nothing like cooked mushrooms. Is all this necessary?”


    “Yes. Reinhard told me you still struggle with even the most rudimentary Essemancy abilities. This will help you understand yourself and the Essence that binds the world together.”


    “I thought salts did that?”


    “No. Salts, let you draw on the Essence. Mushrooms cleanse the mind. It will help you release your inhibitions and gain clarity.”


    “I don’t feel any different.”


    “Give it time. Sit back and enjoy the journey.” Leo leaned back on the couch. Alessandra sat next to him. The slow strum of strings sung outside. After a while, her limbs began to feel soft and wiggly. The wood-grained wall breathed.


    “I feel weird and tingly,” Leo said.


    “Yes,” Alessandra said with a chuckle. “Close your eyes.” When she did, bright geometric patterns morphed and burst in brilliant kaleidoscopic collisions. The patterns shifted with the music outside dancing and dashing. She opened her eyes and looked at Leo. “Well?”


    “It’s beautiful. Is this the Essence I’m seeing?”


    Alessandra threw back her head in laughter. “I’ve never considered that.” Her laughing contagion spread to Leo.


    Leo’s laugh subsided, and he stared ahead as if in deep thought. “About before, at the villa mean,” he hesitated. “I finally know what I must do. I feel it in my heart. I was too selfish to realize it before.”


    “You bear a great responsibility now. You don’t have to do it alone. Be willing to let others help you.”


    Leo pulled at his curly hair and a grin spread from ear to ear. “Your eyes are very bright!”


    “So are yours. Your pupils are dilated. Look at the fire.” She watched the fire dance, somehow warmer, brighter, and more alive than any fire she had ever seen before. The woodgrain walls warped and pulsed as well. Every inanimate object in her apartment had come alive. She brushed the wall and felt the grains of wood. Every single one has its unique part of a greater whole. She clapped her hands. “Time for the salts.”


    Leo stood up, wobbled, and fell back onto the sofa. He laughed far too long at the insignificant stumble. She shared his laugh. “Careful,” she said. They stood and retrieved the salts. “Time for Essemancy,” she said and opened each pouch. She licked two fingers, dipped one in the violet and another in the blue, and sucked the salt from her fingers. The flavor overpowered her. Leo did likewise, scrunching his face. “Ugh, that’s salty.”


    “This might help,” she refilled both mugs with beer. She took a sip. The beer tasted unusually bitter. That didn’t help.


    The mushrooms heightened all her senses. The salts tasted saltier, the music sounded more magical, and her vision transformed colors with vivid vibrancy. Feelings of textures were more pronounced. She picked up an orange. The peel was slicked with divots. Each divot has its unique crater. Her thumb stabbed inward, and she peeled it. Citrus fragrance swarmed her smell. She held the orange to her nose and inhaled the deeply. Zesty sweetness uplifted her mood. “Try an orange,” she said.


    Leo obeyed. He peeled his own and took a bite. “Wow! That’s much better.” She gorged on the sweet citrus meat. Each bite a rush of citrus euphoria.


    Allie had her glove but wanted to demonstrate with the runes drawn on the paper. She prepared to cast the first spell. The symbol danced and swayed with the smooth waves of music. The strings twinned mixing with the perfect harmony. Happiness spread everywhere. These objects, the runes, mugs, everything seemed happy. She took a step, stumbled, and stabilized herself by grabbing the desk. She picked up the paper and sat back on the sofa. Leo followed and sat beside her.


    “The key to understanding Essemancy is to understand your mind and its limitations. Most people cannot fathom Essemancy. People believe what they see and touch, in the physics of the universe--though many don’t understand that either. You must believe the laws of nature are meant to be broken. You understand numbers, facts, and proofs. This is your issue. Look at this rune, what do you see?”


    “A symbol,” Leo said. “A wiggling symbol,” he corrected with a chuckle.


    Alessandra chuckled too. “Think of it this way. How you see it now is how you should picture the Essence. Not in any true physical manifestation of ink and lines, but in what desires to be. This rune is a geometric pattern in every proper sense. It has symmetry and looks sort of like an eye. Now with the help of our clever mushroom friends, we can see it at its true core. Look now, stretching and morphing, pushing the boundaries of its lines, imposing its Essence on the world around it. Look beyond its present form and envision its possibilities.”


    She heard the lute player’s fingers race down a progression of notes increasing in the octave. Each note spoke a word in a story composing a grand tale. The notes flowed freely and naturally. Her ears anticipated each note. The beauty reversed and ran down the soundboard in sliding rhythmic succession.


    “How do I perceive something as its potential instead of its current state?” Leo asked.


    She thought for a moment, considering his words. Her mind raced with thoughts. Senses connecting that should. She could hear touch. She could feel the sight. How to put this so he might understand?


    “Imagine the All-Father or the Primordials. They are only in our minds. A god doesn’t walk around imposing his grace on us, yet everyone believes in his power. People believe in his benevolence and his guidance. Praying to him for protection, or a strong crop, or to bless them with a child. They need to believe in that faith. People mold God to fit their wishes. By extension, god’s Essence is what you want it to be. You are imposing your will on the divine power of abstract yet intrinsic nature. The runes enable our concrete understanding of the world to draw upon that power with salt.”


    “I see,” Leo said. “The rune is my physical way of connecting the salts with the Essence and what I want.”


    “Kind of,” she answered. “Salts are not Essence. They’re a way to connect the tangible with the abstract. Once it’s connected, your willpower simply commands it. How to put this in a way you would understand? When you built your tower, you had massive stones no man could lift. So you used tools, you used a crane. Think of the rune as that crane, concrete; the salts are the rope, and the essence is the impossible-to-move stone. You are using the crane to guide the rope to move the stone.”


    Leo’s eyes widen with an epiphany. “Ah--”


    “Only the stone is the power of Essence.”


    “And the more salt the larger the rope.”


    “Yes, but you must be careful. You can overindulge in salt like you would in wine. Dehydration, feinting, and even death. Our bodies are only capable of controlling a morsel of divine power.”


    “And what if the Primordial have abandoned me, or I have abandoned them?”


    Alessandra had not considered the question. She had not considered that. How connected were the two different gods? She worshiped the All-Father, but her studies linked Essemancy to the time of Primordials before Tellius’ birth. Why would he forsake those who abandon him? Was that why Leo had such difficulty? “You may abandon them, but I doubt they will ever abandon you. Might that be where your difficulty in manipulating the Essence lies?”


    “But I think I have a better understanding now. Give me the rune I want to try telepathy.” She handed him the paper and closed her eyes only to see visuals of bursting colors morph, form, and change upon each other.


    “Remember to focus. Calm yourself, relax feel the Essence.”


    A message came into her mind. Can you hear me? Leo asked.


    Alessandra sent her message back. Yes. If you can hear, say the word tree aloud.


    “Tree!” Leo exclaimed aloud with much enthusiasm. She bellowed with amusement. “I feel...clever.” Alessandra smiled understanding.


    “Try telekinesis. Retrieve that mug. Be confident. Objects are stubbornly resilient, we must command them to move. Command it into your hand.” Alessandra held her hand out and pulled her mug from the desk into her hand. Leo held his hand out and focused. The mug slid a bit.


    Leo closed his eyes, exhaled, and opened them. The mug flew across the room into his hand splashing beer on him. He laughed with glee. “That’s neat, but the telepathy is far more useful. My issue in the past has been longer ranges. It’s easy when you’re close because I sense you, but across the city, or even across hundreds of miles, that is where I fail. I need to try a longer-range message.”


    “All right,” Alessandra stood. “I’ll walk across the courtyard and you can send me a message. Try focusing your will on finding the rune of the person you are trying to communicate with. Imagine two ship anchors underwater connected with a chain. The runes are like ship anchors. Beneath the water, your vision is obscured to a few feet. Ignore the fish--the people and distractions--and follow the fading chain into the murky distance. Don’t try to find an anchor hundreds of feet away. Instead, see five feet ahead, then another five, and another, and so on. Take your time. The salts are the anchor chain. Slowly swim along the chain following what you can see and eventually, you will arrive at the other anchor. With practice you will soon learn to focus only on the anchors and the murkiness will become clear. Remember, don’t focus on what it is, will it be what you want.”


    Alessandra left. Dusk had arrived. Bright rays of sunlight spread like fingers across the light. Marigold-colored clouds pulsed and shifted. Each note of music inspires a change. The amethyst sky faded to a deep plum. The brighter stars already twinkled high above. Lanterns hung from posts surrounding the courtyard swaying like torches in the night.


    Crossing the courtyard the massive Century Tree beckoned her. The city’s oldest tree’s exact age was unknown, only that the magi had named it. Impressive for a city, but smaller than Sophia’s tree at the Medistein villa. Leaves wiggled with glee but as she approached the tree of life grew darker. The branches stretched out, transforming into claws threatening to grasp her and pull her into the void of darkness at its center. Her breath quickened. She gasped. Forcing herself to breathe consumed all her focus, making it difficult for her. Her focus tunneled on this specter tree. She knew it as a tree, yet still feared it would hurt her. Allie mustered every fiber of her courage and tore her gaze free from the tree. She strode across the courtyard and lay down on the soft grass. Plush like a pillow, she sunk into it.


    Allie focused her will, extracted power from the salts and sent Leo a message. The code word for the reply was orange. Her thoughts raced off the orange citrus and now the tangerine color clouds pulsed into little orbs. The wind blew rustling the leaves of the nearby trees along the perimeter of the courtyard.


    Orange. Leo’s message intruded on her thoughts. Very good. Now try to send a simple message to Reinhard in Tarona. She stood up from the cushioned grass and meandered back to the apartment. No more of the sun’s light painted the sky. Instead, stars twinkled and danced. The Avictus constellation swayed his sword high overhead.


    “Alessandra?” Nicco’s voice called from behind her. “Why are you staring at the stars?”


    Alessandra regarded her brother for a moment. “Because they are so gentle. I wonder what stories Sophia and Otto are sharing with our blood parents?”


    “Why do you sound so...odd?”


    “Do I,” her voice cracked with a giggle.


    “Yes, where’s Leo? Wasn’t he supposed to look after you?”


    She dismissed him with a wave. “I’m fine here at the academy. Besides, I insisted on coming out here. I won’t have you spoil our mellow.”


    “Our mellow? What did you do?”


    “I told you. We are practicing Essemancy. Leo is getting much better, especially with his telepathy.”


    “Right,” Nicco said suspect. “Have you ever considered the ethics of reading someone’s thoughts?


    “I can’t read thoughts,” Allie answered. “We simply speak to each other without speaking. Though Sabine has told me of Julk Essemancers who can extract thoughts by touching one’s head.”


    “How would she know?”


    She shrugged. “From Reinhard most likely.”


    “Did Sabine ever send word?”


    “No,” Allie answered. “We’ll have a busy day tomorrow. Let’s get to bed.”


    She hooked her arm through Nicco’s and she walked with wiggled legs back to her apartment. Nicco opened the door for her. Inside Leo lay unconscious on the floor.


    “Leo!” Nicco yelled and hurried to his side.