by Lakshman, V.
Kisan did the quick calculus then turned her attention to the king and said, "Your team is dead. Finding Arek and Niall in this fortress before the leader of the assassins does is doubtful. Rescuing Silbane and giving your man a chance at the nomad leader is the only logical choice."
"What of my son?" asked the king. "He is here, with Silbane’s apprentice. Surely they are still in danger?"
Kisan agreed, replying, "Yes, and you can still look for him faster than me. You know your own fortress, and you know what these assassins can do. There is only one now, and your man—" she looked at Ash—"killed one already, so they are not so far beyond your capabilities."
She hated herself, but buying Prime an opportunity to carry out his mission was the simplest way to ensure that the lore father’s orders were followed. She would deal with Prime regardless, or let Silbane do it. None would be the wiser. "If the nomad chieftain is left alive, Bara’cor's fate still hangs in the balance."
The king wasn’t listening. His arms out wide, he said, "I can send out patrols, runners. We will have a hundred eyes looking for the boys." He desperately searched for an answer, then his eyes lit upon the table and its enchantment.
He looked at Kisan and said with a hint of desperation, "Wait! A few moments before these assassins arrived, this table—" the king pointed to the glowing images—"showed three blue marks coming toward us. What do you know of that?"
The master nodded, not entirely surprised. "These assassins are dwarven. Bara’cor was built to serve them and responded to their presence, just as it shows the enemy forces now arrayed against it."
The king seemed to ignore her, instead pointing to the table and to one small blue dot standing stationary, deep in the bowels of the fortress. "And is this their leader, Prime? He's the one that goes after my son?"
Kisan looked closely, then carefully said, "Perhaps..." She thought it likely, but did not want to offer any hope, real or false. Though she had set herself to seeing these assassins fail, in this she deferred to the lore father's orders. The fate of the land rested in the balance that Arek did not survive.
Even as they watched, the blue dot moved forward, flickered, and vanished as if swallowed by something. The king looked at it with wide eyes. "What? What just happened?"
Kisan took a deep breath and said, "I do not know, and regardless, I cannot reach there in time. Even with this brief glimpse, he is in motion and I have not the stonesense that dwarves do, to tap into and readjust my course."
"No! I beseech you, save Niall and your student. Save our boys." At this point, the king didn’t seem to care about the needs of his fortress or his men. His only thought was for his son’s safety.
Kisan held her breath, knowing they were wasting valuable time. Nothing the king had said had changed her mind. She breathed out, a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of her decision with it, but before she could say anything, the table images flickered, then dimmed. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, they vanished completely.
Ash looked to Kisan and asked, "What happened?"
She looked at the dead table, her expression thoughtful. "Perhaps Bara’cor no longer wishes to aid us against the builders." She realized this also gave her the perfect excuse.
"How will we find them before..." the king said as he fell back on his haunches, dejected, slamming his fist into an open palm in anger.
"Bernal, Kisan is right. We will find Niall," Jebida vowed. "I will order patrols of that area, we know the catacombs and cisterns. Do not give up hope."
"Aye, your Firstmark speaks true. Do that." Kisan stepped forward and laid a hand on the king’s arm. "I have a chance to save Silbane and help your man accomplish his mission. Do you waste this?"
The king looked down, but when his eyes finally met Kisan’s they had steel in them. "No. We attempt the nomad camp."
"I’m going with you," said Jebida, suddenly stepping forward. "Ash has lost his entire team and I can provide another strong arm. We will only get one chance to kill the leader of these nomads, or Bara’cor falls to ruin."
A moment passed as the king composed himself, something in what Jebida had said striking a chord. He stood then, addressing the people in the room, "Forgive me. I should be thinking of the welfare of all of us, rather than just my son. It is difficult..."
His voice trailed off, but then he stepped forward and faced the firstmark, "No Jeb, I cannot allow you to go. If Ash is successful, it’s still doubtful he’ll return. Bara’cor needs one of you to survive and I can’t lose both of you on this mission." The king looked down, then at his second-in-command. "I am sorry, Ash."
"Do not apologize, my king. This was always the plan." Ash looked around the room and said, "I’ll kill their u’zar, and cause as much trouble as possible." He delivered this last statement with a smile, but it fell flat. He then looked at Kisan and added, "I wish we’d had more time. There’s something I want to speak to you about."
"Perhaps, with Tempest, you may yet survive," she said, "then, we can talk."
She looked at the trio and stepped back. Though the mission called for urgency, every moment wasted here brought Prime one step closer to Arek and the chance he would finish Kisan’s unpleasant task for her.
Ash grabbed a few extra weapons and adjusted his armor. He then looked at the king and bowed. "I wish you well. Find Niall, protect him."
The king stepped forward and embraced the armsmark. "You are family to me. Try to survive."
Ash nodded. "You know I will." He seemed to find it difficult to meet the king’s gaze. "I... want to thank you, sir, for everything."
The firstmark cleared his throat in a noisy cough and said loudly, "By the Lady of Flame, this is like the goodbyes of a mother to her child! I can’t take any more." He grabbed the armsmark and spun him around so they were face to face. "I promote you to Firstmark, Ash Rillaran. Defend Bara’cor with your life."
He then looked at Kisan and said gruffly, "Will that portal be big enough to take me with you?"
Before the startled master could answer, Ash said, "What? You can’t go. I—"
Jebida looked at him and said, "You what? You stand a better chance of finding Niall, and what if he needs healing? Your pretty blade insures that. Plus, you're the only one of us who's killed one of them. Better you go after the king’s son than me. You are Bara’cor’s future. And," he added with a twinkle in his eye, "I know you’ve been itching for the job."
He then turned to his long-time friend, King Bernal Galadine. The giant firstmark said, "By your leave?"
Perhaps not trusting himself to speak, the king nodded. They clasped forearms in a warrior’s embrace.
Kisan evaluated the change with an eye toward complications. Could Tempest heal Arek, as these men claimed she had done once before? She had thought magic didn’t work on the boy, but their claim made it an open issue. Still, what choice did she have? She knew there was no chance of Ash finding Arek or the king’s son before Prime did. She had not been joking about the difficulty and now needed to let things unfold according to her improvised plan. The leader of these assassins would pay, regardless. Silbane would see to that, and if he didn’t, Kisan would gladly finish the job.
She thought about it, then offered carefully, "Ash, if you find them, save the king’s son first. We know and accept danger as part of our service. All of us, including Arek."
She then looked at the team and said, "The portal will remain open until Silbane comes through. You’ll know him because he’s dressed like me, short hair, beard, ugly." Kisan smiled at her own joke, then continued, "Until then, guard it, for anyone can enter the fortress until it’s closed." She looked back at Ash, emphasis in her voice, "Do you understand what I mean, Firstmark?"
Ash nodded.
Kisan crushed the Finder and a black portal opened before her with a sucking in of air and a pop. She then looked at the king and said, "Four of your guards were slain by these assassins in the room with the Far’anthi Stones. I could not stop them,
but I killed the one who took their lives." She nodded to the king, an unspoken apology, then entered the darkness without looking back.
Jebida checked to be sure he had his black-boned fighting knife, then went to an arms rack and grabbed a larger axe. He motioned to the king and the newly appointed firstmark, and said, "Always loved fighting with an axe." He smiled at both, then also took a step into the blackness and disappeared.
Journal Entry 19
There is a place within us, unassailable by our bravado. It sits and watches our actions through our own eyes, and judges. For most, it is in our own voice that it whispers back to us.
It is what I hear when I have been mean or base. It is the small voice that tells me I did not give true thanks, benefitted through luck, or knew I had been purposely more hurtful than needed.
It knows the truth and does not let me hide behind my lies.
It is in this place that I now sit, my shields above and the raid upon me. I know they take everything and I cannot help the fear that grips me.
I write, thinking you should at least have my last thoughts, in case my defenses prove inadequate.
ASCENSION
When fighting at morning,
Keep the sun on your back.
At midday the sun should be on your sword arm.
In water, be mindful of reflections,
Even the wind can hide sounds.
Use every single thing to your advantage.
—Tir Combat Academy, The Tactics of Victory
Initiate Jesyn, advance." Lore Father Giridian looked at the young girl, his face an inscrutable mask. This was the first time he had tested anyone for Ascension. He had said his hopes for her ran high, as did his fear she would fail. If Jesyn passed, she would be the first adept made under his rule as lore father, but he had made it clear he would rather have her as a living initiate than a dead adept.
Jesyn had healed quickly from her bout with Piter, for two main reasons. The first was that at her level of training, her healing had already begun to accelerate, and the rhan’dori was specifically designed to minimize a chance of injury. The only visible sign of the fight was a slight bruise on her cheek where Piter’s bohkir had struck. She didn’t feel discomfort from it any longer, only shame for having been bested, and regret for what had happened to Piter. Her worry encompassed Arek, whom she knew was a kind person who would not willingly cause harm.
She moved forward into the stone square inscribed on the floor, her body relaxed and her mind attuned to her surroundings.
"I have come to be tested, Lore Father."
Giridian looked at the girl in front of him for a moment, measuring her readiness, then as ritual demanded asked, "You come of your own free will?"
"I do," she responded without hesitation.
"You know you may not survive the test?" he continued.
"I do," she said again.
"You will face the Truth you bring with you into the Test of Ascension?"
"I will," she intoned, bowing once.
The lore father looked at Dragor and asked, "Who seconds her right to test?"
Dragor stepped forward and answered, "I do, Lore Father. Jesyn Shornhelm has learned all I can teach her and must Ascend to continue."
Lore Father Giridian nodded, then looked back at the initiate and said, "As it has always been, you stand in the crucible of Ascension. You must face what you bring forth and defeat it."
To Jesyn, it seemed the lore father’s gaze became more stern, if that was possible, and she heard him say, "You cannot leave the square until all within have acknowledged your worth."
All? she thought... what did he mean by that?
"Once the test begins, we cannot interfere. The test is yours and yours alone." Then he clapped his hands and both he and Dragor moved back and away from the square. He raised his hand and waited until Jesyn nodded she was ready and said, "Begin."
Instantly, the square was surrounded on all four sides by a different element. One side ignited in a wall of fire, another filled with water. The side facing the instructors stood unmarked, but she knew it was blocked by unseen winds, and the fourth erupted in stone and earth.
"You cannot leave until you have defeated that which you bring forth," the lore father said. "You will have two periods of rest during the test. Use them well."
Jesyn nodded, then turned her attention back to the square ring the four elements had created.
At first, nothing seemed to be happening. Then she thought she saw movement and a figure appeared in the wall of fire, hazy at first, but solidifying. It coalesced and stepped forward and Jesyn recoiled in shock. The being made of fire was an exact duplicate of her!
"We are here to test you," the fire Jesyn said.
She heard the same proclamation echo around her and she spun. She was surrounded by four duplicate Jesyns, except each was made of the same element as their wall counterpart: fire, water, earth, and air.
The four duplicates eased into combat stances, ones she was intimately familiar with, because they were identical to her own. These doppelgangers looked to be more dangerous versions of normal elementals, as they clearly had her combat knowledge. The one made of fire acted as leader. It said, "Defend yourself." And then the four attacked, jumping and spinning with kicks and punches thrown with deadly intent.
Jesyn’s training took over and she moved with lightning speed. She intercepted the fire elemental first, but the moment her arm made contact she felt a sudden shock of pain and smelled her flesh burning. She disengaged and tried to punch her opponent, but her fist went completely through the fiery body without harming it. A kick to her chest from the water elemental sent her skidding back into the wall made of earth.
She flipped to her feet and took stock of the combat situation. Her opponents were arrayed in front of her in a loose semicircle with her back to a wall of earth. She breathed out, relaxing her muscles and her mind, and opened herself to the Way.
Time slowed and she could see all four shift imperceptibly, making room for the earth elemental, which moved in quickly. She braced herself, knowing the impact would give her an opening, but was shocked when nothing happened. Then she felt a blow to her head that shot purple stars across her vision.
The earth elemental had flowed around her, then under the stone, and reappeared on the earthen wall behind her. One hammer-like fist had smashed into her skull, sending her reeling forward and into the midst of the other three. She fell at the feet of the air elemental, who picked her up and threw her back against the stone and earth wall. Her breath left her in a whoosh and she slid down the wall, barely conscious.
"Hold!" the lore father commanded. The four elementals bowed and moved back, allowing Jesyn her first moment of proscribed rest. She hacked up something and realized it was blood, but couldn’t tell if it was from something broken inside her body, or just her mouth.
She eased her way up, then staggered over to the wall of air. Dragor stood behind it, concern written plainly on his face.
"How am I doing?" she asked, smiling, then spitting more blood.
"No better than any of us did," her teacher replied neutrally. "And no worse."
Jesyn nodded, then reached for the Way. Power flowed into her, but she was only an initiate and her ability to heal herself was limited. She would have to pass this test of her skills alone, such as they may be. She slowly rose to her feet.
The lore father looked at her and said, "Do you wish to continue?"
Though he sounded concerned, Jesyn knew this was part of the ritual and she only had two responses. She wiped blood from the corner of her mouth and nodded, "I do."
"Very well. Begin," he commanded and the elementals exploded into action again.
The water elemental sank to the stone floor and flooded toward her like a liquid snake. She leapt up, over it, only to be intercepted by the air elemental, who threw her back to the ground. Instantly the water elemental flowed up over her, covering her nose and mouth, clearly intending to d
rown her.
Jesyn rolled and jumped to her feet, her head and face still encased in water, and fought down her panic. She looked about, her mind racing. How could she stop a creature that had command of the elements? She pushed at the water, but her hands went through it. Before she could try again, the earth elemental kicked her and she felt bones snap in her ribs as she was hurled back against the wall of fire.
She could feel the burning again as she bounced off and landed on her face. The water elemental released her in an explosion of steam from contact with the fire wall and she fell on all fours, gasping for air. She could tell her ribs were broken. She pushed herself up, wincing at the pain and clutching her side. The elementals began to close in and she knew she would not be able to survive the next encounter.
Then the lore father shouted, "Hold!" The four elementals bowed and moved back, allowing Jesyn her second and last moment of rest. She fell in a heap, her broken ribs leaving sharp stabs of pain at every breath, her body bruised from the earth elemental’s kick.
Jesyn knew she could not continue to fight them this way. She was missing something, something vital. The test was designed so initiates could pass with their skills, so she needed to think.
Dragor moved over to the wall closest to her and said through it, "If you cannot prevail, its better you do not continue."
"You’re telling me to quit?" she said, incredulous. She spit out more blood, this time knowing without a doubt something internal was damaged.
"No, but if you have no inkling how to defeat them, you should not continue. If you go past this point, neither the lore father nor I can stop the test. These elementals will kill you."
Jesyn pulled herself together, anger giving her strength, and pushed herself up to her feet. "I’m going to pass this test, Master."
