The Bones of Titans

by B. T. Narro

  “Did it get rid of your illness, though?”

  KRenn slapped each horse, sending them running off to Leo’s dismay. “Sadly, no. A t-link cannot cure such an illness. But it did give me more time. Come, we have a lot to do still. I will explain on the way. Then you must tell me what happened after I t-linked that man and passed out shortly after.”

  Leo shuddered as he remembered killing two men. He would rather not think about anything he’d just done.

  “Teach me how to t-link,” he insisted.

  KRenn smiled down at him. “I will, but there is something I want to do first now that I have the strength.”

  KRenn snapped a finger. A massive blue rift appeared. A mammoth squeezed through, a beast of a creature that was about twice the size of a bear on all fours. The blue tint of its fur reminded Leo of Jin, but this creature could probably fit Rygen’s creature in its mouth. It looked at KRenn with a turned head, then let out a whimpering sound as if it worried KRenn might be hurt.

  KRenn patted the creature’s head, then walked around its side. He grabbed the fur rather roughly as he climbed up on the creature’s back. Then he stared at Leo as if bored.

  “Come on, Leo.”

  “Why didn’t you summon that earlier!”

  “I was too weak.”

  “No, before we came all this way.”

  KRenn rolled his eyes. “Horses fair better during a long trip,” KRenn said. “But we are headed into Esitry-dense land. Our horses will die. This creature will not.” He paused. “Come on.”

  “You will teach me how to use a t-link, right?”

  “I promise I will try on the way. But it took me years of practice. I wouldn’t set your hopes too high.”

  Too late.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Andar awoke during the night as the wind howled. Skyfire and ash, it’s cold. He was shivering as he lay on the cold grass. I should’ve taken a couple of the barbarians’ shirts after they gave up. Anything would help at this point.

  He and Siki had chosen a spot a few miles from the barbarian town, amidst several trees, where they shouldn’t be found easily. They had ripped out a ring of grass to separate their fire from the rest of the small field. It had taken most of the day to catch a single fish from the river. The rest of the day had gone into building their fire.

  They’d used the small piece of glass Andar had taken from Pylees to focus a beam of sun on the brush they’d collected. It had worked quickly, allowing Andar to fall asleep almost instantly after, when the sun hadn’t even fully set.

  But now he’d awoken to find that the fire was out, and the night was too dark to see his own hand. He felt around the old fire and determined that the wind had scattered the brush and sticks that were left.

  “Andar?” Siki said from somewhere close.

  “I’m here. Damn wind blew out the fire.”

  “It’s very cold.” Her teeth chattered. “We should’ve found a cave.”

  “Yeah, too late for that now.” He reached out and found her leg. He crawled over to her and lay beside her, draping his arm over her.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? Trying to keep us warm.”

  He expected her to argue but was glad when she didn’t. They huddled together, shivering against one another as Andar pulled her close to him. He figured they would never get to sleep, but at least this way they wouldn’t freeze to death.

  Siki’s hands balled together against Andar’s chest. He hoped she was as comfortable as she could be.

  Eventually, she stopped shivering and adjusted one hand, sliding it into his back pocket. He startled as she touched him. But before he could wonder if the intimate grab of his left butt cheek meant anything, she spoke.

  “It’s just to stay warm,” she said. “Don’t think it means anything. It just so happens to be the most comfortable way for me to rest my arm and hand.”

  “Dare I ask where your other hand will go?”

  She chuckled a bit. “I haven’t figured out yet, but I am warming some. You’re still shivering, though.”

  “Here, maybe this will help.” He flexed his ass, then relaxed, repeating the process until she laughed. “Stop that! It’s strange.”

  The wind screeched as it slammed against Andar’s face. He tucked his head down in the small nook of Siki’s shoulder and neck.

  The wind passed, but it felt so warm and nice to be this close to her. His lips were practically against her neck. He hoped she wouldn’t force him to move.

  “Um, Andar. The wind has passed.”

  Damn.

  ◆◆◆

  Andar had somehow managed to fall asleep. He awoke in the early morning, the first rays of the sun warming his back in bliss. He had separated from Siki, though his arm still draped over her. She seemed to be sound asleep.

  He let her rest as he quietly got up and stretched his sore neck. They had a bow, thanks to the barbarians. They just needed to find a place with game to hunt.

  Andar heard a stirring behind him as he stood looking out at the dry land. He turned to see Siki watching him.

  “Good morning,” she said. Her hair was not as tangled and messy as it was while she was asleep. She must’ve taken a moment to fix it before speaking. Andar held in a smile as he returned her greeting.

  “I want to bathe,” she said.

  “And that’s your highest priority?”

  “Possibly. It depends on how long we have to be here.”

  Andar let out his breath. “I think my brother needs more time.”

  “The stalwart link tells you that?”

  “It might be that, or it might be because I know him. Can’t be sure.”

  “If we’re still going to be stuck here, I will need to bathe today and wash my clothes.”

  “First let’s find something to eat.”

  Siki nodded.

  Andar would be content, even in this wretched place, if he could just satisfy his terrible hunger for a while. But they hadn’t seen any large animals since arriving. They discussed their options and eventually agreed that they should try for fish in the river. It gave them the best chance of actually eating something.

  They walked to the river with glances between them but nothing spoken. When they arrived, they waded into the water until it was up to their waists. Andar could feel the burning sun on his neck as he watched the water for fish. He wanted to take off his shirt and wash it, but first he had to make sure they would eat.

  As time went by, they grabbed at the few fish that swam by, but they weren’t fast enough to capture any.

  “I think the barbarians were telling the truth,” Siki suddenly told Andar.

  “About what?”

  “About their attacking Aathon. It would explain why there weren’t many summoners in the town. Most had left to fight.”

  Andar agreed silently. “I hope Rygen and my aunt left Jatn before they got there.”

  Siki grabbed at a fish. Andar tried to snag the same one as it swam past him but missed. The slippery little thing was just too fast.

  “Can’t you use a link to help us?” Siki asked.

  “How?”

  “You’re the Ascendant.”

  “I can’t link the fish to anything when I only see the sarding bugger for a moment before it’s gone.”

  “Sarding?”

  “A bad word.”

  She huffed out a breath. “Can’t Ascendants use Artistry to create links around things that they do not yet see?”

  “If we’re familiar with the substance we’re linking, but I’ve never linked a fish in my life.” Andar stretched his back. “You should probably stop referring to me as an Ascendant. I don’t feel like I’ve ascended to anything. I’m just good with Artistry.”

  “All right,” she said with disappointment.

  Curious though, Andar closed his eyes to see what he could feel. It reminded him of when he’d felt Artistry for the first time, in the cavern, when Rolan was stil
l alive. Ever since then, he’d practice with the energy until it became familiar, figuring one day he would use it against Rolan’s murderer.

  But at some point during all his practice, Andar had stopped wondering what else he could teach himself. Why was that? There must be more he could do than just strengthen links already familiar to him.

  He thought of Leo, who still had that curiosity. It was probably the reason he had felt Taesitry.

  Andar pushed himself to see what energy he could grab, something besides the usual Artistry. However, Artistry was all he felt. The more he focused, the more clear it became around him. It was a simple task to move it, as it had been for years. He could weave it around him and Siki as easily as if he was draping a ribbon around them.

  Her presence could be felt like heat as he wrapped the Artistry around her. The sharp river quieted in his mind. The sound of the wind dissipated. He pinpointed his mind on Siki, on this beautiful glow among the black. He could feel her heart at work, pumping life through her.

  He focused on this life-giving centerpiece to her being. It was powerful yet vulnerable. The Artistry wanted something to do with such a special object.

  He allowed the energy to course through her blood, lightly so as not to disturb the delicate balance of Siki’s inner system. Andar inhaled long strands of Artistry as he allowed the energy to connect the two of them. Pieces of her emotions entered his heart. She was scared, which made him ache with empathy.

  Something stirred in her, a state of excitement, but not without fear. He wondered what it was and opened his eyes.

  His senses came crashing back, the river roaring, the wind whistling. Siki was close enough to kiss with a slight lean of her head toward Andar.

  “Did you hear me?” she asked with a worried look. “What are you doing over here?”

  “I walked over to you?”

  “Yes.”

  He stepped back. “I didn’t mean to. I was trying to feel for fish.”

  “I thought you said you couldn’t.”

  “Well, I hadn’t tried yet.”

  She rolled her eyes. “So say that next time!”

  He felt something as he looked at her watching for fish. He realized just how connected they were now. They shared the same path, the same fate. Could she even have the same feelings for him that he did for her? But if that was the case, why did she keep pushing him away?

  Siki glanced up and caught him staring.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  He closed his eyes again to find out what else Artistry could tell him. Although Andar was drawn to Siki, almost completely and without control, he did have just enough strength to feel for other life out there. His cluster of Artistry was still there.

  Somehow, Andar could feel that this cluster of energy had learned what a heart was. It was the same way he knew Siki was beautiful, a feeling he couldn’t deny, though this brought up many questions. Had Andar taught this bit of Artistry to look for hearts now? Or was it that Andar had learned how to use all Artistry to search for life? Either way, he spread the cloud of energy thin and long, stretching upstream to cover as much of the river as it could.

  He felt a spark of heat. If Siki was a roaring fire, then this was just an ember in comparison. Was this a fish? It had to be.

  It moved too quickly for Andar to do anything, zipping by him, and soon was gone from his senses. Andar bent some of the Artistry downward to wrap it around the large rocks at the bottom of the river. These he was familiar with. He had spent years linking steel to rocks, clothes to rocks, and of course rocks to rocks. It was easy to start one part of a link with a rock. He encased the rock and made a thin line of the energy out of this shell, ready to link it to the next spark of life that entered his invisible net.

  There—a tiny heart moving toward him. He collapsed all available Artistry around the moving fish, then connected it to the strand coming from the rock. The link was set. The fish should not be able to move now.

  Andar opened his eyes as Siki yelled out, “Caught one!”

  She tried to lift the fish out of the water but screamed as she fell in.

  Andar rushed over to help her, putting his hands around hers and lifting the heavy fish close enough to the surface for Siki to stick her head out and gasp.

  “It’s sarding heavy!”

  Andar laughed. “Good use of sarding. Yeah, I linked it to one of the rocks.”

  “I knew you could do it.” She showed him a cute smile as water dripped down her face. “I think I have it now, so you can break the link.”

  Andar stepped back and tore the line of Artistry apart with his mind. The fish squirmed violently as Siki lifted it out of the water.

  “Got it!” she called in triumph.

  Andar offered to kill the fish for her, but she said she could do it. So he gathered sticks and brush to make a fire. With the help of the glass he stole from Pylees, and the hot sun, starting a fire was easy. Setting up the spit to cook the fish was what took most of the time.

  They still needed many things if they were to stay out here much longer. A pan, a blanket, a coat, some soap, and a change of clothing. Andar would be miserable if he was on his own, but he couldn’t complain with Siki at his side.

  He stole glimpses of her enjoying the fish, trying not to bother her. She looked up at him often, but she didn’t seem upset anymore to catch his gaze on her.

  As soon as she finished her half, she walked back into the river. “This will be my bathing spot. I’m going to scrub my clothing clean, as best as I can, which will take some time.” She looked at Andar as if expecting him to understand what she was asking of him.

  “I’ll look the other way, but I’m not leaving you alone here. A group of barbarians could come across us.”

  “You promise not to look at me?”

  “If you promise not to look at me while I’m naked and cleaning my clothes as well.”

  “You don’t need to undress completely to clean yourself or your clothes.”

  “If I’m going to do it right, I need to,” he countered. “Think you can keep your eyes to yourself?”

  She smirked. “Oh, it might be difficult, but I think I’ll manage.”

  Andar choose a spot nearby where the river was deeper, just in case the princess was tempted anyway. He disrobed and scrubbed his shirt as best as he could. He planned to use it as a washing cloth when he was done. He felt a little strange being as naked as the day he was born, especially when he could hear Siki splashing around behind him. He knew his shoulders and back looked just fine. He just wasn’t sure how the rest of him looked from behind, and he didn’t really like the idea of giving Siki a clear view of it. He had to trust that she wouldn’t turn around.

  When courting other women, Andar had always feared accidentally offending them, either while trying to be funny or by misunderstanding the meaning behind something they said. Both had happened a lot, unfortunately.

  He didn’t understand most women, which made it very difficult for him when he thought he was falling in love with them. He’d lost one relationship by coming on too strong and scaring her. Another was lost by the opposite behavior, not understanding the hints she gave him to treat their relationship more seriously.

  But he was always confident about one subject, and that was his appearance. He’d only ever experienced compliments and sometimes even gasps of pleasant surprise when he’d removed his shirt. And his face, with his chiseled features, was what attracted women to him in the first place, for it sure wasn’t his sense of humor.

  Suddenly, Andar heard a rustle in the bushes behind him. He spun around as he reached for his sword and spotted an animal—a large one. He also noticed that Siki was staring at him! And she hadn’t even disrobed yet!

  “Get the bow!” Andar said as he quickly linked its legs together while using his hands to cover himself. Andar didn’t know what to call this creature. It was white with black horns that stuck straight up in a long V shape. It had a lon
g face similar to that of a goat, with legs and hooves that reminded Andar of the same animal.

  It tried to run off as Siki grabbed her bow and loaded an arrow. The animal fell as its legs moved in unison. Siki looked back at Andar as she let down her weapon.

  “We should kill it with a sword strike. It will be more merciful for the animal.”

  Andar crouched and moved toward the riverside where he’d put his sword.

  “You’re naked already, really?” she protested.

  “Oh, don’t pretend that you don’t know! I saw you looking.”

  “I was just glancing to make sure you weren’t staring at me.”

  “You aren’t even undressing! There’s nothing for me to stare at.”

  “I was about to undress.”

  “Right.”

  The creature let out a frightened sound as it struggled on the ground. Andar handed off the sword to Siki. “Do it fast.”

  “Yes, I will try to be merciful.”

  “No, because I’m hungry,” he joked.

  She didn’t laugh at that one.

  She stood over the creature and raised the sword overhead, then brought it down with force. Andar was pleased when the creature’s shrieks came to an end after just one swing.

  He wasn’t surprised at Siki’s strength. Her skills no longer surprised him, after what she’d done yesterday. Now he just admired her more.

  Later, when they had finished scrubbing their skin and clothes in the river, Andar did feel refreshed, though he’d have greatly preferred some soap. He and Siki cooked the animal and brought their meal under the shade of a tree. They stuffed themselves to the point that they both needed some time to rest before they could get up and start their next task: a better shelter.

  “Shouldn’t we check the rift location first?” Siki asked.

  “I’m not sure how I know, but I’m confident that Leo isn’t ready. He needs more time. Let’s use the rest of the daylight to find a place to sleep tonight. In the morning we can wait around for a rift, at least for a while.”