《Queens (The Wielders of Arantha Book Two)》


 Chapter One

    EIGHTEEN DAYS AGO


    A man whose posture, rumpled clothes, and scruffy beard gave him the appearance of one much older than his thirty-eight years sat at the main computer console. His ginger hair bore streaks of grey, and the eyeglasses that usually clung to his face now perched precariously on the tip of his nose.


    Though he kept a watchful eye on the vast bank of monitors that scanned the sands of the Sahara Desert five hundred miles in every direction, his attention remained primarily fixed on the screen in front of him. His own image filled the screen, staring back at him as he spoke into a tiny microphone. ¡°You¡¯re the strongest woman I¡¯ve ever known, Maeve. Whatever is about to happen, I know you¡¯re going to kick ass. Win this game. For humanity.¡± Then he shut off the recording.


    Feeling the sting of fatigue behind his eyes, he removed his glasses and set them on the console. ¡°One down, one to go,¡± he muttered to himself.


    He heard a shuffle of footsteps and turned around to see a young, olive-skinned man in a blue jumpsuit standing in the security office¡¯s doorway. A short yet thick beard and mustache covered the bottom half of his face, and his piercing brown eyes were far more alert than they should have been, given the late hour. ¡°Hey, Richard. Mind if I join you?¡±


    Sahara Base had been built decades earlier as an R&D lab for the purpose of exploring propulsion methods that exceeded even supralight capabilities, one of the Terran Confederation¡¯s best-kept secrets. Though designed to house several hundred personnel, only ten people lived there now.


    Richard waved the man in. ¡°C¡¯mon in, Mahesh. I just made some coffee; help yourself.¡±


    Mahesh sat in the chair opposite Richard. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ll stick to tea. Besides, we packed the synthesizer yesterday, which can only mean you brewed the coffee yourself. And no offense, Richard, but your coffee could strip the paint off a starship.¡±


    ¡°Screw you,¡± Richard said with a sardonic smile. ¡°Besides, I got just the thing to make it taste better.¡±


    Mahesh gave him a bemused smile. ¡°Drain cleaner?¡±


    Richard opened a nearby drawer and pulled out a small flask, waggling it in front of his friend. ¡°Eighteen-year-old Scotch. 2719 was a very good year.¡±


    ¡°Pass. If I come back to the room with that on my breath, Suri will read me the riot act.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Richard unscrewed the top of the flask and took a swig, throwing it back with a satisfied exhale. ¡°Is everything prepared?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mahesh scooted his chair forward until it rested only a few feet away from Richard¡¯s. ¡°Is there any way I can talk you into coming with us?¡±


    Five years before, Earth had been invaded by the Jegg, an insectoid race whose vastly superior technology made short work of the Confederation¡¯s defenses. Nine billion people¡ªmore than half of humanity¡ªwere wiped out. Richard, his wife and son, and the rest of his engineering team escaped subjugation by sealing themselves inside Sahara Base. They¡¯d reasoned that even if the Jegg knew of the base¡¯s existence, their small team posed no semblance of a threat, and therefore left them alone.


    They were wrong.


    Richard¡¯s breath hitched at his friend¡¯s concern. ¡°Someone has to be here to make sure the Talon gets away safely, to say nothing of activating the base¡¯s self-destruct.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does.¡±


    ¡°Is that what Banikar said?¡±


    ¡°In so many words.¡±


    Mahesh folded his arms across his chest. ¡°I¡¯m not buying it.¡±


    Richard drew himself up. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°This mission has been two years in the making. Have you ever wondered why the rest of us¡ªwho have never so much as laid eyes on this mysterious trans-dimensional being who has been influencing your decisions since childhood¡ªfollow your instructions without question?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Richard shrugged. ¡°Because the Jegg have had us farked twelve ways from Sunday since the day they dropped from the sky?¡±


    ¡°Well, there is that, of course. But there¡¯s more to it.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Mahesh stared at the ground. ¡°People have believed in a higher power for thousands of years, Richard. Whether they call that higher power Jehovah, or Vishnu, or Allah, or Banikar, it doesn¡¯t matter. When things are at their most hopeless, sometimes all a person has is his faith.¡± He raised his head again. ¡°For the last two years, I¡¯ve watched you feed this team information you couldn¡¯t have gotten from any human source.¡±


    Catching sight of Richard¡¯s raised eyebrows, Mahesh held his hands out, palms up. ¡°Believe me, things would¡¯ve gone so much smoother if Banikar had decided to include the entire group in his briefings instead of insisting on appearing to you exclusively. God works in mysterious ways, and for whatever reason, he chose you as his messenger. As a man of faith, it¡¯s not my place to question that.¡±


    Richard took another gulp. ¡°But you¡¯re a scientist. You¡¯re supposed to question everything.¡±


    ¡°Whether I question it or not doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Mahesh smirked. ¡°I¡¯m going to heaven regardless.¡±


    ¡°Sure, rub it in.¡± Richard rolled his eyes. ¡°Make sure you look for me when you get there. If you don¡¯t find me, well ... you know where I¡¯ll be.¡±


    Mahesh¡¯s deep brown eyes bore into his. ¡°I know you¡¯re the captain of this metaphorical ship, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to go down with it.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes flicked toward the security monitor to his right, taking in the wide-angle view of the hangar, inside which sat the rebuilt, refurbished, soon-to-depart hulk of the Talon. ¡°But I¡¯m tired, Mahesh. I¡¯m so tired. I lost my whole family to the Jegg: my parents, my brothers, my little sister ... all gone.¡± His hands curled into fists. ¡°After tomorrow, I will never see my wife or son again. And it¡¯s probably for the best. When Maeve plays that recording, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gonna piss her off more: hearing the truth or that she won¡¯t get to kill me herself.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    Richard sneered. ¡°This is Maeve we¡¯re talking about, Mahesh. She¡¯s Irish and a combat veteran. If there¡¯s one thing she¡¯s better at than piloting spacecraft, it¡¯s holding a grudge.¡±


    Mahesh¡¯s face was, as always, infuriatingly calm. ¡°Richard, come with us. The Resistance still needs people like you.¡±


    ¡°¡®The Resistance¡¯?¡± Richard turned his flask over and over in his hand. ¡°It sounds so noble, doesn¡¯t it? ¡®The Resistance¡¯. Like we¡¯re a shining example to humanity, who dares to hope that we may gain victory, cast off our vile oppressors, and regain our freedom.¡± He chuckled. ¡°What horseshit. Humanity doesn¡¯t even know we exist. And as for victory? This is it right here.¡± He gestured again at the Talon on the monitor. ¡°This is mankind¡¯s last, very last chance. Either this works, or the next millennium will be exactly like the last five years: watching the Jegg carve up every planet in the Confederation, and unable to do jack about it.¡±


    Mahesh arched an eyebrow. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t mean you have to be an asshole.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an asshole. I¡¯m from Texas.¡±


    ¡°Not sure those two things are mutually exclusive.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly true.¡± He downed another gulp from his flask. ¡°You¡¯ve told the other five what¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    Mahesh leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. ¡°Yes, everything Banikar told you. In four hours, I¡¯ll load the crate with the personal transporters onto the Talon, having removed six of the ten for ourselves. In seven hours, Gaspar will activate both our borrowed Jegg quantigraphic rift drive and the ship¡¯s supralight engines for final testing, and Maeve will begin the pre-flight checks. Twenty-one minutes later, the base will come under attack, by which time, the rest of us will have already transported away to Himalaya Base. You¡¯ll make sure Davin is on board?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. He goes wherever Gaspar goes.¡±


    Mahesh idly cast his eyes at the monitors, and he lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°Does Gaspar know what¡¯s going to happen to him?¡±


    Richard shook his head. ¡°That would only distract him. We need his entire brain on this, or they¡¯ll never make it.¡±


    ¡°Have you recorded the messages?¡±


    Richard turned back to face the console in front of him. ¡°I just did Maeve¡¯s. I¡¯m going to do Davin¡¯s in a minute.¡± He sighed. ¡°For years, I¡¯ve known this moment was coming, and now that it has ... I don¡¯t know what the fark I¡¯m gonna say.¡±


    ¡°Tell him what he needs to hear,¡± Mahesh said, standing up. He reached over and put a hand on Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Nothing else matters.¡±


    ¡°Is that another one of your pearls of Hindi wisdom?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Metallica.¡±


    ¡°You and that old heavy metal of yours.¡± Richard stood up and extended his hand. ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡±


    Mahesh took the offered hand, shaking it firmly. ¡°It¡¯s been an honor serving with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s right you should feel that way,¡± Richard said with a grim smile.


    Mahesh rolled his eyes as he moved toward the door. ¡°Definitely not mutually exclusive.¡± He gave a brief wave, and then was gone.


    Richard listened to his friend¡¯s footsteps fade away. He closed the door to the Security Office and resumed his seat in front of the console. He downed one more swig as he gathered his thoughts, and his courage, then pressed the Record button on the screen. One more deep breath, and he began to speak.


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 Chapter Two

    Kelia choked back a sob as she removed her hands from the Stone.


    Her heart raced, thumping dramatically in her chest. This was not unusual when she consulted Arantha, but it was made worse by the unfathomable horror of her latest vision, the same vision she¡¯d been subjected to repeatedly since returning from the Kaberian Mountains.


    Perspiration beading on her brow and acid roiling in her stomach, she lurched across the dusty stone floor and out through the narrow entrance, stumbling as she crossed the threshold. She squinted in the light of the morning sun as her eyes adjusted from the dimness of the cave.


    She turned to the right, taking in the view of the Ixtrayu village that had been her people¡¯s home for eight centuries. Built directly into the walls of the plateau on either side of the River Ix, it was a sight she¡¯d seen countless times since she was a little girl walking at the side of her mother, Onara. Back then, the sight was welcome, familiar, but with every unhelpful vision she¡¯d had since donning the mantle of Protectress, it felt less and less so. On this day, the comforting babble of the river did nothing to calm her turbulent thoughts.


    Rather than cross the nearest bridge to the other side of the river, where her home lay invitingly close at the top of a large stone staircase, she moved down the narrow footpath along the eastern bank toward the Room of Healing. Upon entering, she scanned the spacious room for either of the tribe¡¯s two healers. She spotted Sershi near the back wall, watching as the young, willowy woman removed a kettle from over a small fire and filled three mugs with its contents. The spicy fragrance of jingal-root tea filled the air, and Kelia instantly felt her mind quiet.


    ¡°Protectress,¡± Sershi said, her mouth morphing into a tired smile that wasn¡¯t reflected in her eyes.


    Kelia strode forward, picked up a mug of tea from the table and held it under her nose, closing her eyes as it filled her senses. She took another deep breath before blowing on the tea and taking a cautious sip. She felt the hot liquid slide down her throat, savoring its piquant taste.


    ¡°Oh, I needed that.¡± Kelia took another quenching sip and set the mug back down. ¡°How is your mother doing?¡±


    ¡°Still weak,¡± Sershi said. ¡°It may be another day before she¡¯s up and around. Extracting the hugar¡¯s venom from our ... guest¡¯s body took more out of her than either of us realized.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Kelia said, casting a glance at several huddled forms sleeping on beds of lyrax pelts on the other side of the room. Davin lay curled up next to his mother, snoring peacefully, his curly red hair spilling over his face. ¡°How are they doing?¡±


    ¡°The woman has improved,¡± Sershi said, following Kelia¡¯s gaze. ¡°She seems to have regained some movement in her extremities. I believe we eradicated all of the poison, but now it¡¯s up to her body to rejuvenate itself.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more you can do?¡± Kelia glanced at her half-empty mug, wishing its restorative powers would have a similar effect on her friend.


    Sershi shook her head. ¡°As you know, we¡¯ve never had to heal something like this before. We¡¯re monitoring her, and I assure you, we¡¯ll chronicle every detail in our records in case it ever happens again.¡±


    Kelia nodded. ¡°And Nyla?¡±


    The healer took two steps forward, shifting her gaze to Kelia¡¯s thirteen-year-old daughter, lying on a different pallet of furs. ¡°Her heartbeat is strong, and the burns on her palms have healed. Beyond that, she¡¯s in Arantha¡¯s hands. I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have more to tell you than that, Protectress.¡±


    Kelia just nodded again.


    Sershi¡¯s voice became even more tentative. ¡°What are we going to do about the boy?¡±


    Kelia remained silent. It was a good question, and one she didn¡¯t have an answer for. Davin was the first male to set foot in the village. Ever. And as such, he couldn¡¯t be allowed to roam around unattended. Having spent two days getting to know Davin, she knew him to be an intelligent, personable young man, playful and mischievous at times but a devoted son. Until she could convince her sisters of his good nature, however, he would be considered dangerous, and thus in danger himself. For eight hundred years, her people had looked upon men with suspicion and contempt, only interacting with them when seeking mates on Sojourn.


    Additionally, he was from the Above, as was his mother. She only hoped she could get her sisters to understand that their new friends, just like the Ixtrayu, were following a path set forth by Arantha, and it was at this moment in time that those paths were converging. Kelia desperately needed the Council¡¯s help in that regard.


    ¡°He will stay by his mother¡¯s side. Should he wake, tell him I will have their food brought to them. But they are not to leave this room until I say otherwise. Can you keep the more curious of our sisters out, or shall I have Runa assign one of the huntresses to stand guard?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°That might be wise, Protectress,¡± Sershi said. ¡°At least until my mother has recovered.¡±


    ¡°I will arrange it right away. No one is to enter but me, Lyala, or the Council. Oh, and Sarja.¡± Kelia allowed herself a brief smile, remembering Runa¡¯s daughter¡¯s recent declaration of affection for Nyla. The two had created their very own tradition before Nyla laid her hands on the Stone for the first time, pledging their hearts to each other. But Nyla¡¯s first consultation had been too much for her, overwhelming her just as it did to Kelia when she was that age. She silently prayed that her willful daughter would wake soon.


    With final glances at Nyla, Maeve, and Davin, she strode from the room.


    * * *


    From her large chair at the head of the Council Chamber, Kelia sat, spine rigid, as she looked at the three older women facing her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try not to keep you long, Protectress,¡± said Katura, concern etched into her aged but kindly face. ¡°Rumors abound about our mysterious visitors, and our people look to the four of us for explanations.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Eloni, her short, dark hair as elegant as ever. ¡°While I¡¯m thankful the woman¡¯s life was saved, hers and the boy¡¯s arrival couldn¡¯t have been more ill-timed. Thanks to Susarra, emotions have been running high since Vaxi¡¯s departure. We need to speak as one voice if we are to subdue the disquietude she created.¡±


    Kelia felt a knot form in her stomach at the mention of Vaxi. Despite her best efforts to free the young huntress from the clutches of her domineering grandmother Susarra, she¡¯d failed to do so. Only four days earlier, the vision that sent Kelia to the Kaberian Mountains gave Susarra the perfect opportunity to send Vaxi on Sojourn without Kelia¡¯s permission. Now the girl was beyond their reach, and Kelia could only pray she came to no harm.


    ¡°Councilors,¡± Kelia addressed the triumvirate, ¡°I apologize for keeping secrets from you. I did not tell you about my bond with Maeve because it was unnecessary at the time. When I left, I didn¡¯t think I would ever see them again. Believe me, last night¡¯s turn of events was as much a surprise to me as it was to you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put that aside for a moment,¡± said Liana. Though Kelia¡¯s aunt had only been on the Council for two days¡ªa replacement that became necessary after Susarra¡¯s disobedience came to light¡ªshe¡¯d slipped into the role as easily as the white robe she now wore. ¡°Let us instead focus on the circumstances that led you to Share with a woman from the Above.¡±


    ¡°It happened in a moment of weakness,¡± Kelia confessed, her fingers idly grasping the familiar lump of metal that dangled from the necklace she wore. Featureless and spherical, it had been given to her by her mother right before her death, so Kelia had turned it into a pendant as part of the necklace that Nyla had crafted many years before. ¡°I was fatigued from my journey across the desert. My first meeting with Maeve precipitated a show of force on my part, and using my abilities drained the last drops of my strength. I was at her mercy. She could have killed me if she so desired, but instead she rushed to my aid. Though we did not speak the same language, I knew at that moment that she wasn¡¯t my enemy. Her eyes bore no malevolence, only sorrow.¡±


    Kelia took a deep breath, staring at the floor as she relived the memory. ¡°There is something about her, Councilors, something I¡¯m not even sure I can explain. Before I even made my trek to the mountains, Arantha provided me with visions of her. I felt ... drawn to her, somehow. Like our meeting was destined, preordained by Arantha, and it was the divine goddess guiding my hand.¡±


    Katura raised her bony fingers, briefly covering her mouth. ¡°In the cave, she spoke in our language. Was this also a result of the Sharing?¡±


    ¡°It was.¡± Kelia nodded. ¡°From what I gather, though she and her son are speaking in their native language¡ªshe called it ¡®English¡¯¡ªwe are able to hear her in Elystran. And likewise, they can understand us equally well.¡±


    ¡°Remarkable,¡± said Eloni. ¡°Thank Arantha for providing us with such a gift.¡±


    ¡°There is another factor at play here, which I must now inform you of. At the time of our Sharing, I came to discover she¡¯d already developed Wielding abilities.¡±


    The eyes of the entire Council widened. Eloni let out a gasp.


    ¡°Great Arantha,¡± whispered Liana.


    Kelia continued, ¡°Her healing ability manifested itself before they even found the Stone. When I first envisioned Maeve, her back bore many large, deep scars. But because of the Stone, the scars are no longer there. With my guidance, she discovered she could also heal others.¡± She pulled up the sleeve of her tunic, showing off the upper arm where Maeve¡¯s gunshot had grazed her. Only a tiny patch of rough skin remained where the bullet wound had been.


    ¡°Soon afterward, we discovered she could communicate with animals. She was able to command my chava with nothing but a word and a gesture.¡± She recalled the moment when her wide-bodied mount, with whom she¡¯d spent years building a rapport, completely ignored her and ran straight to Maeve. ¡°She also told me she¡¯d used this ability to pacify a pack of lyraxes several nights before.¡±


    She paused, scanning the faces of the Council. ¡°But the biggest surprise came after we found the Stone. I attempted to use my air-Wielding to levitate myself, and just as I felt my strength begin to slip, Maeve ... empowered me. Somehow, she added her strength to my own. We spent the next minute hovering above the ground together.¡± Kelia smiled at the memory. ¡°It was the most exhilarating moment of my life.¡±


    Of course, this was followed by a brief but passionate kiss between her and Maeve, but she saw no need to inform the Council of this.


    ¡°Simply unbelievable,¡± said Liana, ¡°that Arantha would bestow such power upon a woman not of our world.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Kelia. A sorrowful look crossed her face. ¡°However, we must not fall into the trap of believing we always know the divine goddess¡¯ wishes. And as you heard, Maeve has matters of extreme importance to discuss with us when she¡¯s recovered. In her brief moments of clarity before sleep claimed her, she told me there was more at stake than just the future of Elystra. I do not know what it could possibly mean, or what our future holds for us.¡±


    This was a lie. Kelia knew exactly what was coming. She¡¯d seen it in her last three consultations. The same terrible, horrible images being shoved into her mind.


    The nearby forest, ablaze.


    The Ixtrayu croplands, aflame.


    The charred, smoking bodies of her sisters, scattered on the ground.


    If this is the future, Kelia thought, why does Arantha torment me so? Is it so we may find a way to escape such a fate? Or are we doomed no matter which way we turn?

 Chapter Three

    CHAPTER THREE


    A torrent of water roused Rahne from his slumber. The shade of the so-called ¡°Tree of Justice¡± protected him from the heat of the sun, but exhaustion had taken over several hours before, and he¡¯d lapsed into a fitful sleep.


    Whipping his head back and forth to clear several strands of dark hair from his eyes, he squinted up to see Sekker leering at him with no small amount of disgust.


    Sekker was by far the fattest man Rahne had ever seen. He was callous, officious, and puffed up on his own sense of self-purpose. His favorite boast was that he was a distant cousin to King Morix¡ªa very distant cousin, Rahne reasoned, to be given the title of High Magistrate of an insignificant little coastal town like Larth, where the air perpetually smelled of fish and nothing of consequence ever happened.


    ¡°Rise and shine, thief.¡± An ugly smile formed between his jowls.


    Every one of Rahne¡¯s muscles ached in protest as he attempted to sit up straight against the tree he¡¯d been manacled to for the last twenty-four hours. Everyone in Larth knew this tree, the tallest in the area. Located in the middle of a large, open meadow a half-mile east of town, it was a common punishment site, where victims of the magistrate¡¯s whims were chained, sometimes for days, without food, only yards away from the nearest of several wells nearly full to the brim with fresh water.


    With great effort, Rahne dug his boots into the soft grass and pushed himself upright. Now fully awake, he stared up at the magistrate. ¡°Like I told you yesterday during that farce you called a trial, I¡¯m not a thief. That boat belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°Not anymore, it doesn¡¯t,¡± Sekker retorted, throwing the empty bucket on the ground next to the nearby well. ¡°Your boat, or should I say your father¡¯s boat, became the property of the crown upon his death.¡±


    Rahne flexed, but his arms had very little range of movement, spread wide as they were against the bark of the tree. ¡°That¡¯s a lie! My grandfather built that ship with his own two hands! He passed it down to my father, and as his only living relative, it goes to me! That¡¯s what the law says!¡±


    Sekker chortled, his ample belly quivering. ¡°We went over this yesterday. Of course, you were only half-conscious during most of your trial, so I guess that explains your lapse in memory.¡±


    Rahne remembered being struck on the head by one of the local constables on the way into Sekker¡¯s office, his punishment for a particularly choice insult about the man¡¯s questionable lineage. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Sekker leaned forward, speaking to him as if to a naughty child. ¡°The law states that property can only be transferred to a relative if said relative has reached his nineteenth year. By your own admission, you are only eighteen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be nineteen in ten days.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re eighteen now.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Rahne said through clenched teeth. ¡°Let me go, and in ten days I¡¯ll take ownership of my boat.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t work that way, boy,¡± Sekker said, using the toe of his boot to kick Rahne¡¯s heels; not enough to hurt, just enough to annoy. ¡°Your father died with unpaid debts, as you may or may not know. Those debts have come due now that he¡¯s journeyed to the Great Veil.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°What debts?¡± Rahne asked. ¡°He paid the taxes on the fish he caught for years. It was too much, but he paid it anyway. We barely had enough to get by.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but your father docked his boat at a public pier. I just recently enacted a law regarding a harbor tax that all boatmen must pay, and it seems he neglected to pay the harbor master this additional duty since the law¡¯s enactment.¡±


    An increasing sense of helplessness flashed through Rahne. ¡°How much did he owe? At least let me try to pay it back!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that, I¡¯m afraid. Your father¡¯s boat was by far the most valuable thing he owned, and that¡¯s already been sold. It only covered about half his debts.¡±


    Rahne felt his stomach clench. ¡°You slimy bastard.¡±


    Sekker flashed an evil grin. ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome to travel to Talcris and complain to the King. Oh, wait, you can¡¯t.¡± He laughed again.


    Fourteen days before, a Barjan captain named Elzor and his army, the six-hundred-strong Elzorath, laid siege to the capital city of Agrus. It took several days for news to filter down the coast to Larth, the southernmost city in the region. Stories had been told at the local taverns ever since about how Elzor¡¯s twin sister Elzaria singlehandedly decimated the Agrusian army. She was a Wielder, the first female in the history of Elystra to wield the power of Arantha.


    Rahne could hardly believe his ears when he heard the story about how lightning shot forth from Elzaria¡¯s hands, killing or wounding more than two-thirds of Agrus¡¯s soldiers, and Elzor¡¯s men had scored an easy victory after that. King Morix, the entire royal family, and most of the nobles were dead within days. Everyone expected Elzor to send someone to Larth demanding some token of fealty or tribute, but there had been none.


    ¡°Larth¡¯s small size puts it beneath the notice of that pernicious whelp who now dares call himself Lord of Agrus. And as the only citizen of Larth with royal blood, that means I can adjust the law how I see fit. Which puts you ... well, right where you are now.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Tomorrow, you will be released into the custody of a local fishmonger, in whose employ you will remain until the rest of your family¡¯s debts have been paid.¡±


    ¡°You mean Joor?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you know him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met,¡± Rahne said with a scowl.


    ¡°Good. I wouldn¡¯t count on getting much downtime during your stint at his shop. Or food. And I¡¯d sleep with one eye open if I were you.¡± Sekker¡¯s bushy eyebrows raised, and his enormous girth seemed to expand even further with his perceived victory.


    A faint sound from down the road leading north and slightly inland caught Rahne¡¯s attention. Sekker hadn¡¯t yet heard it, as he was in the middle of another fit of cackling.


    Several men on merychs appeared through a dense copse of trees. As he watched, an entire procession appeared, dozens becoming hundreds, headed right for where he was chained. He realized with a start that the one leading this army could only be Elzor.


    After a few moments, Sekker heard the clamor as well and turned to see the heavily-armed mass approaching. A look of horror appeared on his face, and he started to waddle away toward the road to his merych-drawn cart.


    Two soldiers in high-quality armor broke away from the rest, spurring their merychs into a full gallop and easily closing the distance between the procession and Sekker. The magistrate had just managed to clamber into the driver¡¯s seat of his cart when he found himself facing two large men with swords pointed right at him.


    ¡°Stand down,¡± one of them growled. ¡°Now.¡±


    Though he was twenty yards away, Rahne could see Sekker¡¯s face had gone deep crimson. The setting sun glinted off the sweat pouring from the man¡¯s plump face. Raising his hands in surrender, he gingerly climbed off the cart.


    For almost a minute, no one moved a muscle, like figures in a tableau. Finally, the rest of the procession caught up, and Rahne caught his first good look at the man who had invaded his homeland as he alit from his merych, a powerful-looking black steed with an equally impressive mane. The man was tall, dark-haired and dark-bearded. His eyes were as cold as morning frost, and an air of ruthless authority emanated from him.


    Right next to him was a raven-haired beauty clad in a black dress cinched at the waist by a leather belt. This had to be Elzaria, and if he thought Elzor¡¯s eyes were icy, they were blazing suns compared to Elzaria¡¯s. He¡¯d seen fish with warmer eyes.


    Rahne wondered if he¡¯d seen his last sunrise.

 Chapter Four

    CHAPTER FOUR


    His back against the wall of the Room of Healing, Davin gobbled down the last remnants of his meal. He¡¯d been a little hesitant, this being the first time he¡¯d ever eaten non-synthesized, non-Terran food in his life. He was pleasantly surprised by the taste of what Sershi had called ¡°kova steak¡±; its rich, hearty flavor danced on his tongue as he chewed, and he could actually feel the strength returning to his limbs.


    No wonder the Ixtrayu are so strong if this is what they eat. Could use a little barbecue sauce, though. Maybe some black pepper.


    He pushed his plate to the side and scanned the room. Set into the wall of the plateau, this spacious room was set up much like a hospital ward on Earth. Six piles of animal pelts were set up along the floor, three on one side, three on the other. There were no windows; the only light came from an array of candles placed inside lanterns that hung from the ceiling, as well as whatever natural sunlight filtered through the room¡¯s only door. He had to hand it to the Ixtrayu; the place was pretty clean. And relaxing.


    His hands fell to his waist, where they contacted a series of metallic tubes strung together around his body like a belt. He flipped a switch on one of them and got no response from it. He¡¯d used their four remaining personal transporters in tandem to make the instantaneous jump from the Talon¡¯s campsite in the mountains to the Ixtrayu village instantly. The longest of long shots, but he¡¯d had to take the risk.


    And it had paid off. His mother was alive.


    The PTs, on the other hand? Dead as dinosaurs. With another Stone not far away, it was a God¡¯s-honest miracle that they had made it there at all. Whatever energy signature the Stones put out seemed to seriously fark with Jegg technology¡ªof which the PTs were a part¡ªeven though the transporters had been assembled by human hands.


    He unclipped the PTs and set them on the floor next to the empty plate, his eyes falling on the two sleeping forms in the room. A few yards away, his mother dozed peacefully. Sershi¡¯s twice-daily healing treatments since they had purged his mother¡¯s body of the hugar¡¯s venom had succeeded in restoring her mobility to the point where she could feed herself. However, she was still unsteady on her feet, and couldn¡¯t walk more than a few short steps without toppling over. As no one in the tribe¡¯s history had ever survived a hugar bite before, they had no prognosis for her recovery.


    He rose to his feet, stretched, and walked across the room to catch a glimpse of the other sleeper, stopping halfway there. The girl, who he knew to be Kelia¡¯s daughter Nyla, also slept peacefully, her dark hair spilling over her face. From his and his mother¡¯s conversations with Kelia in the mountains, he knew she was only a year or so younger than he, and had already developed Wielding abilities similar to Kelia.


    What that must be like. To be a teenager and have that kind of power.


    He stared at Nyla¡¯s face, what he could see of it, and imagined piercing brown eyes behind her closed eyelids. He couldn¡¯t gauge her height, covered as she was by the pelts, but envisioned her side-by-side with Kelia, to whom she bore a striking resemblance.


    ¡°Um ... hello?¡± came a young, soft voice from the entrance.


    A teenage girl stood there, staring at him, her head tilted to one side. She looked to be about the same age as Nyla. She was quite tall, with very tan skin, dark brown eyes, and long, wavy, chocolate-brown hair that came well past her shoulders. She was dressed in a tight leather tunic that showed off long legs and well-defined arm muscles.


    And if that wasn¡¯t enough, she was gorgeous. Before the invasion, a girl with that face would have every boy in whatever school she attended following her, their jaws hanging open.


    They stood, unmoving, staring, sizing each other up.


    ¡°Uh, hi,¡± he finally said, giving her a friendly wave.


    Davin was suddenly struck by the irony of the situation. He¡¯d always considered himself to be confident; as a kid back on Earth, he¡¯d had tons of friends, both boys and girls. He was the kind of person who could talk to, and get along with, anybody. Of course, when the Jegg invaded, he immediately went into hiding with his parents and the rest of the team. He¡¯d been ten years of age when that happened. By the time he¡¯d grown old enough to ... appreciate girls, he was living in a hidden base far beneath the sands of the Sahara Desert. The only three females he knew, and would ever see over the next five years, were Suri Patel (who was married), Kacy Weatherby (who was nice and actually quite pretty despite being covered in grease most of the time, but seemed to find his early attempts at masculinity more amusing than impressive), and his mother.


    This girl was the first teenager he¡¯d met since becoming one himself. A native girl from a planet on the opposite end of the galaxy.


    Time to make a good first impression.


    And ... nothing.


    Then it hit him: this girl, if Kelia¡¯s story about the Sojourns was true, had never left her village. Which meant he was the first boy she had ever seen. Ever.


    And ... still nothing.


    Stupid brain.


    ¡°May I come in?¡± she asked, as if permission to enter a room in her village was his to give. At least she was polite.


    ¡°Um, sure,¡± he said, beckoning her in.


    She took several steps forward, her eyes flicking between him and Nyla¡¯s sleeping form.


    ¡°I¡¯m Davin,¡± he said, wondering if she already knew.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I am Sarja,¡± she replied.


    Fighting down his rising nerves, he extended his hand to her. She stared at it for a few moments, then moved her eyes back to his face. ¡°Oh, um, sorry,¡± he said. ¡°On my world, we greet each other by shaking hands.¡±


    She nodded, then reached out her hand. He took it awkwardly, shook it gently, and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Sarja,¡± he said.


    ¡°It is agreeable to meet you as well, Davin.¡± She smiled, and he saw her shoulder muscles loosen.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone was allowed to just come in here,¡± he said. ¡°Except for Kelia and the Council. And Runa.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯ve talked to my mother?¡±


    ¡°Runa¡¯s your ...¡± He stared at Sarja, and instantly saw the resemblance. Runa had been the one to carry Maeve¡¯s body to the cave where the Ixtrayu Stone lay, as he¡¯d lacked the strength to do it himself. ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t ¡®talked¡¯ so much. She was there when we arrived.¡± He smiled. ¡°She might just be the strongest lady I¡¯ve ever met. And the tallest.¡±


    She tilted her head at him again. ¡°They don¡¯t have tall people in The Above?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he said. ¡°I even heard of one world where the inhabitants grow to fifteen feet high, but I have no idea if it¡¯s true or not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ... interesting,¡± she said.


    As if she¡¯d run out of words, she turned away and sat down on the ground next to Nyla, clasping the comatose girl¡¯s hand.


    He cast a glance at his mother, who hadn¡¯t moved, before sitting down against the wall next to Nyla¡¯s bed. ¡°Do you mind if I sit here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± she said, not looking up. ¡°Have you been in here since your mother was healed?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. Kelia said it would be best that I stay in this room for now.¡± He shot another glance at his mother. ¡°It¡¯s not like I would leave even if I could. Not until my mom has recovered.¡±


    Sarja looked over her shoulder. ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s getting better. The healers think she¡¯ll be able to walk out of here in a day or two.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°That is good. Many of my sisters can¡¯t wait to meet her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I was in this room when you ... um ... arrived. I¡¯ve been coming here every moment I can since,¡± she nodded her head at Nyla, ¡°this happened.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    She sighed and met his gaze. ¡°When the Protectress came back from the mountains, things were out of control. Councilor Susarra had sent Vaxi on Sojourn behind Kelia¡¯s back, and the entire tribe was angry because no daughter has been born here since Nyla.¡±


    He nodded. He¡¯d heard a similar story from Kelia. He had no idea who Vaxi was.


    ¡°Ny¡¯s been practicing her Wielding so hard lately,¡± Sarja continued. ¡°She just wanted to help. She thought by touching the Stone, Arantha might reveal things to her that she wasn¡¯t revealing to the Protectress. But this is what happened.¡± He heard a choked sob beneath her words.


    His eyes narrowed as Sarja turned back to Nyla, moving several strands of hair away from the girl¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, again not looking up.


    The question threw him off guard. He was about to respond when he realized that though she looked human, she technically wasn¡¯t. He had yet to hear of anything that humans and Elystrans didn¡¯t have in common, emotionally anyway, but he was the alien in this scenario.


    ¡°I just am,¡± he said. ¡°It sucks when bad things happen to good people.¡±


    She nodded.


    He remembered the moment he and his mother discovered they could understand the native language thanks to the telepathic-link-thingy that Kelia had formed with Maeve and, to a lesser extent, with him. He briefly wondered if the word ¡°sucks¡± had an Elystran translation, but since she didn¡¯t return his statement with a quizzical look, he figured it must.


    ¡°So, are you two best friends or something?¡±


    ¡°Our whole lives,¡± she said with a gentle smile. ¡°She became my Promised only two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Your what?¡±


    ¡°My Promised. It¡¯s a tradition we created. It means that we promise to choose each other as companions someday.¡±


    His eyebrows went up. ¡°Companions? You mean, like ... partners?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°As in, ¡®in love¡¯ partners?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Davin exhaled, and his mind flashed back to a few days ago when he and his mother had exited the ship only to find a naked Kelia bathing herself in the mountain lake next to where they had landed. Rather than cry out or cover herself up, she¡¯d just stood there, letting them ogle her.


    Wow, the women in this tribe aren¡¯t exactly shy, are they?


    What a great start I¡¯m off to.


    Realizing he was staring, he quickly moved his eyes to his shoes. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°If Arantha wills it.¡±


    ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± Davin asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°What are people saying out there? I mean, have things settled down at all?¡±


    An almost comical look crossed her face. ¡°Beings from the Above are visiting our village. One of them is male.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a ¡®no¡¯. Do you have any idea what¡¯s going to happen to us?¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± she said, lovingly laying Nyla¡¯s hand across her stomach before standing. Davin stood as well. ¡°But Kelia has informed us that you are our friends, and we are to treat you as such.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡±


    Runa¡¯s imposing frame appeared in the doorway, blocking out most of the external light. ¡°Duma? It¡¯s time for your tracking lesson.¡± Her eyes met Davin¡¯s, and she smiled. ¡°Good morning, Davin.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, staring up at her. Damn, she¡¯s tall. Wonder if I¡¯ll ever get used to that.


    ¡°Coming, mama.¡± Turning to Davin, she added, ¡°I¡¯ll be back later. Maybe we can talk again?¡±


    She smiled, and Davin¡¯s heart raced at the sight.


    Calm down, Davin. This girl is off the market.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that. It¡¯s been a long time since ... since I¡¯ve had someone my age to talk to.¡± He caught Runa¡¯s frown and wondered if he¡¯d just screwed up royally. ¡°Um, with your mother¡¯s permission, of course.¡±


    Runa gestured in the other direction, and Sarja walked past her. ¡°I will think about it.¡±


    She turned to leave, but Davin halted her. ¡°Oh, one more thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Runa said, clearly impatient to get on with her day.


    ¡°Is there any chance I could leave this room long enough for a bath or something? I¡¯m pretty sure I smell worse than a chava.¡± He gave his most disarming grin.


    Finally, her face loosened, and a slight smile appeared. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can arrange a few minutes for you to be escorted to the cistern. It probably won¡¯t be for a while.¡± Then she left.


    Through the doorway, he watched her depart. In the next room, Sershi did the same, then gave him a polite nod. ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± the healer asked.


    He shook his head and resumed his seat next to his mother.


    He was surprised to realize his heart was still racing.


    Said heart nearly stopped when an unexpected ¡°Dav?¡± jolted him out of his hormone-fueled daze.


    ¡°Mom!¡± he cried. Her eyes were open, and staring intently at him. He wondered if she¡¯d heard any¡ªor all¡ªof his conversation with Sarja. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Much better, thanks,¡± she said, holding out a hand for him to grasp before hauling her into a sitting position. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    He grinned. ¡°Well, as the only boy in a five-hundred-mile radius, I guess I can¡¯t complain. Our hosts have been nice enough, though I can¡¯t say much for the view.¡± He gestured to the windowless room they now occupied. ¡°You need some water? Food?¡±


    ¡°No, kiddo, what I need to do is talk to Kelia and the Council. I¡¯ve had my rest, and what I have to say can¡¯t wait any longer.¡±


    He leaned back slightly, furrowing his brow. ¡°Is this that horribly important thing you mentioned right after they revived you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°The same thing that made you wig out and run screaming out of the ship? Before you got bit by that snake?¡±


    Her violet eyes became hooded, and she stared at her lap. ¡°Yeah, Dav, it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± he asked, his breath hitching.


    She nodded ominously. ¡°There isn¡¯t a level of ¡®bad¡¯ in the English language to describe just how farking bad this is.¡±


    He gulped. ¡°Shite.¡±


    She reached out with both hands this time. ¡°Come on, kiddo, help me up.¡±

 Chapter Five

    CHAPTER FIVE


    Elzor glared down with revulsion at the sweaty mound of jelly quivering before him. He recognized the man¡¯s garb as that of a lawgiver, and from his size and complexion, Elzor deduced that he spent most of his leisure time eating.


    He didn¡¯t know much about the small fishing village of Larth, other than that it was the last bastion of civilization to be found before reaching the southern border of Agrus. It was a welcome sight to him, not because of its splendor, for it certainly had none of that, but because it meant he would soon be leaving this accursed country behind.


    He and the now eleven-hundred-strong Elzorath had departed the Castle Tynal two days before. Elzaria¡¯s vision had given them much more precise locations for the two mystical Stones he sought. By moving south along the coast, he and his men were able to put some extra distance between themselves and the armies of his enemies, who were surely amassing to move against him at that moment. From this point, they would turn east until the verdant fields and tall nipa trees gave way to the sands of the Praskian Desert.


    ¡°M-M-My Lord,¡± the fat man stuttered, bowing at the waist as far as he could. ¡°Forgive me, I-I-I wasn¡¯t expecting you¨C¡±


    Elzor held his hand up, cutting short the lawgiver¡¯s gibbering. ¡°My men and I are passing through. We will be making camp here before we move out in the morning.¡±


    ¡°O-of course, My Lord.¡± He bowed again. ¡°Wh-whatever you need, My Lord.¡±


    Elzor turned to a large bearded man standing at attention behind him. ¡°Langon, see to it.¡±


    General Langon bowed his head. ¡°Yes, my liege.¡± He immediately strode off, barking orders at the procession of merychs to set up their camp.


    Turning back to the obese man, Elzor pointed at the well. ¡°Is the water in there fresh?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Good. Here is what I¨C¡± He paused, his eyes flicking over to the young man shackled to the field¡¯s one and only tree. Their gaze held for a moment, and Elzor¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Would you care to explain this ...¡± He looked expectantly at the lawgiver.


    ¡°S-Sekker, My Lord,¡± the man said, picking up the cue. ¡°I-I am the duly appointed High Magistrate for all of southern Agrus.¡±


    Elzor didn¡¯t respond, merely using his head to gesture in the boy¡¯s direction.


    Sekker swallowed hard. ¡°He-he¡¯s nobody, My Lord. Just a common thief. I have taken personal responsibility for supervising his punishment.¡±


    Elzor ambled toward the shackled youth, expecting to see fear in the young man¡¯s face. Instead he saw only anger, an emotion with which he was all too familiar. He thought briefly of his own youth, and how he¡¯d focused his own anger into fulfilling his towering ambitions. Just look how far he¡¯d come.


    He gestured Sekker over, glaring at him. ¡°How long has he been chained up like this?¡±


    ¡°Since last night, My Lord. I sentenced him to three days¡¯ punishment for stealing a boat that did not belong to him.¡±


    The boy rattled his shackles in obvious rage, and Elzor saw that the look of hatred on his face was not directed at Elzor, but at Sekker.


    How interesting.


    ¡°Is this true?¡± he asked the boy.


    ¡°That boat was mine!¡± he yelled, practically spitting at Sekker. ¡°You stole it from me, you fat pile of merych dung!¡±


    In the face of the boy¡¯s accusation, Sekker found his full voice again. ¡°Pay no heed to his lies, My Lord!¡±


    Elzor shot steely glares at both men, silencing them. ¡°What is your name, boy?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°Rahne.¡±


    There was a time, not so long ago, when Elzor possessed the same contempt for authority that Rahne did. Since the day he and his sister freed themselves from the Mogran mining camp as children, he vowed to rid the world of men like Sekker, jumped-up little money-grubbers given a position of power they neither earned nor deserved. ¡°Tell me what happened, Rahne.¡±


    Sekker padded up to him. ¡°My Lord ¨C¡±


    Elzor jabbed a finger in his direction. ¡°You,¡± he spat, halting Sekker in his tracks, ¡°do not speak unless addressed. Forget your place again, and I will be forced to remind you.¡± He cast a glance at Elzaria standing nearby. At his visual cue, his sister strode forward. She smiled at Sekker, whose face turned pasty white as a tiny, crackling ball of blue energy sparked around her fingertips. To Rahne he said, ¡°Go on.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Within ten seconds of hearing Rahne¡¯s story, Elzor grabbed Sekker by the front of his baggy tunic, sending daggers of fury his way. ¡°Is what he says true?¡±


    The rotund man looked like he was about to soil himself. ¡°H-h-he broke the law, My Lord. And as I am the dispenser of law in this town¨C¡±


    ¡°Is ... it ... true?¡± He brought his face close to the quaking man, who could only nod. With a disgusted snarl, Elzor shoved the man away. ¡°Unlock him. Now,¡± he commanded.


    Sekker didn¡¯t argue. He produced a key from his pocket and released Rahne from his manacles.


    Once freed, Rahne clambered stiffly to his feet, rubbing his sore, reddened wrists. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, catching Elzor¡¯s gaze. ¡°Um, My Lord.¡±


    Normally, Elzor would have become irate at this rather casual acknowledgment of his title, but on this occasion, he just laughed. To Sekker he said, ¡°You will see to it that this young man gets his boat back. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Y-y-yes, My Lord,¡± he stammered, staring at the ground.


    ¡°A fat lot of good that¡¯ll do,¡± Rahne grumbled.


    ¡°Watch your tongue, boy,¡± Elzaria hissed, ¡°or the punishment you¡¯ve just endured will pale by comparison to what will happen to you next.¡±


    Elzor raised his hand, gesturing for Elzaria to calm herself, but he reinforced her threat. ¡°Let me be clear on one thing, boy: I care nothing for you, your life, or your petty squabble with this man,¡± he indicated Sekker. ¡°If you want to come out of this without a sword through your gut, you¡¯ll speak to me with respect, starting now.¡±


    Rahne dropped his hands to his sides, faced Elzor, and bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, My Lord. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Elzor nodded. ¡°That¡¯s better. Now, explain yourself.¡±


    Rahne gestured at Elzor¡¯s army, who had begun setting up their camps for the night. Some erected tents, others watered the merychs, and the rest gathered wood from the line of thick trees down the road for campfires. ¡°From the looks of things, My Lord, you¡¯ve brought your entire army to Larth. I can only take that to mean you¡¯re leaving Agrus.¡± He pointed at Sekker. ¡°If this braga were to obey you and give me my boat back, I promise, the moment your merychs disappear from sight, he¡¯ll just turn around and take it away again. He has the constabulary in his pocket, and I have no one. No mother, no father, no family at all. And even if he didn¡¯t, with the taxes this man¡¯s raised, everything I earn would go right into his coffers anyway.¡±


    Sekker, suddenly animated, strode forward until he was chest-to-chest with Rahne. ¡°You are a peasant, boy. If you were meant for a greater purpose, you would¡¯ve been born into it. Such is the way of things.¡±


    A triumphant smile broke out on Rahne¡¯s face as he turned to Elzor. ¡°What was it you called Lord Elzor a few minutes ago? A pernicious whelp?¡±


    The blood drained from Sekker¡¯s porcine face.


    Elzor¡¯s hands clenched and unclenched, and his teeth gnashed together. ¡°What?¡± It came out as a guttural whisper.


    ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s what he said,¡± Rahne continued, still grinning. ¡°And did you also know that Sekker here is a cousin to King Morix?¡±


    At this, Sekker took a ham-fisted swing at Rahne who quickly ducked underneath it and drove his own fist into the magistrate¡¯s ample gut. Sekker staggered back and doubled over, but stayed on his feet.


    ¡°Rahne, step away from him,¡± Elzor said.


    Rahne, along with several of the soldiers standing in a half-circle around Elzor, took several paces back. Within seconds, the rotund man was standing on his own.


    Somehow sensing his doom, Sekker dropped to his knees. ¡°Please, My Lord! Spare me! I will give you all I ¨C¡±


    Elzor gave Elzaria a knowing nod. Strands of blue lightning shot from her hands, striking Sekker full in the chest. His body shuddered and his arms twitched as his strangulated scream abruptly cut off. His eyes rolled back in their sockets as he lifted his head skyward, no doubt pleading to Arantha for mercy.


    But Arantha held no power here. Elzor did.


    Elzor¡¯s eyes shifted to Rahne, whose jaw dropped open as Sekker¡¯s hair, skin, and clothes began to blacken and char. Smoke drifted up from the collar of his tunic, and his hair even caught fire. But no more screams came.


    Elzaria retracted her hands, and the lightning disappeared. A cruel smile played over her face as she stepped forward to admire her handiwork.


    As they watched, the lifeless husk that had once been Sekker toppled face-first into the grass. Smoke rose from his body up to the clear blue sky, and the foul stench of death rose with it.


    Elzor looked appreciatively at Elzaria, who met his gaze with a hollow smile. ¡°I do so love watching you work, sister.¡±


    She gave the slightest of head bows. ¡°A pleasure, my liege.¡±


    ¡°Take a few men into town,¡± he instructed her. ¡°Have the locals supply us with enough food for every Elzorath. If they object ...¡± He quirked an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°Understood, my liege.¡± She bowed again and strode back to her merych, waving over a contingent of soldiers to accompany her. Within moments, they were galloping down the road on their way to Larth.


    Elzor turned to see Rahne, looking ashen as he continued to stare at Sekker¡¯s smoking corpse. He half-expected the boy to vomit at the pungent smell of death, but he did not. Of course, if Sekker had been telling the truth, Rahne hadn¡¯t eaten in almost a day.


    As he stared, his mind flashed back to his own youth. He and Elzaria were only fourteen when they escaped from Mogran, thanks entirely to the Stone they had found. His first thought was to march straight to the home of Viceroy Callis and make him pay for all the torments they endured there, but doing so would have been suicide. Elzaria was powerful but untrained, and though he had some fighting skills, they were pitiful compared to those of the militia. So he joined their ranks, as it was the best way for him to not only develop his skills, but to take care of Elzaria. Each trainer he was assigned to zeroed in on him, determined to break his will at every turn. Every pounding his body took only fueled his drive to overcome, to improve.


    By the age of seventeen, he¡¯d become skilled in swordsmanship, archery, and hand-to-hand combat. He¡¯d also earned the respect of his peers, none of whom had any idea that the sister he provided for and had sequestered from the rest of the population would soon become the most powerful weapon on Elystra.


    Looking at Rahne now, Elzor saw a lot of himself. Rahne was tall, with a typical fisherman¡¯s build: strong arms, leathery skin, and a salty attitude appropriate for those who spent much of their lives at sea.


    Elzor approached Rahne, finally standing shoulder to shoulder with him. ¡°Is this the first time you¡¯ve seen a man die?¡± He indicated Sekker¡¯s body.


    ¡°Not in such a manner,¡± Rahne replied in a hushed tone. ¡°My Lord,¡± he quickly added.


    ¡°Do you deny he had it coming?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I just wish I could have been the one to do it.¡±


    A smirk curled at the edge of Elzor¡¯s mouth, but he quashed it immediately. ¡°You are free to go, Rahne.¡± He turned to rejoin his men, but he¡¯d only gone a few steps when the boy¡¯s next words stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°Take me with you.¡±


    Elzor¡¯s smile returned.

 Chapter Six

    CHAPTER SIX


    Mizar, the High Mage of Darad, wept bitter tears as he pulled Deegan into a hug, holding him close. The realization that this could be the last time he might ever see his father alive had hit him like a cudgel to the face.


    He could hardly believe it had only been two days since returning to the home of the man who¡¯d raised him. All his life, he¡¯d thought his ability to communicate with Arantha through visions, not to mention his power to control the elements, had been a divine gift. Out of thousands of Daradian boys to stand on the Nexus of Arantha in the last century, only he had been granted the powers worthy of the title of High Mage. For forty years, he¡¯d considered this bestowal the highest honor a loyal Daradian subject could achieve, and serving King Armak and his son Aridor had been both fulfilling and worthy of his efforts.


    But now, because of Deegan¡¯s confession, he knew the truth. His Wielding had not come from Arantha but from his mother, Areca of the Ixtrayu. Since hearing this revelation, his entire outlook on his abilities, his role as High Mage¡ªblag, his entire life¡ªhad changed forever.


    ¡°Son,¡± Deegan whispered as they parted, still clutching each other¡¯s arms. His mouth hung open as if there were a million words fighting their way to the surface, but nothing came out.


    ¡°I will be fine, father,¡± Mizar said. ¡°I am grateful you have unburdened your soul. Should I not find it in my power to return before you journey to the Great Veil, you may go knowing that, as you have your entire life, you have followed your heart.¡± He turned to his cousin, a tall, dark-haired man with tanned skin standing nearby. ¡°Kimur, I am grateful to you for accommodating us on such short notice. I trust the coins I left will be sufficient to replace the merych we¡¯re forced to take.¡±


    Kimur shook his head, his dark hair swept back by the slight breeze. ¡°More than sufficient, cousin.¡± He flashed a roguish smile.


    A stifled sob from a few yards away caught Mizar¡¯s attention. Kimur¡¯s wife Mareta had engulfed Vaxi in a farewell hug of her own, planting a loving kiss on the young huntress¡¯s cheek. Thanks to Sen¡¯s healing and Mareta¡¯s maternal ministrations, Vaxi had now recovered from her injuries enough to make the journey from Ghaldyn province to the capital city of Dar.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he heard Vaxi say as she returned the plump woman¡¯s hug. ¡°For everything.¡±


    Mareta disengaged herself, smoothing the wrinkles from the loose-fitting white tunic Vaxi now wore over her kova-leather huntress outfit and straightening the huxa-wood bow she had slung over her shoulder. With the changing of the seasons upon them, cooler temperatures and even rain were expected in the coming days. Warmth, however, was not the tunic¡¯s only purpose; it also served to hide the Ixtrayu clothes she wore underneath. ¡°Did you pack all the food I gave you?¡± she asked, sniffling.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Vaxi gestured at the bags draped over the saddles of the merychs awaiting them. Sen, Mizar¡¯s eighteen-year-old apprentice, held all three merychs¡¯ reins in his hands, watching her and Mizar¡¯s farewells. ¡°If I packed any more, I¡¯d need another merych to carry my additional weight.¡±


    Mareta laughed, sniffling again. She placed a hand on Vaxi¡¯s cheek. ¡°May Arantha grant you safe journeys, dear child. Wherever your path may lead you, know that you are always welcome here.¡±


    Vaxi nodded, smiling and giving Mareta¡¯s shoulder a squeeze.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your chava,¡± Mareta added. ¡°But Hilly¡¯s a good merych. Take care of her, and she¡¯ll take care of you.¡±


    Vaxi¡¯s face scrunched up briefly, and she sniffed. Her chava, Tig, had died during her pursuit by the Vandans, a fate she would have shared had Mizar and Sen not been there to save her. ¡°I promise I will care for her as if she were my own,¡± Vaxi said. She then nodded in farewell to Kimur and Deegan, and made her way toward the merychs.


    As Mizar watched, Sen wordlessly handed Hilly¡¯s reins to Vaxi, who mounted the brindle merych with ease. Sen cast his glance at Mizar, awaiting their departure with a pained expression.


    ¡°I must be off,¡± Mizar said to his family. ¡°It is a two-day ride back to Dar, and we must leave now if we are to reach Thage by nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Safe travels, my son.¡± Deegan hugged him once again. ¡°May Arantha guide you, and the rest of us, through these dark times.¡±


    After embracing Kimur and Mareta, Mizar mounted his merych, giving one final look back as they cantered down the path to the main road. A sudden fear twisted his gut, making him wonder whether the ¡°dark times¡± Deegan spoke of were even worse than he¡¯d let on, and if he would ever walk upon the green fields of Ghaldyn province again.


    * * *


    Not much was said during the first two hours of the journey. Sen chose to ride by himself, about fifty yards ahead of Vaxi and Mizar. The boy appeared to be so lost in his own thoughts, he didn¡¯t even look back once during that time.


    Hearing Vaxi tell the story of the brutal circumstances that led to the Ixtrayu¡¯s formation, Mizar couldn¡¯t fault them for their suspicious, isolationist ways. Though his own mother had had no place for him in her life, at least he¡¯d been raised by a good father and a loving family. Sen, however, had not; he¡¯d grown up in a home where he was systematically abused and belittled by his father as punishment for his mother¡¯s abandonment. When Sen learned that he, too, was born to an Ixtrayu mother, he¡¯d taken it badly. In the past two days, he¡¯d barely spoken at all.


    Mizar let out a heavy sigh. Despite being two years removed from the hostile environment Sen grew up in, it was clear his apprentice hadn¡¯t yet purged the demons of his traumatic childhood from his memory. Maybe he never would.


    Vaxi cleared her throat. She, too, was watching Sen¡¯s back. ¡°Mizar?¡± she asked tentatively, then quickly added, ¡°Um, High Mage?¡±


    Mizar chuckled. ¡°¡®High Mage¡¯ is my title, and etiquette decrees you address me as such when we are within the walls of Castle Randar. However, outside those walls, I prefer that my friends call me by my given name.¡±


    ¡°You consider me a friend?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re certainly not my enemy. And given how much conversing we¡¯ve done since you woke up, I¡¯m not sure ¡®acquaintance¡¯ fits either.¡± He quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Would you prefer I address you as ¡®Huntress¡¯?¡±


    Her face reddened, and she smiled. ¡°No, ¡®Vaxi¡¯ is fine.¡±


    ¡°Vaxi it is.¡±


    Her face became serious. ¡°Is Sen angry with me?¡±


    Mizar looked forward. Sen hadn¡¯t turned around or had his merych break stride, so if he¡¯d heard his name mentioned, he hadn¡¯t reacted. ¡°I don¡¯t believe so.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯ve tried several times to properly thank him for healing me and to apologize for striking him, but whenever I come near, he just walks away.¡± Her face fell, and Mizar could tell how much Sen¡¯s avoidance hurt her.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good lad,¡± Mizar said. ¡°Prior to becoming my apprentice, he had a disturbingly rough life.¡± He went on to relay the details Sen had only recently told him about his upbringing.


    ¡°May I ask you something?¡± Mizar asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He fixed Vaxi with a questioning stare. ¡°Why do the Ixtrayu give up their male offspring?¡±


    Instead of responding, Vaxi absently ran her fingers through Hilly¡¯s long, silvery mane.


    When no answer came, Mizar added, ¡°Do you even know why?¡±


    She nodded, almost imperceptibly. ¡°I asked my grandmother once. She told me that if men were allowed to remain within the tribe, once they grew up they would stop taking orders from women.¡± She finally met his gaze. ¡°She went on two Sojourns, you see; once to Darad and once to Imar. She told me the men she met were exactly as she expected: crass, arrogant, and inflexible. She said ¡®sons always end up like their fathers¡¯. I think most of the tribe feels the same way.¡±


    Mizar¡¯s brow crinkled into a frown. ¡°So it¡¯s not just about staying hidden for the Ixtrayu. It¡¯s about the rulers of your tribe maintaining control.¡±


    Vaxi whipped her head around, giving him an icy scowl. ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories that in the kingdoms of men, women are not allowed to lead. They¡¯re not permitted to learn how to fight, or even how to read or write. Would you have me believe everything is different now?¡± She turned away with an angry huff.


    Mizar bit his tongue. She did have a valid point. Even in Darad, in his opinion the most civilized of the countries of Elystra, women were still considered lesser beings. There were no female soldiers or guards, and even Aridor¡¯s wife, Queen Belena, had very little power in matters of state other than as her husband¡¯s trusted adviser.


    ¡°I will admit that, for the most part, the rights afforded women are not equal to those of men. However, it would seem that the Ixtrayu have low opinions of all those not of their tribe, regardless of their titles, their lands ... or their lack thereof.¡± He paused, waiting for Vaxi to look his way again. ¡°There are many evil men in this world, yes. You had the misfortune to encounter some of them. But despite what you may think, women are not slaves. Outside the borders of Vanda, anyway.¡±


    She let out a few quick breaths as she placed her left hand over the spot in her side where a Vandan arrow had pierced it. ¡°I only have your word for that,¡± she muttered.


    Mizar rolled his eyes, perturbed by this girl¡¯s naivet¨¦ and stubbornness. ¡°Vaxi, this is the very first time you¡¯ve ventured beyond the confines of your territory, is it not?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Did you not see how much Kimur and Mareta love each other? Did Mareta seem in any way unhappy with her life?¡±


    After a long pause, Vaxi shook her head.


    ¡°Your people do indeed have much to fear from men, child,¡± he said, ¡°but do not believe for one moment that all men resemble the very, very few your people have made contact with over the centuries. While it¡¯s true women are not considered equals, they are not slaves either. Our women are our wives, our mothers, our sisters, our daughters. We love them the same as we do the male members of our family.¡±


    ¡°You love them the same,¡± Vaxi retorted, ¡°but they are not equal.¡±


    Mizar chuffed out a breath. This conversation could conceivably go on for hours, and they would likely make no progress. ¡°Can I at least convince you that our society, or at least a portion of it, is not nearly as bad as you¡¯ve been led to believe?¡±


    She met his gaze unblinking. ¡°Arantha has put me on the same path as you for a reason. I don¡¯t know what that reason is, but ...¡± She paused. ¡°I will reserve my judgment for when I have seen more of this world.¡±


    Mizar nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask. And if I may be so bold, your grandmother is wrong; not all sons turn out like their fathers.¡± He gestured at Sen. ¡°I would wager all the coin in Castle Randar¡¯s coffers that whoever Sen¡¯s mother is¡ªand I suspect you know who she is¡ªhe takes after her in almost every way. Regardless of the circumstances, I daresay he would have been better off being raised by her. He most certainly would have preferred it.¡±


    Vaxi, once again, remained silent. He wondered if, given enough time, he could break through a lifetime of conditioning and open her eyes.


    As morning turned to afternoon, Mizar painted for Vaxi the political picture of the continent. It turned out she knew much about the geography, the industry, and the people of each of the six designated countries, but quickly discovered that the Ixtrayu¡¯s knowledge of the current political climate was quite out of date; not surprising, since the cessation of the Sojourns precluded any Ixtrayu from gaining any further knowledge.


    With the takeover of Agrus by Elzor, Mizar explained, it was imperative he and Sen resume their translation of the prophecies penned by Merdeen the Sage immediately upon their return. Almost a century before, the third High Mage of Darad had correctly envisioned the existence and influence of the Ixtrayu upon an unsuspecting Elystra. Mizar reasoned there had to be more locked within the scrolls chronicling Merdeen¡¯s thoughts¡ªinconveniently written in ancient Elystran¡ªthat could shed some light on what Elzor¡¯s ultimate goals could be. He had his suspicions about what those goals were, given the gravity of his own visions involving Elzaria and two other, as yet unknown, female Wielders. Even with Vaxi¡¯s contributions, there were still too many pieces of the puzzle missing.


    The city of Thage lay just past the marked border between Ghaldyn province and the slightly smaller region of Shardyn. Much like Mizar¡¯s home province, Shardyn was a land of sprawling farms and ranches, and Thage, home to over ten thousand Daradians, was the center of commerce.


    Mizar and Vaxi drew their merychs up to Sen as they crested a high hill and beheld the busy streets of Thage below. It had been many years since Mizar had been to Thage. Spread out in a pattern of concentric rings, the buildings increased in size and sturdiness the further inward they went. The regional governor¡¯s home stood in the center hub. The offices and homes of lesser officials and bureaucrats comprised the first ring. The second and busiest ring by far was comprised of the markets, where goods meeting every conceivable want or need could be bought or bartered for. The outermost ring consisted of the homes of the majority of Thage¡¯s citizenry.


    Sen didn¡¯t react as Mizar pulled up alongside him. Finally, for the first time since their brief stop earlier in the day to eat and answer nature¡¯s call, he met Mizar¡¯s gaze. ¡°What is the plan, Master?¡± he asked.


    Mizar reached into his black High Mage cloak and withdrew a small pouch. Selecting three silver coins from within, he handed them to Sen. ¡°There is an inn on the western side of the third ring called the King¡¯s Rest. The owner and I are acquainted. This should cover the boarding cost for the three of us as well as our merychs. There is also a very nice dining area for guests. Get three plates of whatever they¡¯re serving today, and we¡¯ll meet you there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Sen said. He didn¡¯t seem as emotionally distraught as before, but he still wouldn¡¯t look at Vaxi. Mizar made it a priority to have a chat with the boy about his state of mind at the first opportunity. The work that lay ahead of them was of supreme importance, and he needed all of his apprentice¡¯s concentration. That would not happen with a black cloud hovering over him. ¡°Where will you be?¡±


    Mizar cast a quick glance at Vaxi before answering. ¡°We have an errand to run. We won¡¯t be long.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Sen repeated, and then he nudged his merych forward. After a few seconds, Mizar and Vaxi followed.


    Mizar noticed Vaxi fidgeting in her saddle. She was gripping the reins considerably tighter than she needed to, and her eyes widened as they descended the hill toward Thage.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve ... I¡¯ve never seen so many people in one place before.¡± She gulped. ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡±


    He smiled reassuringly. ¡°Living your whole life in a village with only a few hundred women, I can imagine the sight of a city such as Thage would be daunting. However, I can assure you that the people here are friendly. Be respectful to those you encounter, and for the most part, they will return that respect.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    ¡°My title affords me much privilege in places like this,¡± he continued. ¡°And as such, I don¡¯t expect we will have to answer many questions. However, until we reach Dar, I would suggest that we keep your true identity a secret.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°For the time being, I will introduce you as my cousin Vaxi, who is accompanying me back to Dar. Can you maintain that deception?¡±


    She nodded, and her posture loosened.


    ¡°Do you have any questions for me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She gave him a curious look. ¡°Is there anything I need to do while we¡¯re here? And what is this errand we are going on?¡±


    Mizar thought for a moment. ¡°Let me do most of the talking, don¡¯t wander off, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± He grinned. ¡°Oh, and please don¡¯t shoot anyone.¡±


    She caught his mirthful expression and smiled too. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to. All of my arrows were spent in my fight with the Vandans.¡±


    In an exaggerated motion, he ran his fingers through the four-inch tuft of hair dangling from his chin. ¡°Well, that won¡¯t do, will it?¡±

 Chapter Seven

    CHAPTER SEVEN


    On unsteady legs, Maeve made her way up to the Council Chamber, supported by Davin and Runa. Sershi had objected¡ªdoctors really were the same no matter where in the galaxy you went¡ªbut this particular conversation Maeve had to have with the Council was long overdue.


    It was evening, and all of the day¡¯s work in the fields and orchards was complete. Those Ixtrayu not enjoying their evening meal in the dining area stood back as they made their way through the crowd. Maeve tried her best to smile and nod as she passed, hoping to generate an aura of friendliness, and to her delight, several of them returned the gesture.


    Two chairs had been set up for her and Davin, in a position where they could face Kelia, whose high-backed seat sat at one end of the room. The three Councilors¡¯ chairs were arrayed in a semicircle at the other.


    As she sat, Maeve gave thanks that the numbness in her legs was ebbing, giving way to an uncomfortable pins-and-needles sensation when she tried to put weight on them. She thanked Runa for the help up the stairs, and the huntress bowed in acknowledgment before exiting the Chamber.


    Maeve scanned the room, which featured a large open-air window that looked out upon the Ixtrayan Plateau, the village, and the river that wound its way through. If she craned her neck, she could see a section of the croplands where several small fields of golden grain awaited the first drops of rain of the season.


    ¡°Are you nervous, Mom?¡± Davin asked.


    ¡°A little,¡± she said. ¡°Giving speeches isn¡¯t really my thing. I¡¯ve taught classes before, of course, but I¡¯ve always done better by showing, not telling.¡±


    ¡°Remember, I¡¯m here if you want me to jump in.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dav, but this feels like something I have to do myself.¡±


    Kelia entered the room, greeting them with a nod and a smile before making her way to her seat. Immediately thereafter, Katura, Eloni, and Liana filed in as well. Their faces were emotionless, but Maeve didn¡¯t detect any tension or hostility coming from them.


    When all were seated, Kelia spoke. ¡°Before we begin, there are some things I feel I must say, to avoid the kind of ... disagreement we had in the mountains.¡±


    Maeve winced, recalling every moment of that conversation. Things had been said, voices had been raised, feelings had been hurt, and Kelia had left the next morning. At the time, Maeve assumed that would be the end of their relationship, but fate, or Arantha possibly, had other plans.


    ¡°I accept the fact that we on Elystra are not as advanced as you, and that in many ways we remind you of a time on your world when men and women did not coexist like they do today. The system we have created here, in this Plateau,¡± she moved her arms in a sweeping gesture, ¡°is far from perfect, as you have stated. However, it is what has kept us alive, happy, and prosperous for eight hundred years.¡±


    Maeve nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°That being said,¡± Kelia addressed the Council, ¡°based on the last few visions I have had since my return, I must make it known that I believe, with all my heart, that the Ixtrayu are entering a period of transition, of upheaval, and, yes, of great danger.¡±


    Katura¡¯s mouth opened in a startled gasp. ¡°Protectress?¡±


    Kelia stood, moving over to the three elderly women. ¡°What I am about to tell you is not to leave this room. I must ask you all to swear an oath to keep this to yourselves.¡±


    The Councilors exchanged several anxious glances, then nodded. As one, they placed their left hands on their sternums and then their right hands over their left. Bowing their heads, they spoke in unison, ¡°My word is my bond, and to Arantha I swear my silence.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Councilors.¡± Kelia moved over to the window. In a hushed, almost choked whisper, she said, ¡°I have seen, in my mind¡¯s eye, the lands and forests of the Ixtrayu destroyed by fire. I have seen our people, burned almost beyond recognition, littering the fields and paths of our village.¡±


    Dead silence. Maeve saw abject shock on the faces of the Council, and her thoughts drifted inward.


    My God. She saw that? Is destruction going to follow me and Davin wherever we go?


    Liana was the first to recover her voice, casting a wary glance at Maeve. ¡°How ... how does it ...¡± She trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Kelia said. ¡°But of one thing I am convinced: Maeve and Davin are not the harbingers of our doom. Because of the steps Arantha has taken to bring us all together, I believe they are, quite possibly, the force for our salvation.¡±


    Eloni¡¯s eyes flicked rapidly from Maeve to Davin and back to Kelia. ¡°But it was a vision, Protectress! A vision of the future! How can we prevent what is destined to be?¡±


    Her face firm and resolute, Kelia replied, ¡°Because she would not show us our own destruction unless there was a way to prevent it. After all that¡¯s happened,¡± she indicated Maeve and Davin, ¡°there must be a way.¡±


    ¡°And if there isn¡¯t?¡± Katura asked.


    Kelia planted her feet and straightened her back. ¡°Then we shall die as we¡¯ve always lived: as free women.¡±


    Maeve cleared her throat and held up her hand, drawing the attention of the others. ¡°When we came to Elystra, it was my first priority to not become embroiled in the politics or the natural development of your world.¡± She cast a glance at Davin. ¡°But everything¡¯s changed now. This is where we¡¯re supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me ... Major?¡± said Liana, looking in Maeve¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Please, call me Maeve.¡±


    Liana nodded. ¡°Maeve ... when you say ¡®this is where you¡¯re supposed to be¡¯, do you mean because of the bond you developed with the Protectress as a result of your Sharing, or of the Wielding abilities you developed because of the Stone you found?¡±


    ¡°Neither. Both of those things were amazing, life-altering even, but I was still fully prepared to leave Elystra with the Stone, as Kelia no doubt told you.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°She did,¡± said Katura.


    Maeve turned to face Kelia. ¡°After you left, we were packing up our campsite, preparing to leave, when I got a message that changed everything.¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡± Davin said, surprise evident in his eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? What message?¡±


    Maeve¡¯s mind went back to the recorded message left by Richard, her late husband, whom she¡¯d grieved for since they had escaped Earth, leaving him behind. Hearing his message had shattered her world so completely, it nearly drove her insane with rage, confusion, and helplessness. The man she loved had betrayed her. If she told Davin what she learned, it would destroy him. He¡¯d idolized his father since birth, and she could not bear to thrust such horrible revelations upon him.


    Then again, Davin already knew something had happened to cause her to run screaming from the ship. And he wouldn¡¯t let up until he found out what it was. If she refused to tell him, it would only make him angry with her, and if there was one thing in the universe she couldn¡¯t bear, that was it.


    She reached over and grasped Davin tightly by the hand. ¡°Dav, what I¡¯m about to tell you is ... well, it¡¯s the hardest thing I¡¯ve ever had to say. And I worry that when you hear it, it will do to you what it did to me. I don¡¯t want to keep this from you, but I don¡¯t want to hurt you either. So I give you the choice: stay and hear it, or go wait outside. Which is it to be?¡±


    He didn¡¯t even hesitate. ¡°Mom, I was just a kid when I watched our world get taken away from us. It was terrible, but I got through it because of you and Dad. Are you telling me this is worse than that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Her face creased in sadness. ¡°Because this involves your father.¡±


    Davin stood up and crossed to the window, oblivious to the five pairs of eyes watching him. He stared out at nothing in particular, his hands clenching and unclenching as he made up his mind. Maeve was grateful that neither Kelia nor the Council interrupted.


    Finally, he turned to face her, and just for a moment, he looked more mature than she ever remembered seeing him. It was as if he¡¯d taken the next step to adulthood right in front of her. ¡°Mom, if he did something bad, I want to know about it. I need to know about it.¡± He pointed out the window at the village. ¡°This situation we¡¯re in ... we¡¯re knee-deep in shite, but at least we¡¯re together. If what Kelia says about what¡¯s coming is true, then we can¡¯t have this hanging over our heads.¡±


    Maeve stood, strode to him and put her hand on his shoulder. ¡°Dav, once I tell you this, there¡¯s no going back.¡± Her brow crinkled in concern. ¡°Be. Very. Sure.¡±


    He nodded, almost imperceptibly. ¡°I¡¯m sure, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± said Kelia, who seemed to be struggling to not show her impatience.


    Davin resumed his seat, and Maeve addressed the Council. ¡°As Kelia told you, I am a retired Space Corps pilot. I am also a combat veteran, trained in many forms of weaponry, strategy, and warfare. I chose this path because, all my life, I wanted to protect people. People I cared about. When Earth was invaded ...¡± She paused as a cold shiver danced up her spine, causing her to tremble. ¡°There was nothing I could do. All our technology, all our allies, all the planets that made up the glorious Terran Confederation,¡±¡ªshe brought her arm in a horizontal, sweeping motion, snapping her fingers¡ª¡°lost. It only took three months to go from our first Jegg sighting to the Confederation¡¯s total surrender.¡±


    She took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. ¡°Several years ago, a mysterious being who called himself Banikar appeared to my husband, Richard. I don¡¯t know much about him, only that he belongs to an immortal race, known as the Eth, that exists outside of our dimension. He appeared to Richard, and told him of this world. Elystra.¡±


    The Councilors¡¯ eyes went wide. So did Kelia¡¯s. She had their full attention.


    ¡°Banikar told Richard that there was an energy source on this planet that would help us defeat the Jegg. So for two years, that was our mission: to come here and get it. However, right before we were supposed to leave Earth, our base was attacked. Only I, Davin, and an engineer named Gaspar were on the ship at the time. Sadly, Gaspar was killed during our escape, but Davin and I were determined to complete the mission, so two weeks ago, we landed in the mountains and started digging.¡±


    ¡°This much we know,¡± said Katura. ¡°So you say you¡¯ve never met this ... Banikar yourself?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Maeve replied. ¡°He only ever appeared to Richard. It sounded crazy, him talking about a glowing extra-dimensional being, but we followed his instructions anyway. What I didn¡¯t know was that Banikar¡¯s relationship with Richard went back much, much farther than that.¡±


    Davin stared at her, glassy-eyed.


    ¡°Banikar¡¯s race, if what I heard is true, is not the only immortal race involved. This other race, whoever they are, are apparently locked in some kind of ... game with the Eth.¡±


    ¡°Game?¡± asked Kelia.


    ¡°Yes. And for want of a better analogy, they use mortal races as their game pieces. Every bit of advice Banikar gave Richard was intended to manipulate him, to turn him into the person he was. It was Richard¡¯s part in this game to become an engineer and build the ship we would escape Earth in.¡± She felt a river of bitterness creep into her voice. ¡°Oh, and him meeting me, marrying me, and having a son with me ... that was all part of the same game. All so we could find a way to beat the Jegg who, by the way, are the pieces of whoever this other player is.¡±


    Davin slapped his hands over his mouth. His face had gone chalk-white, and his leg was twitching as he took in the news.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t know any of this?¡± Liana asked.


    ¡°Not until two days ago,¡± Maeve said. ¡°Richard pre-recorded a message for me to watch at the exact moment we were preparing to leave. He told me he knew about the Jegg invasion before it happened. He knew your world was called Elystra, which was something he couldn¡¯t possibly have learned on his own. He knew about the Stone.¡± She turned to Kelia, whose mouth hung open. ¡°He knew about you, Kelia. He called you by name.¡±


    Kelia, too, was trembling, and she staggered over to her chair before she fell over. ¡°Great Arantha,¡± she whispered, her hand moving to her temple.


    Maeve turned back to the Council. ¡°I know you have questions. So do I. Tons of them. I wish I had the answers. I wish I knew why all this is happening. I wish I knew why this world is so important. I wish I knew what ¡®winning¡¯ this farking game means, and I wish to God in heaven that I knew what to do next.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But I don¡¯t.¡±


    She stepped toward the Council until she stood only a few yards away. ¡°I¡¯m no saint, that¡¯s for damn sure. I¡¯m just a soldier. I¡¯m tired and I¡¯m desperate and I¡¯m in way, way over my head. But until I figure out what¡¯s really going on¡ªassuming I ever do¡ªI am with you. Like it or not, I¡¯m part of this game. If I can be sure of only one thing, it¡¯s that I¡¯m here for a reason: to help you. And I give you my word that I will do everything in my power to do that.¡±


    She looked into each Councilor¡¯s eyes, one by one. ¡°I failed to protect those I care about back on Earth, and it¡¯s been eating me up inside ever since. There¡¯s nothing I could¡¯ve done to change their fate. This, however, I can change. Elystra is my home now. The Ixtrayu are my people. Whatever destructive force Kelia envisioned, let it come. I can¡¯t promise you victory, as my own Wielding abilities are still in a fledgling state; however, I have a great teacher.¡± She looked over her shoulder at Kelia, who nodded. ¡°And when this war comes, I pledge my life and my blood to defend the Ixtrayu.¡±


    Dead silence reigned. The Council exchanged more worried glances. Kelia¡¯s breath was a shallow rasp as she took it all in. Davin had his elbows on his legs, his face buried in his hands.


    She pulled him out of his chair, moved his hands from his tear-stained face and hugged him. He buried his face in her shoulder and squeezed her so hard she found it difficult to breathe, but she said nothing.


    ¡°Mom ...¡± he sobbed.


    ¡°I know, Dav, I know,¡± she soothed, using one hand to rub his back. She was there for him, first and foremost. Nothing would ever change that. ¡°I need you to be strong right now, not for yourself, but for me. You are my strength. I can¡¯t do this alone.¡±


    At that moment, Maeve felt the adrenaline rush caused by her nervousness abate, and the pins-and-needles sensation in her legs returned. Her knees buckled, and thankfully Davin was right there to hold her up. Turning her around, he lowered her gingerly into her seat.


    After a long, awkward pause, Katura stood up, clasping her hands together as she stepped away from her chair. ¡°Well, Maeve, it would appear the Council, and the Protectress, have much to discuss. Would you mind returning to the Room of Healing while we deliberate?¡±


    Maeve glanced at Kelia, who had also risen to her feet. She nodded, giving Maeve a smile that seemed to dissolve any remaining vestiges of their disagreement. Their destinies were now inextricably linked.


    Her mind returned to their tandem flight, and their kiss. She expected to feel a twinge of guilt over the memory, just as before, but she didn¡¯t.

 Chapter Eight

    CHAPTER EIGHT


    It only took the trio twenty minutes to make their way to the King¡¯s Rest. As Mizar had correctly anticipated, many of the citizens of Thage recognized him as they sauntered through town. All bowed their heads, but it was their reactions after doing so that surprised Vaxi. She expected them to congregate around him, bombarding him with praise or requests for favors or perhaps even a demonstration of his Wielding. Instead, after bowing, they would scurry away at a brisk pace and whisper among themselves when they had reached a discreet distance. A few people also cast glances her way, but no one spoke to her.


    Do they bow out of respect, she thought, or fear? She hoped Mizar hadn¡¯t exaggerated their civility.


    Two young stable boys appeared within seconds of their arrival to relieve them of their mounts, smiling wide, toothy smiles after Mizar flipped them each a silver coin. Vaxi noticed a wisp of a smile curling the edges of Sen¡¯s mouth before he caught her looking at him. His blank stare immediately reappeared, and he excused himself to go procure three rooms from the innkeeper.


    Mizar turned and strode down the street, his black cape billowing slightly in the cool twilight breeze. Despite being nearly the same height, Vaxi had to hurry to keep pace with him.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked, as politely as she could.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± he said with a cryptic smile.


    Mizar led her on a winding route between several buildings and through narrow alleyways. Again, upon seeing him, people bowed their heads and scuttled out of the way when passing by.


    As they walked, Vaxi thought about Kelia, and how incredible it was that she¡¯d crossed paths with a kind, wise, remarkable man who not only possessed the same Wielding abilities as the Protectress, but was directly related to her. Kelia¡¯s grandmother, Areca, was Mizar¡¯s mother. But it was far more than their Wielding that they had in common. In the brief time she¡¯d spent with Mizar, she could tell he and Kelia had the same inner strength, the same wisdom, the same compassion. Though his abilities made him unique among the Daradians, he didn¡¯t feel superior to them. He and Kelia even had similar features: the same heart-shaped face, and the same deep brown eyes.


    After turning one more corner, he led them down a planked walkway beneath a wooden eave that ran the length of a building lined with nondescript, windowless doorways. When they reached the last door, he abruptly stopped. Vaxi looked at the faded, weather-beaten sign above the door that bore the words ¡°Custom Weapons¡± right above the word ¡°Engraving¡±.


    Vaxi brightened. Was he going to get her a new set of arrows?


    Without even knocking, Mizar flung the door open and strode inside, motioning for her to follow.


    Vaxi wasn¡¯t sure what she was expecting to see, but her first impression of the shop was underwhelming, to say the least.


    A strong metallic smell threw itself at Vaxi as she took in her surroundings. The last few minutes of the setting sun¡¯s light peeked through a couple of small windows cut into the wall right near the ceiling. Several tables ran along the length of every wall, each bearing an assortment of bladed weapons of different lengths, as well as a few bows and arrows in various states of disrepair, haphazardly thrown on top of them in no discernible order. Straight ahead were two more work tables. Behind the one on the right sat a man with unkempt gray hair and whiskers, staring intently at a sword that lay on the table in front of him. Lit by several candles, he appeared to be using a sharp metallic instrument to etch a design into the blade.


    ¡°We¡¯re closed,¡± the man said gruffly, not even looking up from his work. ¡°And if you need something engraved, as you can see, I¡¯m rather busy.¡± He gestured at the motley assortment of weapons strewn about the room. ¡°Come back in ten days.¡±


    Mizar turned to Vaxi, putting a finger to his lips. She nodded.


    A mischievous smile playing over his face, Mizar waved his arms ever so slightly. She felt a light breeze penetrate her tunic as every candle in the room simultaneously went out, plunging the room into a state of near darkness.


    ¡°Blag it!¡± the man said, dropping his tool onto the table with a clatter. Still not looking up, he reached for a small wooden container¡ªan item Mizar would later identify for her as a tinderbox¡ªand pulled out a shard of metal, a stone, and a piece of fabric. Placing the fabric on the table, he then struck the stone against the metal, producing a spark, but the fabric did not ignite.


    Before he could make a second attempt, Mizar waved his hand again and the candles, as if by an invisible torch, relit themselves.


    At this sudden, unexpected occurrence, the old man raised his head to look at his guests for the first time. He stared, dumbfounded, at Mizar, placing both stone and metal back on the table before rising to his feet. Vaxi raised an eyebrow when she noticed how small he was; he barely came up to her chest. He wore a thick leather apron and a sleeved shirt that badly needed laundering. His skin looked as musty as everything else in the room.


    His blue eyes flicked over to her briefly before settling once again on the High Mage, who he clearly hadn¡¯t expected to see standing in his workshop today.


    Vaxi felt her body tense, wondering what the man was going to do next.


    Finally, after several moments of staring that seemed to last for an hour, a rumble of laughter, low in volume but rising in intensity, erupted from the man¡¯s mouth, and a wide grin spread across his face. An equally wide smile played over Mizar¡¯s face as the man stepped out from behind the table.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Mizar!¡± he cried, spreading his arms wide.


    Mizar stepped into the man¡¯s embrace, giving him a warm hug. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, old friend. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    They disengaged the hug, but the man still grasped Mizar by the shoulders. ¡°Great Arantha, you got old.¡±


    ¡°That would make you ancient,¡± Mizar retorted, his grin remaining.


    ¡°No argument here. Passing through town?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The man turned to face Vaxi. ¡°And who is this charming young lady?¡±


    Vaxi, much more relaxed than when she had walked through the door, gave a polite smile. Before she could speak, however, Mizar performed the introductions.


    ¡°Vaxi, this is Sevrin, the finest weapon-maker in Darad. Sevrin, meet Vaxi, my cousin.¡±


    With a congenial smile, Sevrin stepped forward and gave her a courteous bow. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure, young lady, a pleasure,¡± he said. He studied her face for a moment, and turned back to Mizar. ¡°She¡¯s your cousin?¡±


    Mizar¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. ¡°Yes, why?¡±


    Sevrin smacked him on the shoulder. ¡°I refuse to believe anyone as pretty as this came from your side of the family.¡±


    Mizar rolled his eyes, and Vaxi chuckled softly, feeling her face redden at the compliment. ¡°I take it you know each other?¡± she spluttered, trying to hide her embarrassment.


    ¡°For over thirty-five years now,¡± Mizar said. ¡°We became acquainted during the Vandan uprising.¡±


    Vaxi nodded. Daradian history wasn¡¯t a topic that was taught in the Ixtrayu village. All she knew about that conflict was that there had been one. ¡°You were a soldier?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not as such,¡± Sevrin admitted. ¡°At twenty-three, I was old enough to fight, but my father convinced King Armak that I could better serve Darad by making swords for his soldiers rather than swinging one. My father, as the foremost weapon-smith in the land at the time, had a lot of influence. By the time he passed on, he¡¯d taught me everything he knew.¡±


    He glanced at Mizar. ¡°After the war ended, it didn¡¯t take long for my father to tire of life in Dar, so we moved here, only a day¡¯s ride away. And I¡¯ve been here ever since.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful for that,¡± Mizar said, clapping Sevrin on the back. ¡°For Vaxi here has need of some arrows.¡± He gave Vaxi a wink. ¡°Only the best for my cousin.¡± She smiled back.


    Sevrin seemed to notice, for the first time, the bow draped over her shoulders. His bushy silver eyebrows notched, and he nodded, holding out his hand. ¡°May I?¡±


    She was a little hesitant to hand over her only weapon, but reasoned that if Mizar trusted him, she could too. She unslung it from around her and handed it to him.


    He ran his hands over the surface of the wood, his expert eyes scanning it from top to bottom. He then pulled back on the drawstring several times, testing its tension. ¡°Whatever bowyer crafted this did an excellent job,¡± he said. ¡°This is huxa wood, is it not?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± she replied. ¡°And thank you.¡±


    His eyes widened. ¡°You made this?¡±


    She nodded.


    Mizar tensed up at this admission, and she realized that she¡¯d made a mistake. How would a farm girl from Ghaldyn learn about bow-making? She doubted it was a subject Daradians taught their children.


    Thankfully, Mizar came to her rescue. Giving her a ¡®be silent¡¯ gesture with his hand, he said to Sevrin, ¡°A couple years ago, her father took her and her brothers to an archery tournament. All of them became enamored with the sport. From that point on, it became a competition between them. It turns out Vaxi has an innate skill for archery.¡± He gave her a cautionary glance. ¡°And she¡¯s killed more than her fair share of jarveks.¡±


    Sevrin seemed to accept this explanation. ¡°My compliments to you, lass. Using huxa wood was an excellent choice. Such an exceptional bow deserves some top-notch arrows to go with it.¡±


    Vaxi glanced over at the tables laden with weaponry, scanning them for something suitable. What few arrows were there were either weathered, fractured, or had feathers missing.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t bother looking over there,¡± Sevrin said. ¡°If I sold you any of these, my reputation as the region¡¯s foremost weapon-maker would be forever tarnished. What you see before you is my ¡®to-do¡¯ pile. Follow me.¡±


    He produced a key from his apron pocket, grabbed a candle off his work table, locked the shop¡¯s front door, and unlocked a smaller door at the back of the room. He led Mizar and Vaxi down a narrow hallway, around a corner, through another locked door and down a wooden staircase leading underground. They crossed another room filled with stacks of wood, a few chopping tools, and another table covered with hiltless sword blades. Finally, they reached another door, the widest one yet. Sevrin took out another key, unlocked it, and stepped inside.


    Rather than wait for Sevrin to light all the candles inside this mysterious new room, Mizar simply waved his hand, simultaneously lighting six candles placed on shelves all around the room, startling Sevrin.


    ¡°Sakes!¡± he cried in alarm as the tapers lit, then he shot Mizar a smile. ¡°Must be nice to be able to do that.¡±


    ¡°It saves time,¡± Mizar said, stepping aside so Vaxi could see what this new room held.


    She gasped.


    Sevrin¡¯s storage room was unlike anything Vaxi had ever seen. Swords of virtually every length lined a large collection of racks, along with daggers, pikes, clubs, war hammers, and a few others she didn¡¯t have names for. It wasn¡¯t just the quantity that had taken her breath away; it was the craftsmanship that went into them. Each one looked like it had taken many days¡ªperhaps an entire season¡ªto create, and many of them had beautiful symbols and designs carved into the hilts or the blades. One whole section was a display of bows and quivers full of arrows, again of various sizes.


    Mizar offered to purchase her a spare bow, but she¡¯d graciously declined. Finally, Sevrin had handed her a beautiful leather quiver containing fifteen arrows. She had slung it over her shoulder, reveling in the familiar feel of a quiver against her back. In a practiced movement, she held her bow at the ready. Reaching over her shoulder, she removed the first arrow her fingertips came into contact with. She nocked it against her drawstring and aimed at an invisible target at the far end of the room. Her breath quickened, and she felt a brief rush of adrenaline as the drawstring brushed against the bracer on her forearm. The urge to let loose was overpowering, but only for a moment. Finally, she calmed again, thanking the old weapon-smith for his selection.


    For the first time in days, she had felt whole.


    * * *


    By the time they returned to the King¡¯s Rest, night had fallen. It looked like most of the shops were closed, though the streets were still fairly crowded. Some, she presumed, were making their way to their homes in the outer ring, while several brightly-lit establishments lining the street a quarter-mile down the road seemed to be busy. The breeze had increased, but she could still hear the sound of sprightly music being played.


    ¡°Is there a celebration?¡± she asked Mizar.


    ¡°In a way,¡± he said, also glancing down the street. ¡°Many in this city, particularly the more well-off merchants, like to celebrate a particularly successful day of business with a few ... shall we say, intoxicating beverages?¡±


    She stared blankly at him. ¡°What does that mean? Some form of potion?¡±


    ¡°You could call it that,¡± he chuckled, and for a moment, his posture resembled that of Susarra, dispensing one of her many lectures. ¡°These drinks do indeed cast a spell on them. It robs them of their inhibitions, and sometimes even their common sense. Those that drink to excess tend to regret it the next day.¡±


    Another blank look.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± he said, putting his hand on her back and steering her toward the inn door. ¡°A hot meal and a flagon of honey cider awaits us.¡±

 Chapter Nine

    CHAPTER NINE


    Elzor ordered that Rahne be allowed a warm bath, a hot meal, and a good night¡¯s sleep to recover from the punishment he¡¯d received at Sekker¡¯s hands. However, the sun had barely risen when he was dragged from his borrowed bedroll and thrown into an empty space in the middle of a circle of laughing, clapping Elzorath.


    Rahne shook the fuzziness from his head and looked up to see Elzor staring down at him with a cruel smile. ¡°Good morning, Rahne,¡± he said. Rahne couldn¡¯t help but envy Elzor¡¯s poise. He carried himself like a man who knew he was in charge, and wouldn¡¯t hesitate to remove any obstacle that crossed his path. ¡°I trust you slept well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord,¡± Rahne said, picking himself up. He felt his skin crawl as he found himself under the scrutiny of not only Elzor but Elzaria, General Langon, and at least twenty soldiers, who eyed him as if he were their next meal.


    ¡°Let me tell you what¡¯s going to happen,¡± Elzor said. ¡°It¡¯s been many days since my men had the pleasure of sacking Talcris, so before we vacate this benighted country, I think it only fitting they have themselves a little sport.¡±


    Rahne gulped. He should have left when given the chance.


    ¡°As you may or may not know,¡± Elzor announced to all within earshot, ¡°every single one of my men is devoutly loyal to me. Through divine providence, my sister has been accorded power greater even than that of the High Mage of Darad himself. We are on a quest that will reshape all of Elystra. History will remember us as the ones who fulfilled this quest, and every one of my men has sworn an oath to obey my commands so we may reach this goal, even if that means their death. Am I right, men?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord!¡± came the ringing endorsement.


    Elzor turned his attention back to Rahne. ¡°Will you agree to take this oath, boy?¡±


    Rahne straightened his back and thrust his chest out. ¡°I will, My Lord.¡±


    Elzor nodded. ¡°I am pleased to hear that. However, joining my service is not merely a simple matter of swearing loyalty to me. I need to know if you possess any skills that will aid me in my quest.¡±


    ¡°Skills, My Lord?¡±


    General Langon lumbered forward. The man¡¯s bald head contrasted with his long brown beard, and his body was as thick around as the tree Rahne had been chained to the night before. His face bore so many scars Rahne could barely detect any unblemished skin at all. ¡°Can you fight, boy?¡± the big man rumbled. ¡°Or are casting nets and hoisting sails the only things you can do?¡±


    A chorus of laughter erupted from the crowd.


    Rahne felt his bravado dissipating. ¡°I can handle myself, My Lord. I¡¯m strong, and I can fight.¡±


    ¡°Can you handle a weapon?¡± Langon asked.


    ¡°Yes, General. I once caught three hundred fish in a day with nothing but a single spear.¡± This was a vast exaggeration, but he hoped it sounded impressive.


    The men laughed again, but Elzor silenced them with a raise of his hand. He seemed unimpressed, to say the least. ¡°There won¡¯t be much in the way of flurchins or barkfish where we¡¯re going, so if that¡¯s the extent of your expertise, you¡¯re wasting my time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to learn, My Lord. Just give me the chance to prove myself.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± He turned to Elzaria. ¡°Sister, whom do you think we should use to test our young recruit¡¯s mettle?¡±


    Elzaria, clad in the same curve-hugging black dress she had worn yesterday, stepped forward and looked him up and down. Her eyes didn¡¯t appear as dead as the previous day, when she was burning the life out of Sekker. Rahne wondered if he¡¯d misjudged her.


    Done with her inspection of him, she scanned the crowd for a suitable opponent. Identifying one, she pointed at him and yelled, ¡°Kalik!¡±


    Rahne followed her finger to see a man with short, light-brown hair and a close-cropped beard push his way to the forefront. He wasn¡¯t tall; in fact, he was several inches shorter than Rahne, but if his arms were any indication, they were similar in weight. This man, Kalik, was all muscle. And from the look on his face, he was ecstatic to have been chosen.


    The crowd of Elzorath had nearly tripled in size over the last few minutes, and they were chanting Kalik¡¯s name. Their voices blended and slowly rose to a crescendo until it became deafening.


    Once again, Elzor held up his hands, and the crowd fell silent.


    Great Arantha, to hold such sway over an army, Rahne thought. That is the kind of power few men achieve.


    A surge of strength flowed through Rahne¡¯s limbs.


    This is my destiny. My first step on a path that leads me away from Agrus, away from my father¡¯s debts, and away from my middling existence. Assuming, of course, I survive the next few minutes.


    ¡°You expect me to fight him?¡± Rahne asked Elzor, not taking his eyes off Kalik, who had removed the belt holding his sword, dug his heels in like a stamping merych, and assumed a sideways fighting crouch, with his knees bent and his right side pointed at Rahne. Kalik flexed his hands into fists, letting out several deep breaths as he prepared to do battle.


    Elzor laughed. ¡°No, boy, I expect you to get your bones ground into a fine powder.¡± This elicited a peal of laughter from the assembled men.


    Rahne adopted a crouch of his own that favored his dominant left arm and leg. He, too, clenched his hands into fists, bringing them up to shoulder level. He took a few wary steps to his left, keeping a respectful distance. ¡°I can hardly join your ranks if I¡¯m dead.¡±


    ¡°Very true,¡± Elzor said with a sardonic smile. ¡°So here is where you show me what you¡¯re made of. If I¡¯m not impressed, I¡¯ll have Kalik snap your neck and leave your rotting carcass here for the insects to feast upon. If, however, you show me even a modicum of fighting prowess, I will consider letting you join us.¡± He turned to Langon. ¡°General, how long do you figure this will last?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Langon ran his fingers through his scraggly beard in a rather amusing attempt to look thoughtful. ¡°Against Kalik? I give him thirty seconds.¡±


    ¡°Elzaria?¡±


    She, too, pondered Rahne¡¯s as-yet-unseen skill level. ¡°He¡¯s young and fit. I¡¯ll give him ninety seconds.¡±


    Elzor smiled at Rahne. ¡°My sister seems to like you, boy. She must see something I don¡¯t.¡±


    He turned his head to look at them. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to prove you wrong, my Lo¨C¡±


    Rahne didn¡¯t get to finish his sentence as Kalik covered the distance between them in two bounds and caught him with an open-palmed slap to his face. Rahne winced as he rubbed his cheek, which stung like he¡¯d been set upon by a swarm of harvester bees.


    The blow had been little more than a love-tap. If Kalik had used a closed fist, he¡¯d likely have had his jaw dislocated.


    He¡¯s toying with me, Rahne thought. He¡¯s two hundred pounds of solid muscle with years of experience. I¡¯m a fisherman¡¯s son. What was I thinking when I agreed to this?


    Kalik moved in again, swinging his left hand in an uppercut destined for Rahne¡¯s chin. Rahne leaned back to avoid the hit and swung his own fist at the shorter man¡¯s face. Kalik ducked and landed his next blow to Rahne¡¯s gut, knocking the wind from Rahne¡¯s body. Kalik¡¯s other hand followed suit, driving a hard punch into Rahne¡¯s chin.


    Rahne collapsed to the ground, trying to suck air through what felt like several bruised ribs. A great whoop went up from the crowd, who were clearly not on Rahne¡¯s side.


    He expected another flurry of blows, or perhaps a kick to his ribcage, but nothing came. Kalik seemed to have backed away. He was practically dancing with joy, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He was going to draw out his pleasure as long as possible.


    Rubbing his jaw, Rahne clambered to his feet, spitting out a gob of blood that had formed inside his mouth. He¡¯d just resumed an upright position when Kalik charged again, but Rahne saw it in time to dodge a furious right jab, then ducked under Kalik¡¯s left fist as it swung around in a wide arc designed to take his head off.


    Sensing an opening, Rahne balled up his right fist and caught Kalik with a straight jab flush to his nose. The man¡¯s head snapped back, but he didn¡¯t fall. Despite his nose looking slightly askew and the blood trickling from his nostrils, Kalik smiled as if Rahne had just tickled him.


    Oh, blag.


    The smaller man, taking advantage of Rahne¡¯s moment of indecision, drove a combination of punches into Rahne¡¯s gut. All the air left Rahne¡¯s lungs, and he doubled over. The reaction was enough for Kalik to grab him by his hair and drive another hard fist into the spot below his right eye socket. The ground came up to meet him, and his vision went fuzzy. His ears, however, heard every syllable as the crowd began chanting Kalik¡¯s name again.


    On all fours, Rahne shook his head to regain his senses, but only succeeded in making it hurt more.


    And then, above the rising tumult, he heard the words that filled him with more dread than Sekker¡¯s boasts: ¡°Finish him!¡± It was Elzor¡¯s voice.


    Images from Rahne¡¯s life flashed through his mind: the day his father, on one of their fishing voyages, let him rig their boat¡¯s sail for the first time; his father staggering home from the tavern, drunk, with a different woman on his arm every night; the sight of his father¡¯s body, sprawled out at the bottom of the steps leading to the docks, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle, his dead eyes staring up at the last cloudless sky he would ever see.


    Those memories were all he had left of his father. An honest yet flawed man who had taught him how to survive the cruelties of life. A life he would never escape unless he got ... up ... now!


    Out of his left eye, he noticed Kalik had circled around behind him. Seeing him move in for the kill, Rahne lashed out with his booted foot, catching Kalik in the shin. A satisfying yelp from Kalik¡¯s mouth was music to Rahne¡¯s ears as, for the first time, Elzor¡¯s man showed a sign of pain. But he didn¡¯t fall. Instead, his face twisted into a blood-infused mask of rage, his eyes wide and his teeth clenched together.


    Kalik stepped forward, his right leg now noticeably impaired, circling back around to Rahne¡¯s front, presumably to get another clean shot at his face. He raised his fist, preparing to bring it down on Rahne¡¯s skull, but in doing so came within striking distance. In one motion, Rahne pulled himself to his knees and struck out with his left fist. It landed flush on Kalik¡¯s crotch. A cry of agony escaped his opponent¡¯s mouth, and the cheers of the crowd suddenly went silent.


    Great Arantha ... I hurt him!


    Pressing his advantage, Rahne hauled himself to his feet and rushed at Kalik, tackling him by the legs. He had just enough weight behind the charge to knock the shorter man off his feet. They both hit the ground, sending up a small cloud of dust. Landing on top, Rahne straightened up and laid another blow on Kalik¡¯s face, widening the stream of blood flowing from his nose.


    Kalik drew his right fist back and, because Rahne¡¯s depth perception had left him, he failed to see it in time to block it. His last-second attempt to dodge it was feeble, and the teeth-rattling strike caught him on the chin. His head snapped back, and pain exploded in his brain again. He didn¡¯t even see the blow that followed, a punch that impacted his sternum so hard he could swear he felt his heart stop. He fell backward, his legs splayed, all the fight gone out of him. Pain like he¡¯d never felt in his life wracked his body, radiating to every one of his limbs and making it a struggle to breathe.


    Well, I tried. At least it¡¯ll all be over now.


    Through a foggy haze, Rahne opened his eyes to see Kalik kneeling on top of him. The scowl on the man¡¯s face as he grabbed a tuft of Rahne¡¯s hair was murderous. Flecks of spittle flew from his mouth as he drew his other fist back.


    May Arantha protect my soul.


    ¡°Kalik!¡± came Elzor¡¯s voice.


    Rahne couldn¡¯t see Elzor from where he was, lying supine with Kalik on top of him. Several Elzorath had pressed forward to get a closer look at Rahne¡¯s ultimate defeat, but they too were looking at whom he presumed was their leader.


    ¡°My Lord?¡± Kalik seethed, obviously disappointed to have his victory interrupted.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Out of breath, yet itching to continue, Kalik¡¯s face finally relaxed, as did his fist.


    And then, the most unexpected thing happened.


    A toothy, bloody smile appeared through Kalik¡¯s facial hair. Rather than hit Rahne again, he gently slapped his uninjured cheek, like they were the best of friends. ¡°Ya fight dirty, boy. I like that.¡± Then he took Rahne¡¯s hand and hoisted him to his feet.


    Threads of pain shot through Rahne¡¯s head again, and he had to lean on Kalik¡¯s beefy arm to keep from collapsing. Steadying himself, he looked at those who would decide his fate. Elzor¡¯s eyebrows were raised in what Rahne hoped was a gesture of admiration. Elzaria, too, looked impressed¡ªmeaning she didn¡¯t look like she wanted to fry him like a fish¡ªand even Langon¡¯s stony countenance had eased.


    ¡°So how long did I last?¡± Rahne said in as loud a voice as he could manage. Many Elzorath laughed, but for the first time, he felt like they were laughing in his favor, not at his expense.


    ¡°Langon?¡± Elzor asked his general.


    ¡°Eighty-three seconds, more or less,¡± the burly man said.


    The final judgment, of course, was Elzor¡¯s. He stared at Rahne for several moments, and then nodded. In a voice loud enough for all to hear, he announced, ¡°Welcome to the Elzorath.¡±


    A great whoop went up from the crowd, and several men who had been fanatically rooting against him mere moments ago came forward to give him a friendly jostle and a slap on the back. This, unfortunately, sent him into another wave of pain, but this torment he was happy to endure.


    Elzor was still staring at him. ¡°Have you the strength to saddle the lawgiver¡¯s merych, Rahne?¡±


    Rahne could barely speak, his jaw hurt so much, and his ribs felt like he¡¯d been hit by a charging chava. But he¡¯d passed Elzor¡¯s test. He faced his new leader, smiling the most painful smile of his life. ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Then do so immediately. We leave Agrus within the hour.¡± And with that, he strode away, Elzaria right behind him.


    As he watched them depart, Rahne could only wonder where this new path would lead him.

 Chapter Ten

    CHAPTER TEN


    The innkeeper, a bald man in his forties with a scraggly mop of hair and a trim brown beard, almost threw his back out bowing as Mizar strode through the door. He wasted no time directing Mizar and Vaxi to their rooms. He also informed them that Sen was waiting in the dining room, and that he¡¯d had his cook prepare the best meal the King¡¯s Rest was capable of serving, in honor of the High Mage¡¯s visit.


    The room was slightly larger than the one Vaxi had occupied in Deegan¡¯s home. It housed a bed-frame with a soft mattress, a small table and chair, several shelves, and a medium-sized clay pot in the corner. On the table was a pitcher of clean water. She took a few minutes to moisten her hair and, using two small wooden rings, tie her hair back into a simple braid.


    Refreshed, she joined Mizar and Sen in the dining room. It was a large, enclosed space, with many tables of various sizes and a warm, comforting fire ablaze in a small pit in the center, over which several containers of a boiling, sweet-smelling liquid brewed. Their table was in the back corner, presumably to keep their conversations as private as possible.


    Both men rose as Vaxi made her way to the table. A variety of aromas, each one more wonderful than the last, filled her nostrils as she sat. A roasted bird that Vaxi could not identify graced a platter in the center of the table, surrounded by an assortment of vegetables and several fist-sized rolls of bread. Next to that was a small cauldron of bubbling soup that smelled so tasty she wanted to just dive right in. Her favorite smell, however, came from a large pitcher of steaming brown liquid that gave off a scent both spicy and sugary. That must have been what Mizar called honey cider.


    As he had all day, Sen conspicuously avoided looking at her, instead concentrating on the food. His standoffish attitude was starting to annoy her. Right now, however, she was too hungry to care. Allowing Mizar to serve himself first, she ladled some soup into her own bowl before using a provided knife to carve a slab from the side of the bird onto her plate.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to Mizar between mouthfuls. ¡°For the arrows.¡±


    Mizar looked up after taking a hearty gulp of his cider and nodded. ¡°You are quite welcome. I know the bow is your weapon of choice, but it would make me feel better if you also took this.¡± He reached into his cloak and produced a small metallic object, which he laid on the table in front of her. It was a small dagger.


    She picked it up, sliding it out of its sheath. The hilt looked similar to several swords displayed on Sevrin¡¯s wall, with a circular pommel at the top of the handle. Inside the circle was an engraved symbol she didn¡¯t recognize. Gripping the handle, she felt hard metal underneath the tightly-bound strips of rust-colored cloth. The hilt-guard was unremarkable, only a couple inches from end to end. The blade itself was about the length of her hand, and it tapered to a point that looked so sharp it could slice the air itself.


    Vaxi halted her inspection when she saw both Mizar and Sen studying her reaction.


    The gift worried her. She was on her way to Castle Randar, the home of King Aridor. Why would she not be safe there? Why would she need a dagger?


    Unless ...


    She fixed Mizar with a concerned stare. ¡°Did you have a vision? Am I in danger where we are going?¡± Sen also looked at Mizar, and she could tell he was thinking the same thing.


    Mizar held up his hands with a disarming smile. ¡°No, nothing like that, my dear. Just an instinct I have. Sometimes, that¡¯s all a person has to go on. As a huntress, I would think you¡¯d understand that.¡±


    She placed the dagger back on the table. ¡°I do. But such a gift ¨C¡±


    ¡°Is well within my means,¡± Mizar interrupted. ¡°In the world you are about to enter, sometimes it is necessary to protect oneself. Should you and I be separated, this dagger will help you do that. It should fit snugly inside your boot, and is a useful tool in many situations that a bow is not.¡±


    Curious to see if he was right about the fit, she reached down and slipped the dagger into her left boot. The sensation of the weapon pressing against her skin was unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable. ¡°I humbly accept your gift, High Mage. What does the symbol mean?¡±


    Mizar grinned. ¡°It is an ancient Elystran symbol that means ¡®protected one¡¯.¡±


    She looked over at Sen focusing on his half-empty plate, and she bristled again.


    To combat her growing irritation, she took a slow sip of cider. It was like swallowing pure, comforting warmth. During the cold season back in the village, the tribe¡¯s head preparer, Aarna, would often concoct her special brew of spicy tea and fruit juice along with several herbs, and it would warm Vaxi¡¯s insides for hours. This, if it were possible, was even better. It was like wrapping oneself in lyrax pelts on a frigid night.


    Just then, shouts and a loud rush of footsteps sounded over the crackle of the fire. The innkeeper bustled into the dining area, bowing as he reached their table. ¡°Forgive me, High Mage,¡± he panted. ¡°We are in need of your assistance.¡± His face was flushed, and he was wringing his hands in agitation.


    Mizar dabbed his mouth with a napkin. ¡°What is it, Varan?¡±


    ¡°The tavern down the street has caught fire!¡±


    Mizar jumped to his feet, clapped the crumbs from his hands, adjusted his cloak, and took a deep breath. ¡°I will be right back.¡±


    ¡°Do you want us to accompany you, Master?¡± Sen asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, you remain here. I will send for you if the need arises.¡± Then he turned on his heel and followed Varan out the door to the street.


    Vaxi watched him leave, her eyes drifting to an elaborate tapestry on the far wall after he disappeared from sight. It was a vivid representation of the ringed city of Thage, though it appeared to depict a time when the city was not as large or populous.


    A soft scraping sound drew her attention back to Sen, who had pushed his plate away from himself and was staring at his hands. She waited for him to meet her gaze, but he stubbornly refused to do so.


    She considered reproaching him, but stopped herself when she remembered what Mizar had told her about Sen¡¯s childhood. His father treated him much the same way her grandmother treated her, treatment that often included painful reminders of what a failure she was and how she could never live up to the standards set by her mother, Ilora.


    She¡¯d tried, year after year, to improve herself in Susarra¡¯s eyes, becoming one of the Ixtrayu¡¯s best trackers and archers despite her young age. No matter how much praise Runa or her sister huntresses gave her, no matter how many kova she successfully tracked and killed, all she got when she returned home was her grandmother¡¯s disapproving frown. Nothing Vaxi did, she¡¯d finally realized, would be enough to earn Susarra¡¯s approval. Just like it had been with Sen and his father.


    And now, thanks to the information she¡¯d provided, Sen knew why his mother had hand-delivered him straight to his father: it was for no other reason than that he was a boy.


    It wasn¡¯t hard for Vaxi to figure out who among the Ixtrayu could have given birth to Sen. Only three had healing abilities that could have been passed along to him. Katura was far too old to be Sen¡¯s mother. Sershi was far too young. It could only be Lyala.


    Because of Vaxi¡¯s many injuries, she¡¯d been to see Lyala numerous times over the course of her adolescence. Though Lyala hadn¡¯t spoken directly to Vaxi about her children, she¡¯d once overheard Kelia say that Ixtrayu mothers who had to give up their sons often did so reluctantly, and for Lyala it had been especially difficult.


    Looking at him now, it struck her just how alike Sen and Lyala were, as well as how much he resembled not only Lyala but her daughter Sershi: they were all tall, thin, quiet, and studious, with dispositions that seemed outwardly fragile but hid an inner strength. There was also a sadness that emanated from them, a sense of loss that hung in the air around them like a mist.


    Eight hundred years of tradition. The Ixtrayu had accomplished so much. But it hadn¡¯t been without casualties.


    Vaxi reached out and placed a hand on Sen¡¯s wrist. ¡°Sen?¡± Her voice was a hushed whisper, and she hoped he wouldn¡¯t lash out.


    Inch by inch, he raised his head. A fierce storm brewed in his sky-blue eyes. He said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.


    Again, she waited for him to reply, to pull away, to bow his head again. For long seconds, he just continued to stare at her. Finally, a barely audible ¡°For what?¡± escaped his lips.


    She lowered her voice to match his. ¡°For what your father did to you. For what my people did to you. For what I did to you.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    He stared at his plate again. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to me.¡±


    ¡°I struck you. Twice. I know I hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You were delirious. And I healed myself afterward.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not ... angry?¡±


    He shook his head.


    She squeezed his hand tightly. ¡°Then why won¡¯t you talk to me? Why won¡¯t you even look at me?¡±


    His shoulders slumped, and he let out a sigh as he met her gaze again. ¡°For most of my life, I wondered why I was brought into this world. I wondered why any woman would choose to mate with such a bitter, hateful man as my father, let alone abandon a helpless child to his care. Every second of every day, he and his other sons made me feel worthless. I used to dream of my mother coming to rescue me from that place. But it never happened.


    ¡°When I turned sixteen and was finally old enough to fulfill King Sardor¡¯s decree that I travel to Dar and be tested for Wielding abilities, I was sure my father would find a way to stop me, to keep me under his thumb. But he didn¡¯t. The day I left, he gave me no provisions, no well-wishes, not even a single coin from his bulging purse to make my journey easier. All he said was, ¡®Finally, you¡¯ll be someone else¡¯s problem.¡¯¡±


    Vaxi winced at the words, the tone of which was all too familiar.


    He continued, ¡°It took me seventeen days. I had to beg for transport, for money, for food every step of the way. But I made it. That day, there were forty other boys my age, from all over Darad, standing in front of the Castle Randar. I¡¯d heard stories about the place, but seeing it in person ... it was wondrous. Magnificent. A fitting home for the King of Darad.


    ¡°We were led into the castle and through a large gate that led directly into Mount Calabur. No one spoke as we emerged into the Crystal Cavern, the single largest room to be found anywhere on Elystra.¡± He smiled. ¡°Master was there, and he greeted us as if we were all potential apprentices. One by one, each boy stood on the Nexus, waiting for Arantha to reach down and touch him. He didn¡¯t, of course. Apart from Master, no boy had been revealed as a Wielder in the last forty years.¡±


    ¡°And then came your turn,¡± she said.


    He nodded. ¡°I was the last one to go. I was sure I was going to faint, or trip and fall, or do something else to humiliate myself. I remembered that this was the moment I¡¯d longed for my whole life. I was determined, for the first time, to carry myself like a man.¡±


    A beatific smile spread over his face, and Vaxi returned it. ¡°When I felt ... it, I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was Arantha or my own nerves taking over, until the Cavern started to glow as all the tiny crystals that line the walls suddenly came to life. And then there was another light. A light coming from me. From me.¡±


    ¡°That must have been amazing,¡± she said.


    Sen gently enclosed his other hand around hers. ¡°Do you know what a senkoot is?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s an insect that burrows deep into the hair of farm animals, like gurns and havsu. They attach themselves to the skin near the beast¡¯s stomach, and nourish themselves on what they can suck out.¡±


    Vaxi knitted her brow. ¡°What does that have to do with ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also my name.¡±


    Her mouth dropped open. ¡°Your father named you after a ¨C¡± She shook her head in disbelief.


    ¡°A parasite, yes. That¡¯s what I was to him.¡± A glistening tear slid down his cheek. ¡°But when Master approached me in the Cavern and asked my name, I told him it was Sen. That was what I would be called from that day forward.


    ¡°I had a destiny now. I was to become an apprentice to one of the greatest men on all Elystra. I would be educated, and trained,¡± his voice became breathy, ¡°and I was never going to be that parasite again.¡±


    Vaxi pressed her lips together, slamming her eyes shut to keep her own tears at bay. She and Sen had so much more in common than she could have imagined. Despite her horrible treatment at the hands of her grandmother, at least she¡¯d had friends, people who showed her respect, including the Protectress. Sen had gone through his torments alone.


    He shouldn¡¯t have had to, she thought. We shouldn¡¯t have made him. As children, Ixtrayu are taught to hate men for their cruelty, their arrogance. But we¡¯re no better than they are, are we?


    Sen continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been ... you know, like this. It¡¯s just ... knowing what you are,¡± he cast his eyes to the table again. ¡°I look at you, and all I see is the woman who denied me the happy childhood I could have had.¡±


    Vaxi nodded, withdrawing her hand from his. She rolled up the sleeve of her tunic and raised her right arm, showing off a deep scar that ran horizontally just below her armpit. ¡°Do you see this?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I saw it when I healed you. You have many scars.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how I got them?¡±


    ¡°Hunting?¡±


    ¡°Some of them, yes. The rest, including all the ones you didn¡¯t see, were given to me by my grandmother.¡±


    His eyes widened.


    Vaxi told him how her mother had died when she was only five years old, and how Susarra had asked Kelia, her mother¡¯s companion, to give her the right to raise Vaxi herself. Kelia, having just birthed a daughter of her own and having recently taken over as Protectress, agreed. So, on top of losing her mother, she spent the next twelve years having her self-esteem ground into dust.


    ¡°May I ask you something?¡± he said.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°You said your grandmother sent you to Darad to,¡± his face reddened, ¡°to get pregnant, is that right?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Is that ... is that still your plan?¡±


    She thought for a few moments, then shook her head. ¡°It was never my plan. I thought it was Arantha¡¯s plan. I now know that was only a convenient lie to tell myself. Who knows, maybe Arantha put the idea in my head to get me away from her. Now, I am convinced that my path, for the moment anyway, seems to lie with Mizar.¡± She smiled warmly at him. ¡°And you.¡±


    His lips curled into the most adorable smile she¡¯d ever seen on a person, complete with dimples. ¡°I will do whatever I can to help you along that path,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you, Sen.¡± She returned her attention to her meal, which she¡¯d nearly finished. She tore a hunk off another bread roll, dunked it in her lukewarm soup and popped it in her mouth.


    ¡°There is one other thing I¡¯d like to ask, if I may,¡± he said.


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her name? My mother?¡±


    Her heart jumped into her throat, and she shuffled her feet in indecision.


    Before she could answer, however, a preteen boy rushed into the dining room, grabbed Sen¡¯s arm and motioned for him to follow. ¡°Please! Come quick! The High Mage needs you!¡±


    Sen immediately grabbed his satchel and rushed out the inn¡¯s door. Vaxi, not wanting to be alone, followed.


    The boy led them down the street, where a thin haze obscured her vision and the smell of burnt wood choked the air. As they neared what Vaxi assumed was the tavern, she could see that one entire side of the building had been burned away. Scorch marks and ash littered what was left of the walls and furniture.


    Vaxi saw Mizar waving at them from up the street, where a sobbing woman held an unconscious boy of no more than five in her arms, his face blackened with soot and several ugly blisters on his chest. What remained of his shirt lay in tatters on the ground nearby.


    Sen sprinted to the boy¡¯s side. He reached into his satchel, produced a pair of large green leaves, and squeezed them between his palms. Closing his eyes, he then laid his hands on the boy¡¯s chest.


    Vaxi, along with the rest of the crowd, watched in awed silence as the healing power of Arantha flowed through Sen and into the unconscious youth. After several tense moments, during which the entire crowd held its breath, the boy coughed, and his eyes fluttered open. The pure joy on the mother¡¯s face as she clutched the boy to her chest, staring with adoration at the young man who had saved him, was something Vaxi knew she would never forget.


    She began to clap. Others joined in. Before long, Mizar had to pull Sen to his feet to face the cheering mass of onlookers that, on this night, realized just what a special person the High Mage¡¯s apprentice was.


    * * *


    Sen treated five other people for minor burns, making sure to leave no one out, before packing up his satchel and walking, rather unsteadily, back to the inn. Several people, older women mostly, detached themselves from the crowd to convey their thanks or give him hugs. Through it all, he just smiled and nodded.


    After climbing the stairs to their rooms, Mizar gave Sen a proud, paternal pat on the back before telling him and Vaxi to get some rest, as they would be resuming their journey to Dar early the next morning.


    As their rooms were right across from each other, Vaxi decided to escort Sen until she could get him inside. After passing through the doorway, he flung his satchel onto the chair and exhaled.


    He turned to see Vaxi¡¯s face scrunched up with worry. ¡°I know I must look horrible, but I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m just tired,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± She took a tentative step toward him.


    ¡°What, then?¡±


    Her lip trembled. ¡°Are we really going to the castle tomorrow?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Am I going to meet the King?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°You might.¡±


    ¡°How frightened should I be?¡±


    He put his hands on her arms. ¡°King Aridor is a great man. His is the voice of justice and reason.¡± He quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Not everyone¡¯s in the castle¡¯s is, that¡¯s for sure ... but his is the only one that matters.¡±


    ¡°This world ... it¡¯s so big,¡± she whispered, meeting his eyes. ¡°I feel so lost in it ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Sen said reassuringly. ¡°You have my Master, and you have me. We¡¯ll keep you safe. I will do all I can to help you. You have my word.¡±


    Suddenly overcome by anxiety and homesickness, she stepped into him, folding her arms around his waist and pressing her face against his shoulder. Her stomach fluttered as he returned the embrace.


    For the first time in her life, she was in the arms of a man.


    A strange warmth pulsed through her body, causing her heart to race. She felt her sensitivity to her surroundings heighten, and her uncertainty and doubt inexplicably lessen. In this moment, she felt a happiness, a contentment previously unknown to her. She did not want to let go. Despite the smell of smoke and sweat suffusing his clothes, she clung to him like her very soul depended on it.


    She moved her eyes to meet his, and an eternity passed between them.


    When her grandmother described for her the process of impregnation, she winced as she imagined it happening to her. It sounded awful, painful, yet another torture she had to endure in her young life. The idea of a man pawing at her naked body with his clumsy, grubby hands, smiling vacantly as he penetrated her, turned her stomach. Every Ixtrayu in history had had to endure such debasement, Susarra told her; a necessary evil to ensure the tribe¡¯s survival. Sacrificing her body for the greater good. A means to an end. Men were not capable of love, or intimacy, or tenderness.


    All lies.


    In the last few days, she had encountered evil men. But she¡¯d also discovered men of wisdom, artistry, and compassion. She¡¯d met a boy who made her feel ... she couldn¡¯t even describe the feeling. She had nothing to compare it to. A warm, soft, crawly feeling in the pit of her stomach, like a tiny animal awakening from a long sleep.


    There was no pain, only a pleasant numbness spreading through her. And she was enjoying it. Oh, yes, she was enjoying it. Pressed up against him, she found herself trembling. She was startled to realize Sen¡¯s body was trembling as well.


    Her self-induced trance was broken when Sen released her, cleared his throat, and took a step back. It looked as if all the blood in his body had gone straight to his cheeks. ¡°Um, I guess we¡¯d better ...¡±


    ¡°Get some sleep,¡± she finished, nodding three times before turning toward the door. ¡°Yes. Sleep. We need sleep. Sleep is good.¡±


    The rush of blood to her own cheeks made her wobble as she stepped through the door. She was just about to close it behind her when she faced him again. ¡°Sen?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    She gave him her warmest smile. ¡°It¡¯s Lyala.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s name ... it¡¯s Lyala. She¡¯s kind, like you. And she¡¯s a healer, like you. So is your sister.¡±


    His eyes nearly doubled in size. ¡°Sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Her name is Sershi.¡±


    His breath hitched, and his hands shot up to cover his face. He closed his eyes briefly and turned away. After a few deep exhales, he dropped his hands and whispered, ¡°Thank you, Vaxi.¡±


    ¡°Sleep soundly, Sen,¡± she said as she closed the door.

 Chapter Eleven

    CHAPTER ELEVEN


    From atop a commanding hill overlooking a broad flat area just north of the village, Kelia beheld the sea of Ixtrayu faces looking curiously up at her. Over two hundred of her sisters, whom she¡¯d yet to inform about all the recent strange goings-on, had gathered to hear her speak.


    The Council, draped in their ceremonial white robes, flanked her on one side while Maeve and Davin stood directly behind her. Maeve was clad in the same simple black sleeveless top and brown pants she wore on the day they met. Several of her intricate bird tattoos shone in the morning sun against her pale skin, and her brilliant purple hair looked majestic as it blew in the light breeze. Davin, wearing the white shirt and dark blue pants he had arrived in, looked more nervous than Kelia had ever seen him.


    She¡¯d spent the morning carefully preparing the speech she would give her people. She had not addressed them as a group since Susarra was removed from the Council and confined to her home. She¡¯d allayed their fears that Vaxi would not be welcomed back should she return, and that a successful birth would be a sign that Arantha wanted the Sojourns to resume.


    And then, mere hours later, Davin materialized out of nowhere, carrying an unconscious Maeve in his arms. Visitors from the Above, there for all the tribe to see.


    It had been difficult to gauge her sisters¡¯ temperaments since that moment, but thus far they had obeyed her commands and let their visitors be. However, she could not keep her people in the dark any longer about the amazing, inexplicable chain of events that Arantha had set in motion, nor the danger that lay ahead.


    It took several tense hours¡¯ deliberation between her and the Council, but they finally decided the tribe had to be informed about what had happened and, more important, what was going to happen.


    Kelia stepped forward, raising her arms and calling for quiet, then she laid out the entire story. She explained the vision that had sent her to the western outcropping where she saw Maeve¡¯s spaceship land, and then proceeded with her journey to the Kaberian Mountains, her meeting with Maeve, their subsequent Sharing, and the discovery of a second Stone. This part was met with mute shock. When Kelia announced that the Stone also gave Maeve the power to Wield, the assembled Ixtrayu erupted into chaos.


    Kelia held up her hands to calm the crowd, but to no avail. Their voices combined into a terrible clamor, and she wondered if a full-scale riot was imminent.


    She locked eyes with Maeve, who nodded. They had anticipated this reaction, and they had the perfect remedy.


    With her eyes closed, Kelia held her arms in front of her, pointing them skyward. Her Wielding manifested as flames shot forth from her fingertips, creating a string of fire that rose into the sky with a whoosh and a crackle that rent the air. A moment later, Maeve raised her hands, holding them palms-forward in Kelia¡¯s direction.


    The plume of fire grew in size, length, and intensity, combining into a gigantic fireball that threatened to set the Above ablaze. All in the crowd had to shield their faces from the searing heat that emanated from the conflagration but, as quickly as it came, the fire was snuffed out.


    Struck dumb by this magnified display of Wielding, the crowd¡¯s combined voice subsided to a gentle murmur, and then silence reigned once again.


    ¡°My sisters! Please! I will not have this gathering disrupted in such a manner again!¡± Kelia gestured to Maeve to join her front and center. ¡°This woman, though she is not of our world, has the heart of an Ixtrayu. I have seen it. Through our Sharing, we have discovered remarkable things. Not only can she, and her son,¡± she pointed at Davin, who blushed at the attention, ¡°understand our language, but as you just saw, she can augment the power of any other Wielder. She has not come as an enemy but as an ally. She was sent by Arantha herself, and they shall both be treated as her emissaries.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Kelia placed a hand on Maeve¡¯s shoulder, and they exchanged nods. Maeve took over, her colorful, delightfully incongruous accent ringing out.


    ¡°I am Major Maeve Cromack. I come from Earth, a world so distant you cannot see its sun in your night sky. I know I look different from you, and you have no reason to trust me or my son.¡± She caught Davin out the corner of her eyes endeavoring to look as small as possible under the scrutiny of so many women. Striking a conciliatory tone, she continued, ¡°Many centuries ago, my people lived as you do now. But over the years, our desire to learn and grow brought us technology and a greater understanding of what lay beyond our world. We conquered disease and hunger, and in time, we learned how to travel from one end of the Above to the other.¡±


    A haggard look played over her face. ¡°And then ... we were invaded. A more powerful race came and stole our world from under us.¡±


    Kelia looked over the faces of her people, who seemed to have lost their earlier fervor. This day would go down in Ixtrayu history, of that she had no doubt.


    ¡°My son and I came here to save our world,¡± Maeve continued. ¡°But it would appear that Arantha had other plans for us.¡±


    Several Ixtrayu wore wary expressions, but no one responded. Maeve seemed to be winning them over.


    ¡°Though I am not of Elystra, I have come to feel its beating heart inside me. When I felt my soul drifting into despair, the energy the Stone gave me, the energy that courses through my veins, anchored me to this world. Were it not for Kelia¡¯s wisdom and compassion, I would not have found that center.¡±


    Maeve flashed a gracious smile at Kelia, who returned it. Facing the crowd again, Kelia resumed speaking. ¡°Since the beginning, the path Arantha put us on has remained unchanged¡ªto stay hidden, far away from those who would destroy us.¡± She cast a sidelong glance at Maeve. ¡°Very recently, I was asked: how long can it last? How long can the Ixtrayu remain, in this one place, before we are discovered? All it would take is one scout, one soldier, one bandit or raider to spread the word of our existence to all of Elystra. What would we do if the armies of men came for us?¡±


    ¡°You would destroy them, Protectress!¡± came a voice from the crowd. ¡°No mere soldier could stand against you!¡± A babble of words rose up in agreement.


    Kelia raised her hands in a silencing gesture. ¡°If an army came to destroy us, I would bring every ounce of power I had to bear on them. But our enemies could number in the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands. There are but two hundred of us. We have been content to live in secret since the beginning. If that no longer becomes possible, then is war to the death our only option? How many men would I, would we, have to kill before they declare us victorious? Would they respect us as a people, or would they come at us until we were all annihilated? How many Ixtrayu would die to achieve that victory, if it even were possible? Is it worth the loss of so much life just to protect our own?¡±


    Kelia bowed her head. Her next words were at a much lower volume, but they seemed to carry all the way to the horizon. ¡°To invite war is to invite our own extinction. I have seen it.¡±


    Several voices rose up in protest. ¡°What are you saying, Protectress?¡± said the loudest.


    Kelia felt a grim resolve creep through her as she laid her soul bare. ¡°I have had several visions since my return. Arantha has shown me the future of the Ixtrayu.¡±


    A hushed silence fell over the crowd.


    ¡°She has shown me our destruction.¡±


    And then, once again, pandemonium.


    Many women sobbed into their hands. Others raised their fists, their faces twisted in fury. The rest stared blankly ahead, unable to process her words. Kelia raised her arms, and let loose another stream of fire from her hands that quickly subdued the crowd once again.


    ¡°Arantha has not abandoned us!¡± Kelia cried out, her voice resonant and strong. ¡°She has not forsaken us! By showing us our end, she has given us the means to save ourselves!¡±


    ¡°We do not know the nature of the threat,¡± Maeve added, ¡°but whatever it is that threatens this tribe, they will find not one but two Wielders waiting. They will find a tribe of women who are prepared to fight for their freedom. As an expert in the arts of war and combat, I will gladly pass on my knowledge to you. Together, we will turn the tide in our favor.¡±


    ¡°And if we can¡¯t?¡± said a voice from the crowd.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C¡±


    Kelia jumped in. ¡°My sisters! If we are to have any hope of fighting whatever seeks to end us, we can no longer afford to squabble amongst ourselves. We must be unified if we are to survive.


    ¡°Over the coming days, you are all to resume your normal duties unless told otherwise. And you are all instructed to give our honored guests the respect they deserve. Their presence is a gift from Arantha, and to oppose them is to oppose her. As of this moment, Maeve and Davin Cromack are Ixtrayu. Is that understood?¡±


    All in attendance grudgingly nodded their assent.


    With an exhausted sigh, Kelia turned to Maeve. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡±

 Chapter Twelve

    CHAPTER TWELVE


    Elzor sat beside a small fire his men had created from the branches of several dead trees near their encampment, just outside a pair of tents erected for both himself and his sister. He sat alone, warming his hands against the chilly night air as he cast his eyes skyward. Thick clouds loomed in the distance but did not seem to be moving in their direction.


    He and his army had spent the day riding in what Langon believed was the most direct route to the northern edge of the Kaberian Mountains. They had officially left Agrus behind when the clutch of nipa trees, which grew prevalently all over the country, became sparse. By the time the tree line disappeared over the horizon behind them, they reached the dry and dusty hardpan marking the Praskian Desert. If they didn¡¯t run into any inhospitable weather or rough terrain, they could reach the mountains in three days. And then they would have a decision to make.


    According to Elzaria¡¯s vision, the women who were caretakers of the Stone that had once been held in the bowels of Agrus¡¯ Castle Tynal resided in a far-distant village next to the River Ix. The fastest way to get there would be to skirt the northern tip of the mountain range, beyond which lay several hundred more miles of inhospitable desert. Several merychs had been loaded up with enough food and water to sustain the Elzorath and their mounts for the journey, but they would have to be careful about rationing. No one had made a trek across the desert like this in recorded history, and to run out of food or water before reaching their destination would be catastrophic. It was unlikely they would be able to replenish their supplies in the middle of the lifeless desert.


    The third Stone, however¡ªthe one unearthed by the beings from the Above¡ªwas still aboard their mysterious bird-shaped craft, unguarded and vulnerable, somewhere within the vast mountain range. They would no doubt have to find this vessel, but doing so presented a host of other problems.


    First off, the Kaberian Mountains were massive, stretching for hundreds of miles south before curving east as they neared the impassable southern wetlands. Pinpointing the alien craft¡¯s location would be nearly impossible without more information to narrow down the search area. Even if they could do that, finding a safe passage across those mountains could take just as long.


    Elzaria had seen the alien woman bitten by a hugar several days ago, and the boy had taken her to the female tribe¡¯s village. His sister did not know if the woman had survived, but it was safe to assume one or both would be returning to their ship, and the Stone. They could leave Elystra forever, which meant his quest to accumulate all three Stones would fail.


    Staring into the flames, Elzor picked at his scrap of salted meat and a crust of chaska bread. He shot occasional glances at Elzaria¡¯s tent, waiting for her to emerge from her latest communion with her Stone. He hoped whatever higher power fed her the visions would give her the knowledge as to how to proceed ... or at the very least, a more precise location for the alien vessel.


    Elzor prided himself on his patience. He would not have gained the wealth of knowledge he had amassed without it, to say nothing of creating such a substantial following right under the nose of that sadistic braga, Viceroy Callis.


    It was in the Viceroy¡¯s very own library that he¡¯d discovered, hidden in the back of an otherwise inconsequential collection of documents, a sheaf of letters written almost a hundred years before by Merdeen, the third High Mage of Darad. These missives had been addressed to a scholar named Miro, and in these letters Merdeen discussed some very interesting visions he¡¯d had.


    Elzor had hoped to find some information regarding the Stone he and his sister had found at the Mogran mining camp as children. When he¡¯d read Merdeen¡¯s prophecy about the Stones, and the reward of omnipotence granted to he who held all three, he knew immediately what his purpose was.


    How ironic¡ªand inconvenient¡ªthat his years of patience had brought him so close to achieving his goal, and now they were in a race against time ... with aliens from the Above, no less. Their arrival, as well as the recently-revealed knowledge of an all-female tribe of Wielders, had shocked even Elzor to his core.


    He did not ascribe to the same religious beliefs that most of Elystra did: the belief in Arantha. However, so many unbelievable revelations in so short a time, coinciding with his invasion of Agrus, led him to believe there were much more powerful forces at work, forces even he could not begin to understand.


    If only Elzaria could bring him that understanding.


    A short distance away, most of his men had turned in for the night, sleeping as best they could on the hard earth. As soldiers, they were used to such rough conditions. So was he. He hoped, though, that the clouds wouldn¡¯t bring a torrential rain with them. The season for rains was imminent. Downpours were common, and they were usually accompanied by heavy winds. If his army hadn¡¯t reached the mountains before inclement weather struck, it would slow, perhaps even halt their progress.


    A soft groan from his right drew his attention. Elzaria emerged from her tent, looking rather unsteady on her feet. In the past, touching the Stone would energize her, but since she¡¯d started having visions, contact with the Stone seemed to be having the opposite effect.


    He rose to his feet, striding over and grasping her arms. Her breathing was labored, she was shivering, and her eyes were hooded. It even looked like her pitch-black hair had developed a few strands of gray.


    He led her over to the fire, sitting her gently down on the ground beside it, making sure the smoke wasn¡¯t blowing in her face. She held her hands out, warming them as she stared into the flames¡¯ depths.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Elzor unfastened his cloak, stolen off the body of the vanquished King Morix of Agrus, and draped it across Elzaria¡¯s shoulders. She pulled it around herself like a shroud, and her trembling abated. ¡°Thank you, brother,¡± she whispered.


    He sat beside her, not speaking. After checking that no one was watching, she grasped his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°You seem pensive,¡± Elzor said after a protracted silence.


    A slight nod was her only response.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    She cast a brief furtive glance in his direction. ¡°I¡¯m wondering if Merdeen left something out of his prophecy. The one regarding the Stones.¡±


    Elzor¡¯s brows knitted. ¡°¡®Left something out¡¯?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Ever since we first found the Stone, I¡¯ve wondered why I was given these abilities instead of you. After all, you¡¯ve always been far stronger than I.¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond. This was a thought that had crossed his mind more times than he could count. A small part of him had always envied her fortune, her power. Though he¡¯d never vocalized it to her, he wasn¡¯t surprised she could sense his frustration.


    She continued, ¡°We both just assumed that it was my destiny to help you achieve our goals. It seemed such a perfect fit. Your men follow you because you¡¯re a natural leader who will do whatever you must in order to fulfill your destiny. They would certainly never have followed me.¡± She snorted. ¡°But because of these visions, we know a lot more about our origins than we did before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re referring to our mother?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Elzor leaned forward, staring at the remnants of the weakening fire. ¡°We don¡¯t know for certain whether she came from this female tribe to whose village we now journey.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the most logical explanation, especially when you consider the history of the Agrusian Stone. It was discovered a thousand years ago, and in all the ages that have passed since, the only ones who have been endowed with Wielding abilities have been women.¡± She shook her head slightly. ¡°Of course, back then, Wielders were put to death as demons or sorceresses, along with their families. That¡¯s when the rulers decided to hide the Stone underground.¡±


    ¡°But it was stolen,¡± Elzor interrupted. ¡°By the Vandans. And then it fell into the hands of these women.¡±


    ¡°Exactly my point. Not a single man who has ever come into contact with the Agrusian Stone has been affected by it at all. Not the man who unearthed it. Not the king who tried to hide it. Not the slaver who stole it. Only women.¡± She gestured at the tent.


    He ran his fingers through his beard. ¡°You believe that when we acquire the other two Stones, they will not affect me any more than this one does.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Do you remember Merdeen¡¯s prophecy? I mean, the exact wording?¡±


    ¡°¡®Three Stones, remnants of a great light older than Creation itself, shall fall to Elystra, cradling themselves within the bosom of the world. He who gathers together these Stones shall be granted power untold of in all of Creation¡¯,¡± he quoted. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve read the words, but that was more or less what they said. Merdeen¡¯s prose was rather too flowery for my tastes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure the prophecy said ¡®he who gathers¡¯? Not ¡®she¡¯?¡±


    He fixed her with a stony glare. ¡°I would hardly have embarked on this lifelong quest if it said ¡®she¡¯, sister.¡±


    She met his stare with one of her own. ¡°Hence my belief that there was something missing from the Prophecy. Something Merdeen chose not to share with Miro. Something so obvious I can¡¯t believe we missed it.¡±


    The harshness melted from his expression, replaced by curiosity. ¡°Pray tell.¡±


    ¡°If our mother truly was a Wielder, then that means her blood runs through your veins as well. Her abilities may be your abilities.¡± She straightened up, leaning in close to him. ¡°There¡¯s only one place on Elystra where men become Wielders.¡±


    His jaw dropped open. Of course. It was right there in front of him the whole time. ¡°The Crystal Cavern, at the heart of Mount Calabur.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She spread her arms wide, her face cracking into a triumphant smile.


    Elzor felt a hunger grow from deep inside him. For almost twenty years, he¡¯d watched Elzaria train, perfecting her deadly craft, far from the eyes of those who would exploit her or do her harm. He¡¯d stood back and watched as she mowed down his enemies, his detractors, obstacles to be removed. The Agrusian army had felt the full force of her power. Power that lay within him as well, just waiting to be awakened.


    He pictured himself, at her side, blue lightning crackling all around them as thousands of helpless citizens groveled at their feet. He envisioned them laying waste to every enemy castle, fortification, and garrison that dared to oppose them. They would be the gods of all Elystra. Arantha¡¯s name would be banished forevermore, and monuments would be erected to pay homage to his greatness.


    Elzor shook his head, dispelling the fog that had come over his mind. ¡°Mount Calabur? The most heavily guarded sanctum in all of Darad?¡± He stood up, striding angrily to the other side of the fire. ¡°King Aridor¡¯s army is ten thousand strong. Even with you at full strength, I don¡¯t envy our chances.¡±


    She tilted her head at him. ¡°Which is why our plan must be more ... insidious than that.¡±


    He exhaled, his voice rising to a frustrated shout. ¡°Enough riddles, sister! What plan?!¡±


    In an instant, her mood shifted. ¡°Don¡¯t yell at me!¡± Elzaria clapped her hands over her ears, and it sounded like she was near tears. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to have these visions! You can¡¯t possibly know!¡± She stood up, glaring at him, making emphatic gestures with her hands. ¡°Imagine everything you¡¯ve ever seen in your life just ... rushing through your mind in but a few moments.¡±


    Taken aback by her outburst, he felt his anger dissolve. ¡°That must be very¨C¡±


    She continued as if he hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°Now imagine the memories of a dozen lifetimes, all cramming into your head at once! A thousand years of images, pounding through your skull like an unstoppable flood! I never trained for this!¡± She resumed her seat by the fire, her voice quavering in anguish. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to condense an ocean of knowledge into a few easy-to-digest facts. Forgive me if I¡¯m not as concise as you wish me to be.¡±


    Elzor cursed inwardly. She did have a point. The fact that she was receiving visions that directly helped them in their quest, something they hadn¡¯t had until recently, was a gift. Not for the first time, he wondered if she¡ªblag, all of them¡ªwere being guided by some powerful, unseen force. It certainly made sense. She had to be getting these images from somewhere. Having to deal with his sister¡¯s mercurial temperament, however annoying, was a cross he had no choice but to bear. He had to have faith in this force, and in her.


    He almost laughed at the thought. The horrors of his youth had exterminated all traces of his faith in Arantha. The idea that someone more powerful than he was guiding him ... it was a daunting thought, one he didn¡¯t particularly like.


    Swallowing both his anger and his pride, he knelt down beside her, placing his arm around her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elzaria. The burden of my command, my purpose, often blinds me to all else.¡±


    ¡°Hrm,¡± she grunted in response, her eyes fixed on the fire again.


    ¡°Please,¡± he said, the unfamiliar word sounding foreign coming from his mouth. ¡°Tell me what you have seen.¡±


    She shrugged his arm off with a huff and stood up, Morix¡¯s lush cloak falling to the dusty ground. ¡°I am weary,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I need rest.¡± Without looking back, she returned to her tent, slipped inside and closed the flap.

 Chapter Thirteen

    CHAPTER THIRTEEN


    Mizar, Sen, and Vaxi set out from Thage just after sunrise. Many of the citizens, also up early, thanked both Mizar and Sen for their efforts the previous night as they escorted them to the city limits.


    Their merychs had been well-tended to by the inn¡¯s staff, and all seemed satisfactory as they set out on the final leg of their journey, but the weather chose that morning to stop cooperating. An hour out of Thage, the rain came, complete with a cold, bitter wind. For a short time, Mizar was able to keep the rain off them by using his Wielding, creating around themselves a bubble of warm air the rain couldn¡¯t penetrate. However, after two hours of this, it became too difficult to maintain his concentration, so Mizar unpacked two of his spare cloaks, passing them to Sen and Vaxi as they rode onward.


    The wind and rain diminished to a light drizzle after several more hours, but by then the roadway had become a muddy mess. Mizar had hoped to quicken their pace in order to cut down their travel time, but Hilly, having spent her entire life on a farm and not bred for cross-country travel, was unable to keep that speed for very long.


    By midday, the rain had stopped, and the sun shone at sporadic intervals through the fast-moving clouds rolling over the country of Darad. While Mizar rode a short distance ahead of them, Sen passed the time by explaining to Vaxi the rules of etiquette and courtesy she would need to obey while within the walls of the Castle Randar.


    Until Mizar could determine what Vaxi¡¯s role would be in the upcoming drama, Sen explained, she would do well to stay out of harm¡¯s way. For example, if she bowed respectfully to any member of the royal family she might encounter, they would likely pass her by with only a cursory acknowledgment and forget her within moments.


    Right around the time Mizar had the vision that led them to the site of Vaxi¡¯s rescue, King Aridor had to depart Darad for Imar. His intention was to meet with the leaders of both Imar and its neighbor, Barju, to discuss possible alliances for dealing with Elzor, his army, and most especially the female Wielder, Elzaria.


    Prior to departing for Ghaldyn province, Mizar and Sen had spent several days poring through the writings of the previous High Mage, Merdeen the Sage, looking for clues regarding the origin of Elzaria¡¯s Wielding. Aridor had tasked them with finding something critical to help them with the Elzor situation before he returned ¨C which would probably be any day now. As soon as they returned to Mizar¡¯s study, they would have to resume their translation of Merdeen¡¯s prophecies.


    Cresting a small hill, the sprawling metropolis of Dar spread out before them. Sen looked at Vaxi, who stared in wide-eyed wonder at the vast sea of structures and the swarm of people going about their daily business.


    Much like Thage, the city seemed to have been built as a series of rings, with the more dilapidated structures occupying the outermost section and becoming more grandiose as one proceeded inward. The biggest difference was that Dar resembled more of a semicircle, at the center of which was the mighty Castle Randar, a grand edifice that kept a watchful eye on the city.


    Looming like a great stone giant directly behind the castle was Mount Calabur, the tallest mountain in Darad, at the center of which lay the Crystal Cavern, the source of Mizar¡¯s and Sen¡¯s powers. The only entrance to the Cavern was located safely within the grounds of the castle, and guarded day and night.


    As they guided their merychs down the central thoroughfare, Sen saw Vaxi¡¯s look of wonderment replaced with one of anxiety. Her eyes flicked from side to side, and she seemed determined to keep Hilly no more than a few yards away from Mizar¡¯s merych at all times.


    The sun shone brightly as they rode the last few yards up to the castle gates which, uncharacteristically, were open. Several guards on the battlements above eyed their approach, and the guards manning the main entrance bowed their heads at Mizar and stood aside to let them all pass. As Sen expected, they paid neither him nor Vaxi much notice, though one guard¡¯s eyebrows raised at the sight of the bow slung across Vaxi¡¯s shoulders.


    The three of them rode their merychs to the center of the enclosed space, where stables lined both the eastern and western walls. Mizar had no sooner dismounted his merych and handed the reins to a waiting stable-hand than a portly middle-aged man with long, graying hair rushed into the courtyard through the wide opening leading to another, smaller courtyard. He wore a dark blue cloak, a puffy orange tunic with red trim, and a red four-cornered hat. Sen chuckled as he danced around the scattered piles of dung that littered the ground. ¡°High Mage!¡± he called.


    Sen recognized Taron, the King¡¯s chamberlain. Taron was a pleasant enough man, and had proven himself invaluable at keeping all the regional governors happy and comfortable during the regular council meetings. Despite looking like a great, colorful, flightless bird, he possessed a sharp mind and a keen intellect.


    ¡°What is it, Taron?¡± Mizar asked as the rotund man came fluttering up to him.


    Sen dismounted but did not interrupt his Master¡¯s conversation. Vaxi did the same.


    ¡°I am glad you have returned, High Mage. I have a message from the King that requires your immediate attention. I expected you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I was delayed,¡± Mizar said curtly. ¡°When is the King due back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain,¡± Taron said. ¡°His last messenger came in today. I expect he¡¯ll return tomorrow morning. King Largo and Viceroy Callis will be arriving later in the day, as will King Torvin of Rhys.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Mizar seemed floored by this news, but quickly regained his composure. ¡°Well, then, it looks like your organizational skills will soon be put to the test.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Taron turned toward the inner entrance. ¡°If you would accompany me to my office, I will give you the message in private.¡±


    Mizar nodded. ¡°Very well. Sen, take Vaxi to my study and wait for me there.¡± He produced a key from an inner pocket and threw it to him. ¡°The Forbidden Knowledge is locked inside the big chest in the corner. We must resume our labors with all due speed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Sen said, and Mizar strode through the arched passageway with Taron.


    Sen gasped in disbelief. Every crowned head of Elystra was going to be there tomorrow. He couldn¡¯t remember such an event ever taking place in recorded history.


    He looked to the side to see Vaxi staring at him. ¡°Things are bad, aren¡¯t they?¡± she asked.


    ¡°So it would seem.¡± He gestured at a nearby staircase that led to an upper level. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    She followed him up the steps, but he stopped halfway up. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, starting back down. ¡°I forgot our bags. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Vaxi nodded, and he ran down the steps and into the stable where their merychs had been taken. He emerged a minute later with several bags slung over both shoulders. He crossed the courtyard again, and saw her smile down at him.


    She¡¯s not prepared for this, he thought. But then, who could be? Who would have thought that one innocent girl from a distant land could hold the key to the future of all Elystra?


    Great Arantha, she¡¯s beautiful. I wonder if ...


    ¡°Out of the way!¡± came an angry voice from behind him, accompanied by a loud, furious clatter of hoof beats.


    Sen snapped out of his reverie to see a large white merych charging through the castle gate, heading straight for him. He threw himself to one side, narrowly avoiding being run over. He landed flat on his back, crushing a recently expelled pile of merych dung beneath him. His nose wrinkled in disgust.


    The rider pulled his mount to a halt, jumping to the ground with a clang of armored feet. Sen looked up to see a young man scowling at him. He was clad in a tunic and trousers in brilliant shades of red and white, complete with a silken red cloak with white fringe. The breastplate of his armor bore the Daradian emblem of an enormous bird, spreading its wings across the horizon. His mustache and beard were neatly trimmed, unlike the flowing dark hair that spilled around his shoulders.


    Sen knew this man, and his frown. He¡¯d never seen him with any other expression. Prince Agedor.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± the man said, giving extra contempt to the last word. ¡°You vacuous dolt! I could have killed you!¡±


    Sen fought the instinct to stand up. Instead, he bowed his head as deferentially as he could from his position. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry, Your Highness. I did not hear you approach. Forgive me.¡± He averted his eyes, hoping to avoid any further wrath.


    Agedor pulled his gloves from his hands and slapped them together. He pointed a finger at Sen, looming over him. ¡°You are lucky I have other business to attend to, or I¡¯d teach you a lesson right now. Not that a pathetic wretch like you is capable of learning anything.¡±


    Sen hauled himself to his feet, stepping away from Agedor but keeping his head bowed. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Several other men who had followed Agedor in on merychs of their own had dismounted as well, and were awaiting their prince¡¯s company. He gave Sen one final sneer, and then strode through the inner entranceway, his cohorts in tow.


    Not until their footsteps faded away did Sen look up. When he did, he saw Vaxi staring at him from the staircase. She¡¯d seen the whole thing, and was looking at him with ...


    Pity.


    Avoiding Vaxi¡¯s eyes and doing his best to ignore the stench oozing through the back of his tunic, he rushed up the stairs and past her. He did not speak as he led her along the covered walkway overlooking the courtyard, through an inner door and down several corridors. When he reached the door to Mizar¡¯s study in the northeast corner of the castle, he opened it and motioned her inside. ¡°Wait here,¡± he said tersely. She entered without a word, and he shut the door behind her.


    Sen proceeded to his own quarters, a modestly sized room with a bed, a chest for his text-scrolls and spare tunics, and a wash basin that the servants thankfully changed every day. He whipped off his soiled tunic and threw it into the corner, knowing full well the smell would seep into every part of the room by the time he returned. He scooped a mugful of water from the basin, took a sip, and poured the rest over his head and body, hoping to make himself more presentable.


    All the while, he cursed his inattention, his clumsiness, his cowardice, and his luck. Of all the times for the prince to humiliate him, why did it have to be at that exact moment? What must Vaxi think of him now? Since their conversation in Thage, he¡¯d grown to respect her, to admire her. When they had embraced, he felt something stir within himself that he¡¯d done his best to subdue since becoming Mizar¡¯s apprentice.


    He¡¯d escaped the prison of his childhood and now had a greater purpose, he told himself. Mizar had recently confessed to him that he hadn¡¯t taken a wife because of the restrictions his duties put upon him. It was not a choice he made willingly, but rather because of circumstances. Sen wondered if those same duties would force him into a life of celibacy as well.


    Questions raced through Sen¡¯s mind. Does serving my King preclude the kind of relationships that all other citizens are entitled to? Will my life as a healer fulfill me to an extent that makes the crushing loneliness worth it? Am I destined to never fall in love, to marry, to have a family of my own?


    In a burst of frustration, Sen brought his fists down hard on the sides of the basin, making the water inside ripple and shake. He quickly steadied the vessel before it tipped over, chiding himself for his outburst. He looked toward the door, worried that Vaxi might have overheard him.


    What was he thinking? He¡¯d only just met Vaxi. He barely knew her, and once the drama involving Merdeen¡¯s prophecies, the Ixtrayu, and the menace of Elzor and his sister were concluded, she would no doubt return to her home, a place where he would not be welcome.


    His thoughts turned to his mother who, after a lifetime of wondering, he could now put a name to: Lyala. He pictured her in his mind: a woman in her forties, tall and thin, with dark hair, blue eyes and high cheekbones, traits he could only have inherited from her. He imagined his sister, Sershi, also a healer. She would likely be a few years older than he, with the same physical characteristics as their mother.


    Sen shook the questions from his head. With all of Elystra at stake, his personal feelings were irrelevant.


    He swore to help Vaxi while she was in Darad. After that, she would move on with her life, and so would he. He would be her friend, but there was no room in either of their lives for more than that, no matter how much he wished it could be otherwise.


    Why would she ever want a ¡®pathetic wretch¡¯ like me anyway?


    With a resigned sigh, he donned a clean tunic from his chest, smoothed out the wrinkles, ran a hand through his damp hair, and made his way back to his Master¡¯s study.

 Chapter Fourteen

    CHAPTER FOURTEEN


    Maeve and Kelia stared down at the Stone, basking in the white light pulsing from within. Maeve noticed that her friend seemed reluctant to touch the Stone again.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Maeve said.


    This wasn¡¯t quite true. It was necessary. Kelia had seen the same vision repeatedly over the last few days, and she had gleaned very little information that they might use to formulate a defense plan. All they knew was that many Ixtrayu would be killed by fire, a fire that came so fast that they could not escape. The Plateau, covered with bodies. They could only discern that the fire was not caused by nature, but by something far more malevolent.


    ¡°No. For my people, I must do this,¡± Kelia said, her eyes still fixed on the Stone. ¡°I can only pray that by adding your power to my own, Arantha will allow me to see her message with greater clarity.¡± She reached over and grasped Maeve¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s just that these images ...¡± She stifled a sob.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Maeve said, placing a comforting hand on her arm. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll experience the visions too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What we are about to do has never been tried before. If Arantha allows you to share the vision, I suggest you prepare yourself. The images are horrific.¡±


    Maeve¡¯s voice became hushed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen more death and destruction than anyone should ever have to. It¡¯s not something one gets used to, but if it helps us, I can deal with it.¡±


    Kelia exhaled, casting a glance over her shoulder. Standing just inside the entrance were Eloni and Lyala, both watching them with concern. Katura had insisted a Council member be present, and had also instructed that a healer be nearby should it be necessary.


    Turning back to the Stone, Kelia placed her hands on either side of it, awaiting Maeve¡¯s signal.


    Maeve took a step back, raising her hands in Kelia¡¯s direction and closing her eyes. She felt the energy flow through the cave and through her.


    ¡°I bask in your divine presence, O Arantha, for I am your humble servant,¡± Kelia incanted, closing her eyes as she brought her hands into contact with the Stone.


    There was a brilliant flash of white light, and for a few moments, it overwhelmed Maeve, as if she had been staring directly into the sun. Gradually, the haze of whiteness subsided, and an image began to coalesce in her mind.


    With the sheer power of the Stone close at hand, Maeve reached out with her mind and touched Kelia¡¯s. Because of their Sharing, forming the link felt as easy as breathing. The sensation was both thrilling and daunting.


    Kelia, can you feel me? Maeve thought.


    Yes, Kelia replied. I feel your strength. It is ... invigorating.


    Maeve found herself standing on a dirt path next to the River Ix. Some distance away, the Ixtrayan Plateau loomed. To her left and right, the croplands and fruit vines were intact, with many Ixtrayu tending the fields, moving about their daily routine. Storm clouds loomed above, and a few scattered drops of rain were falling. From the looks of things, the time of harvest was near.


    Nothing burned. No corpses littered the ground.


    Maeve turned to see Kelia standing next to her. Before either could speak again, a loud crackling came from behind them. They turned to see a huge tower of lightning erupt from somewhere deep within the forest, shooting strands of blue electricity into the gloomy gray sky. Moments later, half the trees burst into flames. The forest disgorged hundreds of birds and other animals, fleeing for their lives.


    My God, Maeve whispered.


    What could be causing that? Kelia asked.


    No idea. Lightning¡¯s supposed to travel from the sky to the ground, not the other way around!


    Maeve could only watch helplessly as the fire burst from the forest, spreading to the fields of grain and the rows of fruit. She gasped.


    This is no natural occurrence. It¡¯s as if someone is pushing it, controlling it.


    Kelia looked aghast. You think it could be a Wielder? That¡¯s impossible! No one else can control fire but me and Nyla! And we certainly wouldn¡¯t do this!


    The Ixtrayu working the fields attempted to flee back to the village, but many of them were too slow. Maeve¡¯s stomach churned as a wall of fire enveloped them and they fell, screaming, to the ground. Kelia brought her hands up to cover her mouth, but she could not look away.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    A sphere of blue energy, about five paces in diameter, emerged from the forest and began moving toward the village. Strands of lightning swept over its circumference, burning the ground and turning the river into a billowing cloud of superhot steam as it moved along the path of the River Ix.


    Maeve and Kelia, reduced to spectators and unable to intervene, watched the sphere make its inexorable journey from the forest to the village, incinerating everything and everyone it touched.


    Their perspective changed. They were now within the plateau, its high walls rising up on both sides. Women fled past them in terror, trying to escape the monstrosity laying waste to the village. Maeve followed their escape toward the southern entrance, where she hoped they would somehow outdistance the energy sphere. Her jaw dropped in horror as they fell to the ground, skewered by a deadly volley of arrows.


    Arrows? What the fark is going on here?


    Kelia¡¯s horror rendered her mute. Maeve concentrated even harder, continuing to augment the Protectress¡¯s strength with her own.


    They turned to face north again. The energy sphere had just crossed the threshold into the village when it blinked out of existence. In its place was ... a woman; tall, slender, with long, wild, dark hair. She stood still, surveying the carnage she had created with black, soulless eyes.


    Maeve felt a knot of rage twist in her stomach. She felt the urge to charge this woman, drop her with a roundhouse kick, and then snap her spine in two.


    Billions of innocents on Earth and its colonies, slaughtered. And now, on this far-distant planet, whose inhabitants resembled Maeve¡¯s ancestors in so many ways, she was forced to watch those with insufficient power fall to those with more.


    No. Not here. Not while I live.


    She¡¯d no sooner had this thought than the vision dissolved, fragmented like a computer image breaking up. With a start, she opened her eyes, and found herself back in the cave, staring at Kelia¡¯s back. The Protectress had released her hold on the Stone, laying her palms flat on the rocky altar the Stone sat upon. Both of them were panting, but otherwise unharmed.


    Lyala moved toward them. ¡°Are you all right, Protectress?¡±


    ¡°I am fine,¡± Kelia whispered. She turned to Maeve. ¡°Thank you, Maeve. Your presence here is truly a gift from Arantha.¡±


    Maeve smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Eloni¡¯s deep, rich voice drew their attention. ¡°Did you see it, Protectress? The cause of our destruction?¡±


    Kelia faced her. ¡°Yes, Councilor. It was a Wielder. A woman of great power.¡±


    ¡°A Wielder? Who in the Ixtrayu could do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°She was not Ixtrayu. I didn¡¯t recognize her at all. But her command over lightning was ... terrifying to behold.¡±


    ¡°Lightning?¡± Eloni stepped forward, her blue eyes tinged with recognition. ¡°Describe her.¡±


    Maeve answered for her. ¡°Tall, long dark hair, very thin, pale skin. Her eyes were black.¡± She shuddered. ¡°Like a demon.¡±


    ¡°No, not a demon,¡± Eloni said in a hushed voice. ¡°Could you guess her age?¡±


    Maeve exchanged a look with Kelia. ¡°Difficult to say, but I would estimate, based on her face, that she was a few years younger than I. Say, early thirties?¡±


    Eloni turned away, facing the near wall. She closed her eyes, shaking her head. ¡°Great Arantha. This cannot be,¡± she sobbed, covering her face with her hands.


    Kelia grasped the diminutive Councilor¡¯s shoulder and spun her around. ¡°Eloni, what is it? Tell me!¡±


    Her eyes red and her voice choked with tears, Eloni faced her. ¡°The woman you just described ... it¡¯s Proda.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Maeve asked.


    Eloni shot a stern glance at the Terran woman. ¡°Thirty-three years ago, a woman named Proda Sojourned to Barju. She was a Wielder of lightning, the only living Ixtrayu with that ability. She never returned, and we assumed she¡¯d been killed. We haven¡¯t Sojourned to Barju since then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying ... this monster who has come to destroy us is ¨C¡±


    ¡°Her daughter,¡± Eloni cried. ¡°There¡¯s no one else on Elystra it could be. Great Arantha ...¡± She cupped her face with her hands again.


    ¡°Not only that,¡± Maeve added, ¡°but she brought friends. You saw the arrows?¡±


    Kelia nodded.


    ¡°So we¡¯re dealing with two enemies: a Wielder with the power to control electricity, and an Elystran force armed with more conventional weapons.¡± She paused, placing her hand on her chin. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°I-I must confer with the Council,¡± Eloni said. ¡°Excuse me.¡± She exited the cave without another word.


    Maeve took Kelia by the arm and guided her toward the entrance. ¡°Look, I know things seem bleak, but there are plenty of ways we can prepare for this. Nothing is hopeless.¡±


    Kelia had recovered her voice. ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°I have some ideas about how to defend the village,¡± Maeve said. ¡°I would like to speak with the huntresses in the tribe, not to mention the other Wielders, to form some kind of strategy. Davin might be able to help in that regard as well.¡±


    Kelia nodded as they stepped from the cave. Davin, Runa, and Sarja awaited them just outside the entrance.


    ¡°Mom, are you all right?¡± Davin asked, his face lined with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, kiddo. I¡¯ll explain everything later.¡±


    Runa stepped forward. ¡°Protectress, is there anything I can do?¡±


    ¡°Assemble the huntresses on the archery range,¡± Kelia said. ¡°Maeve and I will join you there in thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Protectress.¡± Runa bowed, and then crossed the bridge to the western bank. She soon disappeared from sight.


    Maeve looked at Davin. ¡°Dav, I¡¯m going to be rather busy for the rest of the day. Will you be all right?¡±


    Davin indicated the young girl standing next to him. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Mom. Sarja has offered to show me around the village.¡±


    Sarja smiled, blushing slightly. ¡°If that is all right with you.¡±


    Maeve looked back and forth between them. For the first time in years, her son would be spending time with a girl his own age.


    She sighed. On top of everything else she had to deal with now ...


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said, giving them her best fake smile. ¡°Just don¡¯t go far. Meet you in the dining area later for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Davin glanced at Sarja, who smiled back, before turning back to his mother. ¡°See you later.¡±


    With Sarja leading the way, the two of them walked out the village¡¯s southern entrance. Kelia watched them go with a bemused smile.


    Moments after they disappeared from sight, she heard cries coming from the other direction. ¡°Protectress! Protectress!¡±


    Sershi, her long brown hair billowing behind her, sprinted down the path and across the bridge, slamming to a halt in front of Maeve, Kelia and Lyala. She doubled over, gasping for air.


    ¡°Duma!¡± Lyala said. ¡°What is the meaning of this? You¡¯re not supposed to leave Nyla alone!¡± She turned to Kelia. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Protectress, I told her not to leave the Room of Healing under any circumstances.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Kelia said, putting a hand on Lyala¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sershi, what is it?¡±


    Sershi, still catching her breath, looked up at Kelia. Maeve saw a faint smile on the young healer¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s Nyla, Protectress. She¡¯s awake.¡±