by Dante King
“But how does my disobedience help?”
Xilarion stood, went to the window, and gestured for me to follow. From up here in the tower, we could see across the courtyard, down the hills, to the towns and farms beyond.
In the courtyard, initiates were training with wooden weapons. Small bands formed and reformed in a swirling melee as they fought for dominance with both weapons and magic. The largest group followed Hamon as he ushered commands. Where he led, they followed.
“Hamon Wysaro is a powerful influence in my guild,” Xilarion said. “As is the shadow of his father. Their glamor draws the loyalty of those torn between clan and guild. Most people are not inspired by causes but by the people they admire, their beliefs and actions following from that. Jiven Wysaro inspires.
“Who do I have to counter with, to keep Augmenters here once their initiation is complete? A few eccentrics and wild ones might follow Rutmonlir, though most of them prefer life on their own. A handful of scholars stay to work with Master Kyu, a true legend in her field but not much of a warrior. Faryn’s woodcraft has little appeal to fire Augmenters, I am a soldier who no longer fights, and so the list goes on…”
He let his words trail off. His expression was sad, as if he looked out at a world of lost opportunities, a dream that was failing to come true around him. This was not a man who would ever give up, but neither was he one who was winning.
“You think that I could be an inspiration?” I asked.
“Actions like yours show that life in the guild can be as heroic and exciting as life in the clans. Look.”
He pointed to one side of the melee in the courtyard. There, I saw Vesma and Kegohr. My first reaction was worry that my friends hadn’t been given a chance to rest. But then, I noticed the knot of initiates gathering around them, a small but determined alternative to Hamon’s faction, and I smiled.
“That would not have happened a month ago,” Xilarion said. “That is your doing.”
We went back to the table, and Xilarion poured more tea. I could feel my spirits reviving with every sip.
“I know that you come from another world,” Xilarion said. “And I know that, in time, you wish to return. But I want you to consider another option, for now at least. The Radiant Dragon Guild has few high-ranking members, only those who teach and a handful away on missions in the world. In time, you could become one of them, inspiring others to follow your path. You could be the symbol this guild needs to regain its greatness.
“You have the power to make this world a better place. Use it wisely.”
“I will, Guildmaster,” I said. I went to stand and noticed an open scroll on a drawing board. I paused to look at the arcane symbols glowing on its surface when Xilarion spoke to me from behind his desk.
“It’s a spell scroll,” he said with a smile. “Only good for a single use, but it’s quite powerful.”
“What spell does it cast?”
“Summoning of Greater Fire Golem. I’ve been perfecting it all day.”
“How do scrolls work?” I asked, intrigued by this new revelation.
“You wouldn’t have learned about them yet. An introduction to scrolls normally occurs during Outer Disciple training. They function as an enchanted item. An Augmentor can infuse his Vigor into a specially prepared scroll, and it allows even the weakest to produce a powerful martial technique.”
Connections formed in my mind, and I realized how the Sundered Heart Sword could be both a weapon and a dragon spirit. It had seemed confusing to me at first, but now, I understood. Nydarth was a dragon, and the entirety of her spirit must have been sealed to a magical sword, much like the Summoning of Greater Fire Golem had been sealed to this scroll.
“Thank you for explaining,” I said to Xilarion.
Xilarion nodded, and I figured our meeting had ended. I left his office and returned to the practice yard to inform Kegohr and Vesma about the conversation.
“We’re not kicked out of the guild?” Kegohr asked.
“Nah, we’ll be sticking around,” I replied. “Hope you guys can—”
Vesma plowed into me, and her arms wrapped around me. It was an unexpected reaction, but I didn’t mind. We had grown closer from our adventures in the Ember Cavern, and I found myself increasingly attracted to her. We embraced for a few seconds more than I’d anticipated, and she hurried away.
“That was strange,” Kegohr commented. “You think she might—”
“Maybe,” I cut him off as I shrugged. “I’m going to get some sleep.”
I returned to my bunk for a much-needed rest. I’d passed all my initiate-level classes, so I had no scheduled lessons for the rest of the day. My eyelids closed, and I drifted to sleep.
When I awoke, it was evening, and everyone was asleep in their bunks. I waited a few moments before I retrieved the Sundered Heart Sword from the chest beneath my bed. I took out the weapon, and Nydarth’s presence entered my mind.
“Ethan,” she said. “I am overjoyed to be in your hands again.”
“I’m glad to have you back. I have questions.”
“Ask them.”
“What does it mean to become a Swordslinger? I haven’t had any straight answers from anyone.”
“The Swordslinger? Who told you of this person?”
“Tolin,” I said. “He’s the caretaker at the Unwashed Temple.”
“Caretaker? He has stooped so very low. I can hardly believe he still lives.”
“You know him?”
“In a way, yes,” she said before changing the subject. “A Swordslinger can wield blades like the Sundered Heart Sword.”
“Not everyone can wield them?”
“No.” Nydarth giggled. “I have more substantial answers for you, but they will come in time. For now, you must become stronger. You have great potential, but your channels are still too weak to contain what I want to give you.” She purred, and I wondered whether she was intentionally trying to arouse me. Just the sound of her voice was making the heat rise in my cheeks.
“I want to get stronger,” I said.
“Then, focus on your wood and fire techniques. They will be useful for our quest. The prize I have will give you a great advantage in the coming tournament.”
I grinned at the thought of kicking Hamon’s ass in front of the entire guild. If Nydarth could provide me with a superior edge, then I’d train harder than ever before.
I stashed the Sundered Heart inside the chest and went to sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
The weeks rolled by as our training continued. For leaving the guild and entering a Vigorous zone without permission, I was given a token punishment, a week’s duty sweeping the practice yard, but everybody understood that I had gotten off lightly. While the masters never acknowledged what I had done, word soon got around the guild that I had led a dangerous journey into the Ember Cavern and come back with a bag full of cores.
Things started to change. Hamon and his cronies still watched me with open hostility. They had plenty of scathing words whenever I did less than perfectly in a lesson, and even worse words for Vesma and Kegohr. But the attitude of others around us was different. Initiates we had barely spoken with before came to sit with us at lunch. When Hamon made racist comments about Kegohr’s parents, there were as many voices rising in my friend’s defense as their were joining in the cruel laughter. Despite the shorter days and colder nights, the atmosphere in the guild seemed somehow brighter.
By the time I ended each day, I was exhausted, and I talked to Nydarth for a few minutes. I didn’t want to doze off while clutching the sword and have someone discover me with it in the morning, so I was careful not to speak for long. Nydarth remained close-lipped on all questions I asked her, so I took the chance to detail my experiences of the world so far. Even though I didn’t discover much about her, I felt myself growing closer to the dragon spirit inside the sword as I explained the events from fighting the orcs to discovering her inside the Ember Cavern.
On an eveni
ng four weeks after retrieving the Sundered Heart, I sat in the great hall with Kegohr and Vesma while we ate a meal.
“You guys wanna train?” Kegohr asked as he gobbled up a piece of chicken.
“Indoors or out?” I fished the last piece of carrot from my bowl.
“Out, of course,” Kegohr said. “The dojo’s always crowded in the evenings.”
“That’s because it’s snowing.” Vesma pointed out of the window.
The weather was one of the disadvantages of living halfway up a mountain. The temperature was always colder here than down in the valley, and the preceding week had seen snow fall across our rooftops like a gentle blanket. It gave the whole place a stark beauty but was a deterrent to training outside. We had to train in the indoors in much smaller chambers, and our ability to use Augmentation was limited
“I think I’ll ask Nydarth whether I’m ready for her prize yet. If not, I’ll join you.”
“Suit yourself,” Kegohr said with a shrug. “What about you, Vesma?”
“I’m staying in.” She looked at me, then back at the contents of her bowl, her expression hard to read.
“All right, then,” Kegohr said. “You’re the ones missing out. Yaso and Veltai are sparring, and they’re the big contenders to win the tournament. It’d be worth watching them closely.”
“Veltai, eh?” Vesma raised an eyebrow.
Kegohr cleared his throat. “There’s nothing between us. Not that I don’t want there to be; it’s just that. . .”
I smiled at him. “Don’t worry, big fella. I bet you’ll get your chance with her. Just watch Yaso. I hear he’s got a thing for her, too.”
“Really?” Kegohr sighed and slapped his thigh. “I am no good at this stuff.”
“Sure you are,” Vesma said. “If by ‘this stuff,’ you mean fumbling around women like an idiot, then you’re the best!” She laughed, and Kegohr smiled back at her.
“I better get moving. Yaso is probably already helping Veltai train. I want to show her what I’ve learned on Flame Shield. I bet Yaso doesn’t know half of what I do.” Kegohr picked up his bowl and headed for the door, grinning as he went. “You wusses enjoy your books.”
I pushed my bowl aside and looked around. Some initiates were drifting away from the great hall, off to find some time to themselves. Others were taking out books, scrolls, and calligraphy sets so that they could study in a room heated by a great fire and the bodies of other initiates.
“Master Kyu has me cataloging her illustrated manuscripts while she’s away,” Vesma said. “Some of them are beautiful. Would you like to see?”
I’d never heard Vesma appreciate manuscripts before, and she almost always fell asleep in Master Kyu’s classes. I’d thought the only reason she worked in Kyu’s study was to fund her collection of spears.
“If you’re worried about the cold, there’s a fire.” Vesma continued after I didn’t respond. “And I found some plum wine.”
“Are you trying to get me on my own?” I asked with a chuckle.
She blushed slightly. “Would that be bad?”
“Not at all,” I said. “It sounds delightful.”
“Good.” She stood up abruptly. “Come.”
We handed our bowls to a servant and headed down a corridor deeper into the guild. This area mostly consisted of the rooms of masters. Many of them kept offices directly adjacent to their private chambers so that their work and rest were conveniently close together. But many more rooms lay empty, a sign of the guild’s lost glory.
Master Kyu’s rooms were on the second floor, near the rear of the masters’ block. As Vesma had promised, the study was warmed by a fire burning steadily in the hearth. The flames kept out the damp that might otherwise have destroyed Kyu’s precious books. They were a treasure trove of works on history and politics, and Kyu occasionally brought one out for our lessons. Some were battered by time and previous owners, others pristine. On a desk by the window, one lay open to display a portrait of an ancient empress in grand robes and a golden crown.
Vesma closed the shutters and pulled the chair out so that she could get under the desk. She emerged a moment later with a stoppered clay jug and two cups.
“Here.” She poured me a cup of wine.
I took a drink. It was sweet stuff with a strong flavor of plums that warmed my throat as it went down.
Vesma knocked hers back in a single gulp, then refilled both our cups.
“What’s the rush?” I asked. “Worried I’m going to run away?”
“I’m not good at this sort of thing,” she replied.
“What sort of thing?”
“This sort of thing.” She stretched up on tiptoes and kissed me hard. Her hand wrapped around the back of my head and pulled me down toward her. Her tongue came fierce and probing, like she was set on conquering me.
I laughed as we came up for breath. “I didn’t think you thought of me this way.”
“I like men who can fight,” she said. “So, since the Ember Cavern…” She shrugged and hunched her shoulders. “Don’t you want this?”
“Of course, I do,” I said.
“Good.”
She grabbed hold of me with both hands, and shoved me back against the wall as she tore open my tunic and started kissing my chest. Her body pushed hard against mine, and I could feel myself press back against her. My pulse raced and my skin tingled as her mouth slid across my stomach, down my chest, and ever lower.
Vesma unfastened my trousers and let them fall to the floor. Pleasure filled my senses as she worked wonders. All the dexterity she had shown in the arena was now applied to something far more sensual, as hands and mouth worked up and down in a series of turns and touches that made my head spin.
She suddenly stood and flung off her clothes, revealing a pale and perfectly formed body, leanly muscled with pert breasts and a tight ass. She walked over to the desk, pushed aside the book, and perched on the edge.
I went to her, slid inside her, and started to move my hips. Vesma seemed a little unsure, her hardened exterior replaced by an almost nervous aura. She bit her lip as I picked up the pace, and she let out a quiet moan that reached a crescendo as I thrust deeper.
Unlike Faryn, she didn’t tell me exactly how to pleasure her, and I had to guess her desires from her unspoken gestures. Vesma’s lovemaking was almost the opposite of the way she Augmented, and it was only her fervent kisses that communicated her satisfaction.
Minutes extended to hours as I uncovered this softer side of Vesma.
As our fourth session of the night drew to a close, my whole body tingled with pleasure. I was sure I couldn’t last much longer, but I held on as I lingered in the moment and enjoyed each exquisite sensation.
Vesma shuddered and cried out in delight as a huge grin split her face. She flung her arms around me and kept moving. She pressed her lips against mine and kissed me fiercely as her breasts pressed against my chest and her hands tangled in my hair.
My muscles suddenly tightened as I climaxed, and she let out a laugh. I groaned and felt my whole body grow limp.
“Much better than fighting in the cold,” I said once I’d caught my breath.
“It’ll do.” She grinned, climbed off me, and laid on the rug in front of the fire. I laid down beside her, and after a long day of training, the evening’s activities had used up the last of my energy. Heavy eyes started to sink, and I straightened up before I drifted off inside Master Kyu’s office.
“We should go,” I said.
“We should.” Vesma pulled me back to her and kissed me deeply. “You know this doesn’t mean I won’t get stronger than you, right?”
“I understand,” I said with a smile.
“I know you and Faryn also share something.”
I nodded. “We do. Is that a problem?”
“Of course, not. I’m happy to share a man like you. For a little while, at least. Maybe Faryn and I could spar, and the winner gets to have you to herself?”
“I’d r
ather you didn’t fight. Maybe we could work something else out?”
“Maybe,” Vesma said with a nod.
I wasn’t sure how I’d juggle two women, but there was bound to be some way to make it work. Faryn and I didn’t exactly have a permanent relationship, and we’d never even discussed what exactly was happening between us. I couldn’t imagine she’d have a problem sharing me. Vesma, on the other hand, clearly intended for this to become something stable. Hell, I wouldn’t mind, but I couldn’t choose between her and Faryn.
But that was a problem for another day.
I kissed Vesma a final time and left Kyu’s study behind.
I slipped into my bunk a few minutes before curfew ended and immediately drifted into a restful sleep. I woke just before sunrise and ensured no one else had arisen before I retrieved the Sundered Heart. As soon as I touched the weapon’s hand, Nydarth spoke.
“Ethan, my sweet man, are you ready?”
“You’re going to show me my prize?”
“The time has come. I’m ready to train you, Ethan.”
I’d half-wondered whether Nydarth’s gift would be another sex-filled dream, but this would be even better.
I walked to the dojo as initiates filtered in and out of the barracks and prepared themselves for the day. Most of the other initiates would be busy with their studies, so I wasn’t surprised when I entered the dojo and found it empty and silent.
I knelt in the center of the room, and my knees sank into the the mat and pressed against the wooden floor. Even with walls to keep out the worst of the weather, I could see my breath frosting as it left my body, the sight illuminated by the flicker of flaming torches.
Nydarth’s sword lay in front of me. The etching of the dragon glowed red and matched the torchlight shining on the edge of the blade. There was something uncanny about the sword—not just that light that seemed to shine from within but the way it sat in the world, as if it had carved out a space for itself but didn’t quite fit. A sword that belonged here and yet didn’t.
“Before we start, I need some answers,” I said.
“Oh, my dear.” Nydarth’s voice so perfectly evoked her stunning dream body that it sent a shiver up my spine. “Of course, you do. Ask away.”
