“I assume this is the cloak she wants me to enchant,” said Ari. “Is this silkweave, by chance?”
“Correct,” said Rin. “You know your materials, chala. Do you think it’ll suffice?”
Ari shrugged. “Only one way to find out. But we’ll get to that in a couple of minutes.”
He took his time sorting through the items. Eva had warned him before about using equipment with unidentified enchantments, but he felt as though it was a safe assumption that the Vereshi would keep anything with dangerous magic out of his reach.
“There was a time when enchantments were highly coveted amongst the Rav,” said Rin. “They were a status symbol, a thing through which the more privileged showcased their affluence.”
“Makes sense,” said Ari.
“It was before the Rav had committed to living a communal lifestyle,” said Rin. “In truth, the enchanted items created more strife amongst us than they were worth, given how scarcely they could even be used. This time will be different, I think.”
Ari turned a small dagger over in his hand. He could sense only a minor enchantment in it, and he used his will to trigger the magic. The tip of the dagger let out a small flicker of sparks.
“What’s changed?” asked Ari. “I’m making a Feathercloak for your sister, and you have one. What’s to stop other Ravarians from thinking that’s it unfair?”
“Tialese,” said Rin. “My sister is half Hume and half Ravarian. She’ll be more adept at using the enchantments than anyone else in the flock at a base level. I doubt there will be much dissent.”
“I was a little surprised when I first saw her, to be honest,” said Ari. “She seems so… different from the other Ravarians.”
“Are you intrigued by her, chala?” asked Rin with a smirk.
“That’s not what I meant,” said Ari. “Her wings are so small. She can’t fly, can she? That’s why she wants the Feathercloak so badly.”
“Correct,” said Rin. “She leads our people not because of her physical achievements, but through her wisdom. She’s led our flock for longer than any other leader in Rav history, and without violence. It’s why so many are curious about what our flock would look like if we adopted a more open policy about birthing Hume hybrids.”
Ari let out a small cough and avoided Rin’s gaze as he tested another enchantment, this one a glove. Rin had gone to great lengths to seduce him in pursuit of obtaining his seed and potentially birthing a Ravarian-Hume, and he’d only barely managed to resist in the end.
“I think this would be a good time for us to discuss the price of the aid I’ve given you,” said Rin. “As fond of you and your women as I’ve become, I spoke on your behalf for my own reasons, chala.”
Ari had pulled the glove on, and he slammed it down on the stone, raising an eyebrow as he noticed a blue magical aura glittering around it, reflecting the energy of the blow. He took it off and slid it to the side, slightly apart from the other enchanted items.
“I’m guessing you still want what you wanted before?” he asked.
“That’s right.” Rin closed the distance between them, leaning her head to one side and letting her glossy black hair collect across one shoulder. “It’s such an easy price to pay. Enjoyable, even. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I think we’re about even right now,” said Ari. “Sure, you helped us, but you also stole my Feathercloak.”
“Which I’ve been intending to give back,” said Rin. “My wing is healed. I’ve no further need of it.”
She unhooked the broach from her neck and let the cloak fall to the ground. The cloak had apparently been helping keep her black tunic in place, and the fabric of the garment slid open slightly, revealing more of her breasts.
“Hold on,” said Ari. “We should… talk about… a few things, first.”
Rin kissed him as he spoke. Her lips were soft and perfect, and she kissed with cute, quick, dexterous movements.
“We can talk with our bodies, chala,” said Rin.
“I’m serious,” said Ari, pushing her back by the shoulders. “This is something that your people need to know about.”
He was buying himself time, but he also meant what he said. What they’d uncovered in Deepwater Spire was relevant to everyone, even if it might not be actionable information. Rin pouted for a minute, but she slowly began to frown as he related most of the details of Mordus and what he’d said about controlling the Weatherblight.
“That’s almost unbelievable,” said Rin. “Though I see no reason for you to lie.”
“I’m not lying,” said Ari.
Rin stared into his face for a couple of seconds before nodding. “I’ll relate this to my sister. Perhaps in the coming months, we can send a cadre on an expedition to find this place.”
“They won’t receive a warm welcome,” said Ari.
“That’s true of most places in this accursed world,” said Rin. “Of course, here in Varnas-Rav, we are safe, most of the time. You and your friends are safe. Children are safe. Potential offspring—”
“Enough, I get it,” said Ari. “That’s the deal, then? I give you my seed and… a child, and you’ll do what you can to make sure that we have a place here?”
“Exactly,” said Rin. “My sister is a fickle woman, despite her general wisdom. You will need a friend to continue vouching for you if you wish to stay in her good graces.”
Ari sighed and ran his hand through his hair, feeling more torn by the choice than he had the last time it had been offered to him. Varnas-Rav did seem safe. If he stayed on good terms with Rin, Kerys and Eva might still be able to live amongst the Ravarians even once he was gone.
All it would cost him was his firstborn child. Probably his only child, unless he got busy under the sheets over the next few months. A child he’d never see grow up or even reach the point of knowing who he was and what he believed in.
Did it really matter, as long as Kerys and Eva were safe?
Rin kissed him again and slid forward, pinning his body against the one wall left standing in the ruined building. Ari allowed himself to run his hand across her butt, up the length of her back, to the section of her tunic left open to allow her wings out. They connected seamlessly into her shoulders, and for some reason, he found them arousing in a weird, exotic way.
Rin suddenly pulled back from him, turning her attention in the direction of a small clump of trees in the distance. Ari followed her gaze, noticing that the Ravarian who’d dropped off the enchanted items earlier was meandering an aimless path across the grass, glancing in their direction every couple of seconds.
“We’d have to be discreet about it, of course,” said Rin. “We can’t just do it right now.”
“I thought Ravarians were promiscuous and open about this sort of thing?” asked Ari.
“Very much so amongst our own, chala,” said Rin. “But my sister… She would take offense to the idea of me laying claim to your seed.”
“It seems a little strange that she’s against the existence of hybrids, given that she is one,” said Ari.
“She isn’t,” said Rin. “She just wants the right to take your seed for herself first, if she can. Which I’m fine with, as long as you still fulfill my request, chala.”
CHAPTER 22
Rin left shortly after, and Ari turned his attention to the task he’d been given. In total, he had close to a dozen enchanted items, though most had enchantments that he considered to be impractical, if not useless.
He started by draining the essence from a club made from dark wood that had been enchanted to shift its size depending on the demands of the will of the wielder. He placed it on the center of the enchanting altar and spent a minute or two identifying each of the relevant wards before triggering the one that pulled essence from items.
He frowned as he felt the altar’s store of essence afterward. It didn’t seem to be as efficient at absorption as the altar back in the tower, and Ari could only wonder if the exposure to the elements had diminished i
ts functionality.
He drained all of the enchanted items in the bag except for the glove he’d noticed earlier with the defensive enchantment. He kept that nearby, focusing first on fulfilling the Vereshi’s request. He set his own Feathercloak on the section of the enchanting altar that allowed enchantments to be stored for later application and triggered the appropriate ward.
The silk cloak that the Vereshi had allotted him to use as the base for the new enchanted cloak seemed to have sufficient capacity, though it was hard for Ari to know for sure. He set it onto the altar and set about placing the enchantment, watching as the ward gave off light and warmed underneath his touch.
The cloak didn’t look any different when he finished, but he could feel it brimming with essence as he touched it with his fingers. He’d used up about half of the essence placing the wind affinity enchantment onto it. He had other plans for the remaining half.
After carefully scanning his surroundings to ensure that the Ravarian who’d been watching him and Rin earlier wasn’t paying attention, Ari grabbed the glove with the defensive enchantment. He quickly copied the enchantment into the altar, drained it of its essence, and then set his own drakeskin Feathercloak down on the center of the table.
When he’d originally placed the initial enchantment onto his Feathercloak, Ari had wondered if the base material would still have room for other upgrades later. The answer to his question was apparently a resounding yes. He put nearly half of the remaining essence within the altar into the cloak, stopping only when he felt the fabric begin to hum. The defensive enchantment he imbued it with was easily as strong, if not more so, as the original wind affinity enchantment.
Ari pulled his Feathercloak on once he was finished. He could feel both of the enchantments while he wore it, and he pushed his will outward to trigger the new one. The cloak immediately gave off a faint blue glow, the fabric tensing slightly like a muscle tightened in expectation of a blow. Ari wanted to give it a more thorough test to see exactly what types of attacks it would be capable of deflecting, but he spotted his Ravarian watcher and knew it would have to wait.
He pretended to be at work for a few more minutes before waving the man over. The Ravarian raised an eyebrow as Ari passed him the new silken Feathercloak.
“Here,” he said. “It’s what your Vereshi asked for.”
The man nodded. “She instructed me to allow you to return to your friends once you were finished but to remain in the area of the tree hut for the time being.”
“Sure,” said Ari. He watched the man go, feeling a little surprised that he wasn’t being guarded more closely.
He wasn’t being guarded, but he soon noticed that he was still being watched, and not by servants of the Vereshi. A small group of young boys, most of them no older than nine or ten, were following him in the branches above, gliding on wings that didn’t look large enough to allow them to fly properly yet.
Ari slowed, looking upward and offering them a wave. He heard one of them laugh, followed by a series of words that he didn’t understand, but could recognize as jeers from the tone.
An apple landed on the ground next to him. Ari bent over to pick it up and felt a salvo of four or five strike his back and shoulders in quick succession, followed by more laughter.
“You kids are brave,” said Ari, grinning up at them. “I’ll give you that much.”
He was struck by how much their faces and mannerisms reminded him of the boys back in Golias Hollow, the way they smiled and enjoyed their mischief. Ari felt a touch of nostalgia as a sudden impulse to respond back took hold.
He rolled the apple he’d picked up against his palm, waited for one of the Ravarian boys to glide out of cover, and then leapt into the air. He’d forgotten how much his Feathercloak enhanced his movement, and soared nearly twice as high as he’d normally be able to jump before taking aim and flinging the apple forth.
The apple struck its intended target square in the forehead. Ari winced as he saw the boy blink several times in dumbfounded shock before bursting into tears.
“Whoops,” said Ari. “Though let’s be honest, you were kind of asking for it. Take cover after throwing next time.”
He didn’t receive any more harassment at the hands of the boys on his trip back to the tree hut. Kerys was waiting outside, and he realized that something was wrong as she hurried to meet him while he was on his way over.
“Aristial!” she said. “It’s Eva! I’m worried about her.”
“What happened?” he asked.
Kerys frowned, falling into step beside him and taking one of his hands to hold. Her blonde hair fell forward across her face as she opened her mouth to speak, and then she hesitated.
“She said she was tired,” said Kerys. “She’s been acting strange almost since we arrived in Varnas-Rav.”
Ari furrowed his brow. He hadn’t noticed anything unusual about Eva’s behavior, but admittedly, he’d had other things on his mind over the past day.
“I’ll talk to her,” said Ari. “Do you mind waiting outside for a few minutes?”
Kerys nodded. She gave him a quick, somewhat clumsy kiss on the lips and let go of his hand. Ari pushed his way into the tree hut and immediately saw the problem.
Eva was manifested in her sword form, the slim, elegant greatsword with the sapphire pommel lying diagonally across the cloth futon in the center of the hut. Outside of when Ari was exploring a potentially dangerous location or in the midst of combat, he couldn’t remember the last time she’d opted to spend a significant amount of time as a sword instead of a person.
“Eva…” he said, sitting down next to the sword. “What’s going on?”
He pressed a hand to the flat of the beautiful, gleaming blade and felt a sudden pang of guilt. He wasn’t sure he’d ever properly explained to her how much he appreciated her help, both in combat, in the wisdom she provided, in her very presence as a friend, and occasionally as a lover.
“Eva,” said Ari. “Please. Talk to me. Regardless of what’s wrong, you don’t have to bear it alone.”
He shifted the blade across his lap and did his best to ignore his rising sense of panic at the fact that she wasn’t answering him.
“Eva!” he shouted, giving the hilt a tight squeeze.
Nothing happened. The silence of the moment stretched on, torturing him with worry. Ari waited for long minutes, holding his sword, trying to think his way through whatever was going on. She’d seemed fine the last time he’d spoken to her.
Of course, Eva was the type of person that always seemed fine, until she wasn’t. Ari thought back to the nightmare she’d had during their time on Deepwater Spire. He’d known that she was haunted by her past and the creeping return of memories better left forgotten, but could it really have been enough to push her into withdrawing completely?
The sword flashed, and Ari felt an odd sensation as the weight of the weapon across his lap was instantly replaced by the slender, stoic form of the beautiful silver-blue-haired woman. He let out a sigh of relief and hugged his arms around her.
“Aristial…?” said Eva. “Oh, I’m sorry. I could not sense that you were there.”
“Dormiar’s blood, Eva,” said Ari. “You shouldn’t worry people like that.”
“I… You were worried?” She furrowed her brow, but her lips turned up into a small, grateful smile. “Again, I apologize. That was not my intent.”
“What was your intent, then?” asked Ari. “And why couldn’t you hear me through our bond?”
Eva’s smile faded.
“Both questions have the same answer,” she said. “It appears that our bond has been restoring my essence more slowly since we left the spire. It is quite odd. Even weakened as it is, our bond should let you share small amounts of your residual essence with me, enough for me to subsist.”
“So you were in your sword form to, what, save energy?” asked Ari.
“To save essence,” said Eva. “Do you have any guess as to what might have happened?�
�
He did, though he had no wish to burden her with that particular truth. She’d said that it had been a problem since around when they left the spire, which all but confirmed to Ari that it was related to his diminished soul essence and the fact that he was dying.
He tried to keep the despair from showing on his face as he came to the realization that his own looming mortality might also apply to Eva, given the nature of their bond. Eva frowned and squeezed one of his hands.
“I did not mean to upset you, milord,” she said. “I would have told you about this problem when I first noticed it, but it just seemed so selfish of me.”
“There’s nothing selfish about asking for help,” said Ari.
“Perhaps that is the wrong word for it,” said Eva. “I saw how well you had been getting along with Lady Kerys, and of course, I had been developing my own friendship with her. The balance between the relationships connecting the three of us felt like a very delicate thing, and I did not wish to upset it by demanding more of your time and attention to strengthen our bond.”
“Does your memory have anything to do with it?” asked Ari.
“Yes, that was also part of why I was so hesitant,” said Eva. “I enjoy traveling with you and Kerys. So very, very much. I did not want things to change, and I suppose I let that feeling paralyze me.”
She was lying across his lap. Ari lifted his index finger, held it in front of her eyes, and then flicked her in the nose, causing her face to wrinkle in a cute mixture of surprise and annoyance.
“Aristial?” said Eva.
“You’re an idiot,” said Ari. “Do you think Kerys and I want you to literally sacrifice your life for us? The next time you have a problem, Eva, whether it’s with the bond or anything else, you need to tell us.”
Eva’s eyes flickered as she smiled at him, and Ari felt his heart ache a little as he wondered how long it had been since she’d last had people in her life who cared about her. He leaned forward, brushing a few stray locks of silver hair out of her face before giving her a deep kiss.
Vision Voyage (The Weatherblight Saga Book 2) Page 13
