by Gage Lee
“My core was too weak to make soul steel fast enough for us to win the Glory Chase," Taun said. "And my body was too weak to safely advance my core without damaging the soul scale. So, I strengthened myself."
Kam snapped his fingers. "That's brilliant, Taun. You merged the soul steel with your body to harden it. Do you have any idea how risky that was? If you'd failed, it could have killed you."
"But it didn't," Taun said. "I'm fine. Better than fine. I feel like I can do anything. I'll be able to make soul steel faster than ever, now. There's no way we can lose!"
That news brought smiles to everyone's faces. While Moglan joined Kam and Sutari, Lira stayed at the table, nodding approvingly at Taun.
TAUN COULDN'T GET OVER how good he felt since advancing his core. His connection to the hoard was strong, and he felt its power always there and waiting to be drawn on. The pneuma he gathered in his core warmed him from the inside out and gave him the confidence that only came from the strength to deal with any problem that presented itself.
It was almost enough to make him forget what Moglan had said the night before.
Almost.
Because in so many ways, Moglan was right. And so was Lira. The Taun who'd woken up in the Broken Blades Lodge was not the same as the one who'd woken the day before. And that Taun wasn't the same as the one who'd left the Ruby Blade Keep seven months before. Who wasn't the boy who'd played with pneuma and a dragon blade.
Or the young man who went down into the dark to deal with dragons and save his family. Does it matter?
As much as anything else, that plucked at Taun's thoughts. Did it matter that he'd changed? That's what he'd wanted when he came to the Celestial Academy. To grow. To become something more than anyone thought possible.
And now you have become something new. Something even I have never seen before. Rejoice, man-child. This is what you wanted.
"I know," Taun muttered. He stretched his hands above his head, arched his back, and pointed his toes at the foot of his bed. "But I don't know if this is what I expected."
No life worth living is expected, man-child. Embrace this new phase. Spread your wings. Breathe your fire. Burn away the old to make way for the new. That is the dragon's way. And you are a dragon, Taun Koth'tok.
That was enough of that conversation. Taun threw his blankets off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He hissed when his feet hit the freezing floor, but grinned when the cold faded within the space of a single breath.
You will find many other discomforts are no longer a worry for you. As your core advances, the little worries of the world fade away.
"That's awesome," Taun said. He changed his sleeping wear for his usual breeches and tunic, slipped his feet into the well-worn pair of boots that had gotten him through the year so far, and opened the door to the common room.
Only to be half-tackled by Moglan. The big shaman hooked an arm around Taun's waist and hoisted him over his shoulder. "After your news last night, I forgot to tell you about today!"
Moglan slung Taun into an empty chair while the rest of the lodge laughed. Taun landed with a grunt and shook his head in confusion. "What's going on?"
"Cherry Blossom Festival," Kam said, shoving a bowl of scrambled eggs, fried rice, and spicy sausage across the table to Taun. "Biggest party of the year."
"Only party of the year," Sutari corrected him. "Or did you not notice the Celestial Academy skipped the Harvest Feast, midwinter celebration, and Long Night vigil?"
Lira chuckled and drained a glass of milk so cold frost had formed on its sides. "The school wants the students to focus. If we had all those parties, we'd spend half the year celebrating or recovering from celebrating."
Sutari snorted at that. "There's nothing wrong with having a little fun. Don't you remember what it was like to wait by the window to watch for messenger dragonettes bringing midwinter gifts?"
A flicker of pain passed over Lira's face, but she covered it up by slurping some of the spicy noodles in her bowl.
Taun shot a warning look at Sutari and was glad to see that she actually blushed and looked away. In some ways, it was nice to see the silver warrior had forgotten that Lira had grown up on the streets, not in the luxury of a noble's home. But it was still insensitive, and Taun was proud that Lira had held her tongue rather than escalating the fight.
"Someone should fill me in on this thing," Taun said. "We don't celebrate it out near the wyld."
"Oh, you'll love it," Sutari said.
And Taun did. In the scant hours since he'd returned home the night before and headed out with his lodge again in the morning, the school had changed. Strings of colored lights hung between the towers in crisscrossed layers. Brilliant flares in red, green, and blue soared into the sky from the rooftops, then dove through swooping passes over the heads of the students gawking at them. The fiery streaks burst into showers of pink blossoms that vanished in puffs of sweet-scented smoke. The young knight had never seen anything like this display.
"Spirits," Moglan said with a grin. "The school had all of us shamans working on it for the past month. If I never grind up another lotus blossom for pneuma paste, it'll be too soon."
In my day, soaring dragons filled the sky on this day. They showered the revelers with gifts of pneuma. How far my people have fallen if all they can muster is a few pathetic spirits.
Taun didn't think that was a very charitable view of the Academy's decorations. But if what Axaranth said was true, this wasn't a very impressive show. Soaring dragons? Taun couldn't remember ever seeing a dragon with fully manifested signs.
There were thousands of us after the last war. There should be many more now. Perhaps things are more dire than I imagined.
Taun had once asked Axaranth why the dragon wasn't interested in how the world had changed since his death. The dragon had told him he didn't want to be disappointed by his squandered legacy. The knight had thought that was an arrogant view, but maybe the old spirit was right. Things seemed to have gotten much worse in the centuries since Axaranth died. At least, judging by what he told Taun.
"Here," Lira said, shoving skewers of battered and fried mushrooms to each of her lodge members. "These are so good. I haven't had them for years."
Taun took the treat and nibbled at the flaky brown chunks. The taste of honey mingled with flakes of red chili pepper and a dusting of saffron. Every bite was an explosion of sweet and hot flavor that left his tongue tingling.
"These must have cost a fortune," Sutari said. "Here, let me give you some—"
Lira shook her head. "No. This is my gift to all of you. When I started this year, I worried things would end badly for me. That you all accepted me means more than I can ever say. Think of this as an early celebration for Taun's plan coming to fruition."
Moglan wiped a smear of honey sauce from his lips and grinned at Lira. "I will gladly accept all gifts of food. I've never tasted anything quite like this."
Kam nodded in vigorous agreement and waved his half-empty skewer in the air like a conductor leading an orchestra. "While I fully agree with Moglan's assessment, maybe don't jinx us so hard next time. The plan is still a work in progress."
"Don't be such a spoilsport," Taun said, elbowing Kam in the ribs. "And who would have known an occultist would be so superstitious."
Kam elbowed the knight right back. "My entire path is focused on bending the laws of the natural universe. What you call superstitious, I call caution."
"Such a chicken," Moglan teased. "I will tell the spirits to leave you be, little friend."
The Broken Blades all laughed as they reached the common area. Foodcarts, vendor stalls, gaming fields, and raised stages that held performers of all stripes filled the normally empty space. Taun took a deep breath as he drank it all in. He felt a pang of disappointment, knowing that he'd never be able to experience it all before the day ended.
"What do we do first?" Taun asked.
"You join me for a tour of the festival," Karsi said as she
appeared from the crowd and took Taun's arm in hers. "My treat!"
Moglan nudged Kam, knocking the scrawny occultist into Sutari, who rolled her eyes and nudged him toward Lira. The scout righted him with a well-placed poke in the ribs with her elbow.
"We'll catch up to you later, Taun," Sutari said.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Kam said with a cheeky grin.
"Don't be silly," Karsi said. "I'm inviting all of you, and I won't take no for an answer."
Taun felt his cheeks burning and didn't know why. It wasn't like Karsi wanted any private time with him. She was just being nice. Not that he had any idea why she'd be nice to him, other than the time they spent together in servant's class with Professor Geth. She was just nice.
That was all.
You really are clueless about most things.
Karsi dragged Taun toward the center of the common area, and the other Broken Blades hurried to keep up with them.
"You've got some of the best food already," the princess said, eyeing Taun's mushrooms. "So, you really must see the Harmonious Golden Octet while you eat."
The princess stopped when they reached a stage adorned with pennants in shades of gold that seemed to flow into one another, like streams of molten metal. A group of eight young dragons occupied the center of the stage, each playing a different instrument while also singing. Their voices and music they played blended together in a way that defied everything Taun knew about songs. There were no words, only fluid tones that glided up and down scales in perfect harmony. The notes from their instruments blended together, forming chords that rang in the air with crystalline purity. It was beautiful and strange, and held Taun mesmerized for the duration of the performance.
"That was amazing," he said. "I feel...I don't know. It's like nothing I've ever experienced."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Karsi smiled. "Now it's time for something I know you'll all like. Games!"
The princess led the Broken Blades toward a small field that contained ten metal discs, each ten feet across. Contestants surrounded the discs, their brows furrowed in concentration, strands of pneuma flowing from their cores to anchor points on the rims of each disk.
"The Archon's Wheel!" Kam shouted, excited. "I've wanted to try this forever!"
The Broken Blades lined up outside the ropes that defined the play area and watched as the current games progressed. From what Taun could tell, each of the participants controlled the disks with pneuma. Activating distinct elements caused the wheel to tip toward or away from a participant, allowing them to control a ball that rolled around the disk's surface. Most of the students weren't very good at it, and the amount of teamwork required seemed daunting.
"Are they trying to get the ball into that hole in the disks' center?" Taun asked Kam.
"No, they're trying to keep it out of the hole," the occultist said. "The team who keeps the ball moving the longest wins the prize."
"Seems easy enough," Taun said. "What's the prize?"
"Depends on how long you last," Kam said. "Could be some sweets. Could be an enchanted item. Gotta go a long time for that."
We will dominate this. It will impress the girl.
Taun blushed at that and hoped no one would notice. He fidgeted, and the princess held his arm tighter.
"Nervous?" she teased.
"Maybe," he answered.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do," Karsi said with a sly smile. "I bet you know a lot of tricks."
Before Taun could embarrass himself by saying anything, a red flag shot from the center of the last disk still turning and the players surrounding it shouted in victory. The rest of the students left the field, disappointed but still cheering on the winners.
"Only five people can play on each wheel," Kam said. "Sorry, Karsi, but—"
"I'll sit this one out," Lira said with a smile. "I'm not great with pneuma. The five of you will do better without me. Besides, I can't bet if I'm playing."
The scout winked at Taun. She had a brave smile on her face, but Taun wondered if it was just another of her masks. Still, if she could earn them some Glory by betting on the outcome, he wouldn't tell her no.
"We'll try to win for you," he said with a grin.
"You better," the scout said as she walked away. "I'm betting all the Glory we have on you."
"Come on," Karsi said, pulling Taun toward the field. "It's our turn!"
The Broken Blades and their guest rushed onto the grassy field and surrounded an unoccupied wheel. Taun couldn't suppress the grin that creased his face when he saw all of his friends, except for Lira, gathered around him. There was an air of excitement over the field, and Taun couldn't wait for the competition to begin.
"Contestants," the game's operator called out. "Create a pneuma bond to the elemental node at your station."
The air crackled and hummed as Taun and his friends followed the instructions. The knight was fortunate that he'd landed in front of the fire element. He was comfortable controlling it after dozens of hours parked beside the forge. Kam had claimed the metal node, which was also good for him—occultists were attuned to metal. Moglan took water, perfect for a shaman, while Sutari landed on earth which aligned well with her warrior path. That left Karsi with wood.
"I'm the weak link," she said with a grin. "I'll do my best, but you may have to pick up my slack."
"No sweat," Kam responded. "You're a princess. I'm sure you're used to being carried."
The rest of the lodge stared at the spectacled occultist in horror. Taun felt himself turning red right up to the roots of his hair. He couldn't believe Kam would say something so rude.
"You're right," Karsi said with a laugh. "But at least I warned you."
"Begin at the trumpet," the game's operator called out. "Last team with their ball on the wheel wins!"
A loud, braying blast from a trumpet came a breath later, and the game began.
"Give it up, human," Auris called from across the field. "There's no way for you to beat me."
Chapter 20
CHAOS ERUPTED THE INSTANT the trumpet sounded. Red balls appeared above each of the wheels. As the rubbery spheres fell, the wheels tilted sharply down on one side and spun rapidly counterclockwise. When the balls hit the wheels, they bounced and whirled chaotically. Two of the ten teams on the field lost control immediately, and their balls spiraled into the hole at the disk's center and vanished with a loud pop. Twin trumpet blasts announced their defeat and jarred the rest of the contestants to attention.
Taun felt a sharp tug on the bond he'd forged between the wheel's metal node and his core. The wheel had tipped away from him, putting pressure on the bond and forcing him to send a rush of pneuma to maintain it. That pulled back on the wheel, however, which made the side closest to him drop so sharply the ball momentarily hung in the air.
"Easy!" Kam shouted, then laughed. "Taun and Sutari, loosen up on your side. Moglan pull from your side with me!"
The occultist's guidance pulled the wheel to a wobbling level. Taun saw that the elemental nodes were not actually part of the wheel, but on a ring that surrounded it. The wheel spun inside the band, which meant the team had no control over its speed or direction. All they could control was the wheel's pitch and yaw. That made the challenge much harder than it looked, because the rubbery ball's bounces against the spinning surface were hard to predict.
Long seconds passed with Kam directing his team every so often to keep the ball away from the hole at the center of the wheel. The game used little pneuma, but it required coordination and concentration. That soon left the students with sweaty brows and burning eyes, as they were all too afraid to look away from the ball for even a second. Sutari's breathing was already labored, and she winced every few breaths, reminding Taun that she was far from out of the woods with the crudlung.
"Doing good!" Kam cheered on his team. "Moglan, give it some slack. Getting a little close to the hole on your side."
"Thanks for the tip," Moglan replied
with a ferocious grin. "This is harder than rolling logs in the icy lakes back home. Feels like juggling plates on poles."
"Just relax and listen to me," Kam said. "We've got this!"
And they did. Following Kam's lead got them through a full minute, then another, and another. Teams fell out of the competition, unable to maintain control. With every elimination, the wheel turned faster until the striped pattern on its surface transformed into a mesmerizing blur. Taun's head swam trying to keep the ball in focus, and his core ached from the constant push and pull of the bond connected to the game.
You need to change strategies. Your reflexes will not be fast enough to keep up with the spinning wheel.
From Taun's vantage, he could see the remaining teams. Four other tables still spun, three that belong to lodges Taun had only seen in passing.
Auris controlled the fourth. The gold seemed confident and unruffled. The crown prince had no doubt he’d win this game, just like he'd won all the challenges he'd faced that year. With the spring sunshine pouring down onto his golden scales, Auris looked like the gods themselves had chosen him to win.
But Taun refused to give in. The game wasn't something the professors could rig. If the Broken Blades beat Auris and his lodge, the victory would stand. More importantly, it would show other students that Auris wasn't invincible.
And that was worth the world to the knight.
He let his eyes drift across the wheel. He didn't look at its physical presence, but at the pneuma that powered it. At first, all Taun saw were chaotic whirls of mystic energy plucking at the wheel and twisting the bonds his team had forged to the band that surrounded it. The frenetic bursts of energy seemed to have no purpose and moved so quickly Taun couldn't register what he was seeing.
Calm yourself. This is not as difficult as you are making it out to be. There are attracting and opposing forces at work here. That is all.
