Aether's Guard

by Schinhofen, Daniel

  “Morning, dear one.”

  “Morning, Greg.”

  The three of them were the last ones to the dining room. When the novices took their seats, the cooks removed the lids from the dishes. Each uncovered dish had the same two ingredients, just cooked in different ways; kabocha squash and adzuki beans.

  “I had a feeling it would be this, but I hadn’t expected so many different versions of it,” Yukiko said.

  “My mother does adzuki dumpling soup for breakfast on the solstice,” Jenn said as she took a helping for herself. “You should try it, Yuki. You, too, Greg.”

  “I will,” Yukiko said. “You should try the kabocha waffle with some adzuki jam.”

  “I’ll make it my next portion,” Jenn said.

  The rest of the table was just as lively as the two women, with everyone pointing out their favorite style of dish on the table and recommending it to others. Gregory felt out of place as the banter flew. They’d only ever had plain roasted kabocha for the solstice in his village, and that simple dish was one he didn’t see.

  “Greg?” Yukiko asked, the concern in her voice evident.

  “I’m fine, Yuki,” he said as he took a helping of the waffle and jam. “It’s just so much more than I’m used to.”

  Dia watched them. “Today is going to be full of things you might not be used to, Gregory. The fringe is removed enough that some traditions are lost or diluted. That’s good for some and bad for others. We here— the friends and family around you at the end of this year and the start of the next— will help you find your footing for the coming year.”

  Gregory’s eyes misted as he thought of his friends and family back in Alturis. Yukiko put her hand on his and brought him back. He looked into her cyan eyes, the love and concern in them helping calm him.

  “I’m honored to have your help, and the help of everyone here,” Gregory said. “Every year, we’re told to celebrate the past year and embrace the new one. This year, it’s just more poignant than it ever has been before.”

  “And we will help,” Dia said. “First, we celebrate with this meal. I’m sure you’ll like at least one of the offerings.”

  Feeling better, Gregory felt a little foolish for his maudlin moment. He cut a section of the waffle and took a bite. The two ingredients melded together surprisingly well, even with the sweetness being a jolt to his system so early in the morning.

  By the time breakfast had ended, everyone had been able to sample each dish. Gregory joined in the conversation, giving his opinion as each was talked about. With the table devoid of food and the three novices feeling energetic, Dia motioned them to follow her.

  Leading them outside, Dia gave them a smile. “At the sound of the hour bell, the first part of the holiday will begin. You have a task to complete before midday: hidden in this yard are things the elder thinks you’ll find useful. If you find them, they are yours to do with as you will. Do not stop looking. I will come when it’s time to stop at the midday bell. May Aether guide your search.”

  Before anyone could speak, the hour sounded. Jenn was off the porch like a shot, running toward the hedges. Yukiko was only a moment behind her, but going to the other side of the yard. Gregory didn’t move. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, the soft sound of the door shutting distracting him only for a moment.

  Nothing came to him right away, but after a few seconds, a certainty built inside of him. “Yuki, Jenn, come here, please?” Gregory asked as he opened his eyes.

  Yukiko started to go to his side, clearly curious. Jenn hesitated, wondering if it was a trick, but seeing Yukiko go to him, she did, too.

  “What is it, Greg?” Yukiko asked.

  “Dia said we have to search and can decide what to do with the things we find, and to let Aether guide us. She never said it was a competition. The clan needs to be united, not fragmented pursuing their own ends.”

  Both women stared at him for a second before Yukiko nodded. “You’re not wrong, dear one.”

  “Okay. So, if we’re together on this, where do we start?” Jenn asked.

  Gregory frowned, but a small tug at his mind pulled him. “Maybe this way?” He asked, moving off the porch toward the front of the yard.

  Yukiko and Jenn fell into step beside him, flanking him as he let the tug guide him. Reaching the hedge right next to the entrance of the yard, Gregory looked up. Above them, dangling from a branch of the nearest tree, a small glint of silver caught the light.

  “That looks like it’ll take at least two of us to reach,” Gregory grinned.

  “Let Aether guide us,” Yukiko murmured with a smile on her lips.

  “If you boost me, I can reach it,” Jenn said, not hearing Yukiko’s murmur.

  “Alright,” Gregory said as he set his legs and cupped his hands together.

  A moment later, Jenn stood back on the ground beside them with a silver ring in her hand. The band had a boar engraved on it. “I can feel the pulse of energy to it,” she said.

  “Enchanted,” Yukiko nodded. “We’d need to know what it does to know who it would help the most.”

  “Hold onto it for now,” Gregory told Jenn as another small tug pulled at him. “I think we should go this way.”

  ~*~*~

  The three of them were seated on the porch when Dia came out to stop them. “Finished before I called for you?”

  “Ten items,” Gregory said. “Three rings, three armbands, a set of earrings, and three necklaces.”

  Dia’s lips twitched. “That’s indeed all of them. I will explain each one over food. It’s time for a midday repast, so come with me.”

  Taking their seats at the table, all three felt famished, even though they’d eaten their fill just hours before. Gregory’s stomach rumbled loudly when Velma removed the lid from the dish in front of him, earning chuckles from others.

  The menu for lunch was more diverse than it had been in the morning. The table was dotted with boiling pots of liquid that had plates of various ingredients sitting next to each. A sad smile came to Gregory, the meal reminding him of dinner with his friends when they were children.

  Yukiko saw his expression and covered his hand with hers. “Which ingredients do you favor?”

  “The daikon and lotus root go well with pork,” Gregory said, pulled from his melancholy. “I prefer to use carrot and daikon when using chicken. A bit of ginnan with either is good, too.”

  “I like the fish and lotus,” Jenn said.

  The meal again devolved into a discussion about their food preferences. Dia waited for the conversation to lull before she cleared her throat.

  “I said I’d tell you about the items,” Dia said once she had their attention. “The rings are all designed to help heal whoever is wearing them. Yukiko and Gregory know about them. They replenish by pulling the ambient aether from the air. The ones you found are a bit more potent than the ones you two currently have. Here at the academy, it should take no more than a day for it to recharge.”

  “You already have rings like that?” Jenn asked.

  Yukiko showed Jenn her hand. “Yes. We’ve had them since the first tournament. We’ll have to give them up, though.”

  “Yes. You’re still novices, so you can’t use too many items,” Dia nodded. “I’m willing to buy them for the clan’s use, at a reasonable price. They can be used next year when we have another set of novices.”

  Gregory stripped his old ring off and set it on the table for Dia. “For the good of the clan.”

  Dia bowed her head. “As you wish.”

  “Mine, too,” Yukiko said, placing hers before Dia.

  “Very well,” Dia said, collecting the two rings before continuing. “The earrings hold aether. You push your aether into them to charge them. These can easily handle a novice’s power, and could contain a lower apprentice’s.”

  Yukiko smiled as she touched her ear, showing off where a similar set of earrings resided. “They can be very helpful. I like the design of the clan emblem. Jenn s
hould take them, though. My father bought mine for me.”

  “Are you sure?” Jenn asked, clearly shocked that the earrings were being so casually passed to her.

  “Yes,” Yukiko smiled. “And, of course, the third ring is yours, as well.”

  Jenn shook her head as she put the ring and earrings on. “Thank you both… and the elder,” she added quickly.

  Dia lips twitched, but she didn’t comment on the clear addition. “The armbands and necklaces are all identical. The armbands will bring a shield of energy in front of you for a total of ten seconds. With training, you can trigger it for a second or less at a time. They replenish by you recharging them.”

  Gregory chuckled as he took off his bracelet. “Again, a similar item, but lesser than what the elder hid for us to find.”

  “Wait… is that what I injured myself against?” Jenn asked.

  “It is,” Gregory nodded. “Used it to knock you down, too.”

  Jenn stared at him as she took one of the armbands and put it on. “Next time, I’ll be ready for you.”

  “I won’t win, then,” Gregory said honestly.

  “The necklaces,” Dia said, distracting Gregory from seeing Jenn’s face flush, “are energy cloaks. They’re good for twelve seconds of invisibility. Unlike the armbands, they can’t be used in fractions. The good news is that they replenish off ambient aether, but it will take a week to recharge when used.”

  “Again, the shield of the clan,” Yukiko said softly. “These are new items. Did we find them all, Dia?”

  “Ten pieces were hidden,” Dia nodded. “You found them all. Four of them required cooperation to find or get. You did very well.”

  “Yes,” Gin nodded. “It was good to see my students moving in concert with each other.” All three novices looked questioningly at Gin. “I was watching from the roof,” he answered.

  Each of them slipped a necklace on, lost in their own thoughts as they continued eating.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Dia stood up first when the meal concluded. “It’s time for the next portion of our day.”

  They followed Dia out of the clan hall and down the paths of the academy. When they approached the gates, Gregory wondered what Dia had in mind. When she took the turn to the stables instead of the gates, her destination became clear, but not the reason why.

  “Magus, everything is prepared,” the footman said as he opened the carriage door.

  “Thank you,” Dia said before turning to the novices. “We are leaving the academy for a little while to help you find your way. Do not speak until we return here. Understood?”

  “Yes, Dia,” the three of them said in echo.

  She raised a single eyebrow, and they realized they’d just done what she told them not to. Shaking her head, she motioned them into the carriage. Silently, they complied with her direction.

  All of them were growing more curious as the carriage continued its journey, but that curiosity hit a fever pitch when they came to a halt. Dia gave them a stern look before the door opened and the footman helped her out.

  The destination was one that Gregory had not expected, but the sense of peace from the area helped settle his nerves. The small gate to the walled compound opened and the mature woman in an elaborate kimono that had attended to them last time bowed.

  Gregory was the last one in line, the gate closing soundlessly behind him. The walk down the tree-lined path was at a slow, sedate pace. The long spiral of the path, coupled with the scent of the garden, had Gregory in a near meditative state.

  The central building was exactly as Gregory remembered. Removing their shoes on the patio, they stepped just inside before taking their spots around the fire pit. Once they were all seated, the hostess presented them each with small lacquered plates, upon which a single small confection awaited them.

  Warmth suffused Gregory’s chest as the pre-tea snack worked on his aether. The spot near the hostess grew dark with shadow to Gregory’s eyes, and a welcome smile hinted on his face.

  “Another tea ceremony? Goodness,” Darkness laughed lightly. “It seems that you’ll get a short moment with your beloved before I can arrange things myself.”

  Waiting for the tea to be presented to him, Gregory wondered why Dia had chosen for them to have a tea ceremony.

  “Because, dear one, Aether’s Guard wishes only for true believers of Aether to stay with them. If you aren’t truly dedicated to the path, this ceremony would make you doubt it.”

  Accepting the tea from the hostess, Gregory bowed his head to her. Drinking deeply, he felt the world shift around him as his perception of reality changed. When the world settled, he was in the same bedroom he had come to know from his dreams.

  “Darkness, how are you?” Gregory asked to the midnight shrouded corner of the room.

  “Lonely, dear one,” Darkness sighed. “Wait, here she comes now. We were having a moment together.”

  Yukiko appeared beside Gregory. “Dear one.” She kissed his cheek before turning to the corner. “Darkness.”

  “We don’t have much time,” Darkness said. “Tonight is the first big step for you all. You’ve added a friend to your circle, dear one. If you nurture her, she will grow faster. At the moment, she is seeing what could happen if she stays with you two. Yuki, you will need to help guide her into the proper role.”

  “I will,” Yukiko replied. “I know why she’s with us. I’m not certain yet, but I think it’s possible.”

  “You are my equal when it comes to Greg, Yuki. No one else will come as close.”

  Gregory frowned, feeling that part of the conversation was going over his head. “If she trains alongside us, she’ll grow equally, right?”

  “No. You have to want her to be with you. Your acceptance of her beside you is key. She’ll also lose everything she gains if she turns on you.”

  “Why?”

  “Now is not the time,” Darkness said. “She’ll have many questions for you, Yuki. Dear one, you just need to do what you think best. It will work out, but if you doubt, talk to me or Yuki. I hope you enjoy celebrating the new year.”

  “Wait!” Gregory called out, but the room faded from view.

  The hostess was rising to her feet and the group followed her. The walk back to the gate was in silence, Jenn and Dia contemplating their moment of clarity.

  When the gate closed behind them, Dia spoke before anyone else could. “Novices, today is far from over. We will speak on your visions once we are back at the clan hall, as we have another step to accomplish today. Hold your words until then.”

  All three of them bowed to her before climbing back into the carriage.

  ~*~*~

  Entering the garden, Dia motioned them all to a bench. “Now, if you have questions about the ceremony, I will answer them for you.” She took a seat across from them.

  “Is it the future?” Jenn asked.

  “It isn’t set in stone,” Dia said. “It’s only a likely future. It could change for better or worse, depending on what you do.”

  Jenn glanced at Yukiko and Gregory before nodding. “I see. Thank you, Dia.”

  “This is the elder’s will. I’m just the instrument to put his plans in motion,” Dia said. “Now, for the part of the solstice that all learning magi look forward to.” Clapping her hands, Velma and the others carried several trays into the garden, setting them on the bench beside Dia.

  Dia thanked each of the eurtik in turn before they left. “Novices, on the winter solstice, the clan gives gifts. How each clan does so is up to them. The Iron Hand holds a short tournament for their different tiers of magi, with rewards for people who prove themselves. The Han clan gives gifts to those who made the biggest contribution to the clan. The Eternal Flame gives gifts to those favored by Grandmaster Shun.”

  “What of Aether’s Guard?” Gregory asked when a moment of silence stretched on.

  “We give gifts equal to everyone,” Dia smiled. “Most of the gifts novices get are aether boosts to hel
p you make it to the apprentice tier, or as close to it as possible.” Removing the lids from the trays, the scent of herbs started to grow heavy. “You need to be growing your aether while this happens. So exercise, meditate, or study.”

  Gregory and Yukiko exchanged a look before they rose to their feet. Jenn got to her feet quickly and moved to the side, copying the other two as they started to meditate and practice the Peaceful Fist.

  Dia watched them all, nodding slightly. “I’d wondered about that. We’ll start with the yuank leaf— it will try to smother your aether. Make sure you burn it all.” Gliding toward the three of them, she held three leaves in her hands.