by Anna Kashina
It felt exactly this way for her and Mai, she told herself. What she experienced was no more than an ultimate form of enjoyment that stemmed from the top skill they both possessed. It came rarely to warriors of their rank, but perhaps for a more practical reason than anyone realized. With very few exceptions, Diamonds never fought each other, in training or otherwise. The possibility of two Diamonds of opposite sex wrestling on the ground with no one to witness it was far too remote.
She shook her head. When she made the decision to attack Mai over the Guildmaster’s letter, she never thought of the way things could get out of hand besides the obvious, of injuring each other needlessly. She thought she could control it, but what she had told Kyth was true. Diamonds were taught to channel their passions into their skill, and in the heat of a fight it was often hard to tell the difference. The rest was just due to unique circumstances, that’s all.
Her cheeks warmed at the memory. Perhaps this time it had gone a bit too far, back at the inn. She shouldn’t have pursued it. Yet that was understandable too. She was acting on the knowledge that in less than a week they were both doomed to die and it was likely her last chance to do anything pleasant. Mai had probably thought the same. Even though some of Mai’s words implied that, like her, he found the experience enjoyable enough to cherish the memory, she was certain that the drive was purely physical on his part. As well as on her own, she told herself firmly. She had never enjoyed exploring her sexuality on Majat orders as much as other trainees, and this was her chance to see what it could have been like. She was curious, nothing more. And she did have the fun of her life.
Mai couldn’t possibly have any feelings for her. She knew his reputation with women. If Kara had been known for her reluctance to take sexual partners during her training, Mai had been very much the opposite. Before he got his Diamond ranking, his trainers had to fend off women who literally tried to force their way into his quarters, day and night. He must have had dozens of lovers before completion of his training sealed in his ability to channel all his energy into weaponry. Even at the King’s court she saw ladies of all stations swoon over him, despite the fact that he didn’t so much as glance their way.
Her heart raced at the memory of the tenderness with which he looked at her, his sparse words suggesting he cared about her feelings, the way he held back every time until she showed him very clearly what she wanted. Thinking back, she was amazed to realize that in each of their encounters, including the very first one, he had never made any advances or even provoked her in any way, except by indicating with subtle body language that the possibility was open. Without exception, she had been the one who had taken the initiative. And now, the best she could do was to forget it all as soon as possible. She had had her fun with him to the full, but any further relationship between them was simply impossible.
She distanced her thoughts, subsiding into trained calmness, raising her face into the stream of fresh wind. In only a few days they would reach the Majat Guild. She needed to use the time to prepare for what was coming.
Elemental Magic
At every campsite during their travels, Kyth had made a point of taking extensive training sessions with Egey Bashi, trying to develop his skill, but after Kara and Mai joined their group he insisted on making these sessions private, with only Egey Bashi and Raishan present. Under the Keeper’s guidance, he learned to call the invisible blade on command, drawing strength from his surroundings even when no flow of wind or water was there to aid him. He was now aware that elemental power filled the air all the time, suspended all around him. This knowledge helped him not only to master his skill of summoning the invisible blade, but also to improve his weaponry, where he was making considerable advances in his practice fights with Alder and Raishan.
He was making no progress, however, in teaching Raishan to develop the necessary focus to resist the Kaddim on his own. If what it took Kara and Mai was being in love, he saw no possibility in it. More, even though he gradually came to terms with Mai’s company and forgave Kara for what she had done, he couldn’t help feeling shattered whenever he saw her. She wasn’t with Mai; he understood it now. But she wasn’t with him either, and that was so difficult for him to deal with.
He found unexpected comfort in the company of Lady Celana. The royal lady had a rare ability to sit quietly by his side, sharing the silence without prying into his thoughts. He wished he could learn this from her, aware how his prying glances caused Kara more discomfort than he meant. The way Celana could just sit quietly next to him was amazing, her very presence soothing and calming to his turmoiled mind.
She possessed rare knowledge of the kingdom’s history, and her stories often let his mind wander away from the painful present to the distant and fascinating past. He learned that mastery of elemental magic had been an ancient feat of the Dorn royal line, which his family had kept carefully hidden for generations after the instigation of the Ghaz Shalan anti-magic law. He had no idea how Celana came upon this knowledge, but it made sense to him. More, her fireside stories about his Dorn ancestors helped him realize another thing about his gift. He should be able to extend his powers to protect hundreds, thousands of people. If only he knew how. It seemed impossible, wielding a single imaginary blade.
“Perhaps you should start by trying to protect two, my lord,” Celana suggested one evening when they were all sitting around the fire sipping tea.
“Two?” He frowned. “What difference would it make?”
She smiled. “It could, if you had two Diamond Majat fighting on your side.”
Kyth nodded. Back at Illitand castle, if he could have protected both Mai and Raishan at the same time, the fight would have gone much better from the start. At the very least, Mai wouldn’t have had to face the Kaddim on his own, and perhaps he wouldn’t have had to find a way to resist them by realising that he was in love with Kara... The thought made Kyth’s lips twitch, and he subsided into grim silence.
“You say when you use your skill you imagine wielding a blade, don’t you, Your Highness?” Lady Celana continued. “Perhaps if you think of it as sword play, you could consider expanding this skill in the same way, by learning to wield this blade against more opponents?”
Kyth looked at her in surprise. How could she possibly know these things?
He saw a sudden interest in Egey Bashi’s gaze, and the way all three Majat nodded knowingly as if what she said made perfect sense.
“A wise suggestion, Lady Celana,” the Keeper said. “Perhaps we have been going about Prince Kythar’s training the wrong way.”
“What do you mean?” Kyth asked.
“We are training you in weaponry, and in calling up invisible blades, to perfect your skill. But we have been focusing all your training on one opponent. We overlooked the fact that maybe expanding your attention is what’s required.”
“But…” Kyth glanced at the Majat who were all listening to the Magister with expressions that suggested there was nothing to it. “If I’m not even good enough to handle one opponent, how could I possibly handle more?”
The Keeper smiled. “To protect Aghat Raishan and Aghat Mai against the Kaddim, you did not have to learn to fight as well as they do, did you?”
“No.” Fighting like a Diamond seemed impossible. Kyth knew that this ability not only had to be trained since birth, but also required special inborn qualities, similar to those of his gift. All the Majat had the same training, but only a few ever achieved the highest gem rankings.
“Same here. You don’t have to be good at fighting multiple opponents, only at being able to divert your attention to covering more ground.”
Kyth nodded. In a way, it did make sense. Yet, his practice fights with Raishan had already been draining. Could he handle more?
Egey Bashi glanced around. “I have to admit I have no skill in this type of training. But I assume the Majat do it at some point, right?”
Raishan nodded. “Yes, we do have these mêlées from early on, with multiple
trainers attacking one person. It can get wicked at times.”
Kyth saw a quick smile slide over Mai’s face, as if answering a pleasant memory. He shivered. Mai may have thought it fun to have a wicked fight with multiple trainers, but Kyth wasn’t sure he was up to it. He remembered how, once, he tried to fight multiple Kaddim warriors. Fun was the farthest thing from his mind that time. They had almost killed Kara during that fight, until, on the verge of the fatal blow, she had managed to acquire resistance to the Kaddim power. Kyth shivered. She did it back then because of her love for him. And now...
He suddenly became aware of the preparations going on around him. The glade was being cleared of gear and packs, Ellah and Celana retreating to its edge.
“Wait!” he called out. “I didn’t say that–”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness,” Egey Bashi said. “The Majat will use sticks in place of swords. The possibility of them injuring you is remote.”
The Majat? Kyth felt a chill run down his spine as he saw Kara and Raishan at the edge of the glade measuring out lengths of wood, a bit thicker than a riding crop and about an arm long. Mai was doing something with a rope.
“You must be out of your mind, Magister,” Kyth said.
Egey Bashi smiled. “I’m certain they know how far to drive you, Your Highness, and they do understand the stakes. You don’t mind fighting Raishan one on one despite his skill, do you?”
I trust Raishan. Kyth looked around. He trusted Kara too. He knew she would never do anything to harm him. But Mai–
Mai approached, holding out a thick rope with knots, two tied at one end very close by and another on the opposite side.
“Here,” the Diamond helped Kyth fit his hand between the two knots. “This is the first step of the exercise. If you can use this rope to prevent us from getting through–”
“You want me to fight you with a rope?” Kyth asked in disbelief.
Mai shrugged. “It gives a better range. This will teach you to keep your attention on multiple opponents. Don’t try to attack any of us, or you’ll lose focus. Use the rope to keep a distance.”
Kyth clenched the rope. He wished it was anyone but Mai instructing him right now. While he had learned to put up with the fact that Mai was in their traveling party, talking to him was another matter. The Diamond seemed oblivious to it, receding into the quick, efficient mode he always had when his skill was involved.
He thinks it is all right, Kyth thought. If he had something to hide, he wouldn’t be talking to me this way. Yet, he knew he could never trust Mai. Not after what had happened before.
The Diamonds took positions on three opposite sides of the glade. Standing in the center, within the circle of light from the camp fire, Kyth couldn’t see them at all.
“Remember,” Egey Bashi said. “This is not a regular fight. Try to use your gift to aid you.”
I will need all the aid I can muster. Kyth raised his rope, giving it a few experimental swings. Mai was right. It did have a good range. The knots tied on both sides of his hand also allowed for a better grip, and the larger knot at the other end made it heavier, easier to wield.
“We’ll try to attack you from three sides,” Kara said. “Use the rope to deflect our sticks and prevent us from touching you.”
Kyth nodded, raising the rope.
He spun it around his head in a wide circle, thinking that by doing this he should at least be able to feel their approach. He focused on Mai, advancing from the front, and barely caught a glimpse of another shape sliding at his side before all three sticks touched his chest, very close together. All three Diamonds were standing in front of him.
Heck, he didn’t even see them move.
“You tried to attack me,” Mai said. “Didn’t you?”
Kyth swallowed. He did. He had let his feelings take over. Yet, he knew that in a big sense Mai was not his enemy. In a real fight, he might hate his opponents even more, even though he doubted it was possible. He had to distance himself from it.
“Use your gift,” Egey Bashi said.
Kyth nodded and raised his rope again, watching the Diamonds retreat back to their original positions.
This time his rope caught on wood, and he felt its edge retreat, but the other two came through, almost as quickly as before. He lifted his eyes and met Mai’s gaze. How the hell did he always end up facing him?
Perhaps because you’re trying to seek him out. He took a breath. Some time, when all this was over, he would love a chance to have it out with Mai once and for all, but it was useless to wish for something that wasn’t going to happen.
He relaxed and let in the wind, stilling his mind to all other thoughts. This time he could see three shapes moving around him, with less speed than he knew they were capable of, but still faster than he could possibly follow without using his gift. He felt his rope connect several times before the points of the three wooden sticks touched his chest, one by one.
“Better,” Mai said. “Let’s do it a few more times. Perhaps if we do this enough we can try it once with a real weapon before we reach the Guild.”
Kyth nodded and raised his rope again, preparing for the worst.
At the end of the hour Kyth could barely stand upright. The Majat took away his rope and folded it away, all three of them neat and composed as if they had spent their time resting and not dancing around the glade in their devilish play. Kyth collapsed on the ground near the fire, watching Ellah and Alder bring their packs and resume their seats next to him.
“I heard Raishan say we’ll reach the Majat Guild in two days,” Ellah said, watching the others in the distance spread out the bedrolls. “I wonder what will happen when we get there.”
Kyth’s eyes followed Kara. He hoped they could manage to include her freedom in the bargain, assuming the Majat Guildmaster would even be interested in what Kyth had to offer. He had never seen the man, but the things he heard about him, especially when Mai quoted the letter he received, suggested the worst. He hoped that, with the help of Egey Bashi’s diplomacy, he would be able to connect with the Guildmaster’s compassionate side.
13
THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE
Kara lowered her reins, urging her horse into a fast walk. The Majat Fortress rose in front like an ornate monolith carved out of the terrain. Built on the relatively flat ground in the middle of the large valley, it was positioned in a way that afforded its inhabitants the best possible view, making sure no one could ever approach it unnoticed. Kara’s heart quivered as she ran her eyes over the signal towers, each of them hiding a watchman ready to raise an alarm, and over the large gate ahead, swinging open to greet their arrival.
On the last stop each of them had donned their official gear, rearranging their procession into a ceremonial order. Kyth rode in front next to Egey Bashi and Lady Celana. His black-and-blue royal Dorn cloak draped down his back, his neatly combed hair crowned with a thin golden circlet that signified his status as the Crown Prince. His face was grave. Kara had never seen him look so composed and majestic – a true royal heir, fit one day to take over the kingdom.
Lady Celana looked like his match in every way as she rode next to him. Her deep green cloak with golden trim was covered by a wave of her loose auburn hair, which gleamed like gold in the beams of the afternoon sun.
They looked like a couple, symbolising the union of the two rival royal houses. If this was truly going to happen some day, their marriage would seal the kingdom’s power for centuries to come. Kara knew that King Evan strongly supported this possibility. She wished Kyth could truly find happiness with Lady Celana, even though the thought of him marrying someone else caused a feeling of regret she tried not to dwell on. She shook her head. She had never thought it possible for her feelings to get muddled up so much. She almost welcomed the thought that in the near future she would have other things to worry about.
Magister Egey Bashi had donned his white Keeper’s cloak, with the emblem of lock and key on its left shoulder. Ellah rode in
his wake, wearing a similarly fashioned cloak without any ornaments, indicating her apprentice status. Her gift of truthsense was known only to a few. While it was precious during negotiations, her official role here as an apprentice Keeper in training left much more flexibility to use her gift without alerting the other side.
Alder completed the line up as he rode next to Ellah in his patched green Forestland cloak, with the spiders perched on his shoulder. They were still, and Kara hoped they would remain so until they gained access inside. The spiders were lethal weapons, and if the Majat knew about them they wouldn’t take kindly to it.
Kara took care to stay close to Mai and Raishan, each wearing a diamond-set ranking armband glistening on their upper left arms. She had no Majat regalia to wear, but she knew that once she entered the Fortress she would be instantly recognized.
The greeting party assembled in the outer courtyard made her heart quiver. Two dozen Jades, crossbows in hand, lined the walls. The tall man with straight black hair and piercing eyes wasn’t supposed to be here at all, not for the simple job of receiving visitors. Gahang Khall, the head of the Jades, marched up to the newcomers, his eyes sliding over Raishan, Mai, and Kara with an impassive expression.
“I am Prince Kythar Dorn,” Kyth said, “on the embassy from King Evan of Tallan Dar to the Majat Guildmaster.”
