by Kris A Hiatt
“It is,” Liernin confirmed.
“Then I wish to remain under Treace’s command.”
Liernin looked the man over, apparently judging whether or not what Raythien said was in jest or not. “Done,” Liernin told him after a moment of consideration.
Raythien nodded his head.
“Why?” Moff asked. “Why stay?”
“Someone has to teach you how to be a proper archer,” Raythien replied, folding his arms across his chest.
Moff rolled his eyes but made no further comment.
“We have three weeks to prepare, at most,” Exodin said, getting back to the matter at hand.
“So he’s marching his army right up to us,” Liernin commented more to himself than anything. He turned to Exodin. “Why now? What’s the rush? He is attacking during one of the coldest winters on record. He has the size advantage, surely he must know that. Does he intend on laying siege to our city?”
“How will he provision his own army then?” Exodin asked.
“Exactly. He’d have to have wagons laden with supplies traveling day and night to keep his forces fed,” Liernin surmised.
“I don’t think he intends on sieging anything,” Raythien offered.
“Does he think his force can simply overrun ours?” Exodin asked.
“I believe so, yes.”
“Foolish,” Liernin replied. “Even with his numbers, our position is defensible and we’ll surely outlast him.”
“Do you think they’ll line up to enter the gate?” Treace asked. “Because I don’t.”
“If he’s smart he’ll spread his forces out and attack from more than one front,” Liernin replied.
“Should he come by sea, he’ll be forced to either land or anchor well away from our docks or we’ll burn his ships down around him with our archers. The harbor is well within range of arrows. I think he’s too smart for that, so our eastern side will be safe. We have only three directions to prepare for,” Exodin offered.
“He’ll take the most direct route. He’s impatient and wants his prize. I believe his attack will come at the south gate,” Liernin said.
“We repel him and keep his forces out in the cold. If we can keep them out of the city long enough, they’ll freeze,” Raythien offered. “His men are not used to such conditions.”
“He’s right. If we can hold them off for long enough, maybe his men will lose the will to fight,” Treace added.
“Perhaps,” Liernin replied while scratching his chin. “But we can discuss this further tomorrow. You all have to be exhausted and famished. My staff will see to your needs. You will be my guests tonight.”
~~~
“I’m sorry, but it can’t wait,” Treace told Moff. “Kiril and I are going to see Kint. It’s very important.”
“We barely finished our meal,” Moff protested, moving his chair closer to the fireplace.
“And your welcome to stay right here,” Kiril informed him.
“Planned on it,” Moff replied.
“Then why the pouting?” Kiril asked.
“I’m not pouting,” Moff argued weakly.
“He’s pouting because he doesn’t want to be stuck here, alone with me,” Raythien suggested.
“Precisely,” Moff replied, pointing a finger in Raythien’s direction.
“Have some wine, stay near the fire, and talk about archery,” Treace suggested.
“The first two are certain,” Moff replied, reaching for a wine bottle on a nearby end table. “Not so sure about the third.”
“Only because you know nothing of archery,” Raythien replied, pulling up a chair.
Treace gauged Moff’s facial expression and decided that his friend didn’t appear to be outraged at Raythien’s comment. Treace thought Moff may take offense to the words after what had happened to his father and brother. It didn’t seem to be the case, though, so Treace turned his head to hide the grin he felt forming on his face.
“And I suppose that you do?” Moff asked.
“I’ve forgotten more than you’ll ever know,” Raythien assured him, reaching for a glass.
“That’s our cue to leave,” Kiril whispered after leaning into him.
Treace nodded and followed her out. He could hear the two of them arguing halfway down the hall.
“Someday they’ll be friends,” Kiril assured him.
“I don’t think that day is today,” Treace replied.
~~~
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Kint asked with excitement after he fully digested what Kiril and Treace had said.
They had met up with Kint and Drevic and the four of them were currently seated comfortably in Drevic’s office. Treace had let Kiril tell most of the story, including her burning the tree at a short distance, but then he finished it with how he lit the wall of the jail on fire.
“I’m not sure if you two were brave or stupid,” Drevic scolded.
Treace wasn’t entirely sure of that himself.
“Brave and stupid. The two aren’t mutually exclusive of one another,” Kint pointed out.
“Father, you helped Truntil in an attempt to find the very thing Treace and I just discovered,” Kiril pointed out.
“I never said I wasn’t one or the other,” Kint replied.
“Or both,” Kiril told him.
Kint didn’t take offense to Kiril’s words, at least Treace didn’t think he did, judging by the large smile that formed on the man’s face.
“We get your point,” Drevic told her.
“Show me,” Kint instructed.
“Now?” Kiril asked.
“Now,” Kint confirmed.
“May I suggest we do so somewhere else?” Treace asked, looking around the room at numerous books and parchments. He thought of how Kiril had burned the entire tree and pictured flames quickly consuming all of the paper in this room. “I’m sure Drevic wouldn’t want to lose any of his work.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Kiril replied.
“Later then,” Kint said.
“I can show you this, though,” Treace added, closing his eyes. They were so caught up in telling the story of how to use fire at a distance, Treace realized that he’d forgotten to tell Kint and Drevic that they also found a way to place a distant barrier over someone without placing one on themselves first. Using anticipation as a separate emotion was the key to both discoveries.
A few moments later, Treace had enacted his barrier over Kiril. He held it for just a moment before letting it fall. Treace opened his eyes.
“How?” an astonished Drevic asked.
Treace looked to Kiril.
“You figured it out, you tell them.”
Treace nodded. “Kint, you had told me to anticipate the magic in order to use distant barrier. To compartmentalize each emotion and to build them upon each other.”
“I did, yes,” Kint replied, squinting his eyes.
“And Drevic, we had discussed that we believed fear to be the driving emotion of a barrier, and anticipation the emotion for distant barrier,” Treace went on.
“Correct,” Drevic replied.
“You were both wrong,” Treace told them. “But also partly correct.”
“Go on,” Drevic bade him.
“It is true, you do need to compartmentalize each emotion. Kint was right about that. But you don’t layer them over one another. You build one, store it, and then build the other. Once both have been built, you release them at the same time,” Treace explained. Both of the older men seemed to be chewing over the new information.
“When I place a barrier over myself and another, I build upon each,” Kint argued.
“I’m not saying it doesn’t work for a barrier,” Treace explained. “But I’m saying anticipation isn’t a distant barrier. It makes any magic released with it distant.”
Drevic’s eyes lit up in what Treace took for understanding.
“So you can build and release each emotion separately, or you can release them together. Eac
h way of doing it produces a different, yet distinct, magic,” Drevic said.
“Precisely,” Treace replied. “At least that’s what Kiril and I have found so far. Albeit we have had very limited time to experiment.”
“If anticipation is a magical emotion of its own, what other emotions bear magic that we aren’t aware of?” Kint asked.
“My question exactly,” Treace replied.
“And how many compartments can you activate at once?” Drevic asked.
Treace hadn’t thought of that. They had discovered that you could activate magic in layers or could do so jointly. That discovery alone added many complications and numerous possibilities. Could you activate more than two compartments at once?
“So I could place a healing barrier over someone?” Kiril asked.
“We’re overlooking something very obvious,” Drevic told them.
“Which is?” Kint asked.
“Healing water,” Drevic explained.
“Healing water?” Kiril asked.
“If we could find a way to mix Path of Heart and Path of Tears to make water that heals wounds?” Drevic asked.
“I think you’re on to something,” Kint told him excitedly.
“Though I think we need to think carefully on this before we attempt anything of the sort,” Drevic warned.
“I agree,” Kint said.
“Kint and I will discuss this and formulate a plan,” Drevic told them. “For now, though, you two go get some rest.”
“I thought you wanted a demonstration?” Kiril asked.
“I’m sure it can wait until tomorrow,” Drevic replied.
Kint frowned slightly but didn’t object.
Kiril grabbed a blank parchment off of Drevic’s desk and proceeded to the door. “Or now,” she told them, walking out.
Kint beamed and followed his daughter out into the hallway.
Treace shrugged his shoulders at Drevic and joined Kiril and Kint in the hall.
After Drevic joined them, Kiril crumpled up the parchment and tossed it to the stone floor and closed her eyes.
Treace backed up a few steps, pulling Kint and Drevic with him.
Moments later the parchment burst into flames, much to Kint’s delight. The man giggled like a child.
“Impressive,” Drevic conceded.
“That’s my girl!” Kint exclaimed.
Treace stamped out the fire before any of the embers could fly away.
Kint and Drevic shared looks, which Treace took as the men being seriously impressed with what they just witnessed.
“Go rest,” Drevic instructed them before walking back into his office.
Kiril hugged her father and gave him a kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye. After a wave, Treace walked away with Kiril’s hand in his.
“So what are we testing first?” Kiril asked when they were well down the hall.
Judging by her question, she was hoping he’d want to test new magic. He wanted to as well, but he was exhausted from their trip and he thought it better to rest first. “The bed,” Treace replied.
“Not what I had in mind, but you may be able to talk me into it,” Kiril said in a sweet yet mischievous voice.
Chapter 21
Treace, Kiril, and Heral were seated in one of the classrooms of the priory. It was late afternoon and the room was empty, save for them. Today’s classes were long done. They had mostly been discussing the difficultly, and level of danger, of utilizing more than one magic at a time, but had just moved on to a new topic.
“We have magic for love, fear, sadness, and anger,” Heral said. “Our four base emotions. But with anticipation, now we have five emotions with magic. What other emotions that aren’t base have magic to them?”
“What if anticipation is base?” Kiril asked.
Heral snorted his reply.
Treace also wanted to immediately discount what she said since it went against all of his magical teachings, but then he realized something. What if the teachings were wrong? Anticipation wasn’t in any of the books, even the oldest ones. It was entirely possible they were wrong about other things as well. From her perspective, all of this was new. She didn’t have any preconceived notions of what emotions could or could not have magic tied to them. Kint had taught her how to use love to heal, but didn’t go into any other emotion. The other magic she learned, she had learned while with Treace. “What if she’s right?” he asked Heral.
“It goes against everything we’ve learned,” Heral protested.
“Did you learn about how to light something on fire from the other side of the room?” Kiril asked. “Was that in your books?”
They all knew the answer to both of those questions, but Treace answered for Heral anyway. “No and no.”
Kiril flashed a smile indicating that she clearly thought she had gotten the better of Heral in that exchange.
Treace went to the front of the room and plucked a bland parchment off the desk. He took a quill and ink as well and returned to his original spot.
Drevic entered the room then, and Treace turned his attention to him. The Archbishop wore a pained expression upon his face and Treace knew that they had just lost another member of their order. Treace sighed and put his head down. That made three in just as many days, four in total.
“Judging by your reaction, someone’s already told you?” Drevic asked.
“No,” Treace replied. “I was reacting to your grim visage.”
“I hope you’re not blaming yourselves for this,” Drevic told them. “It’s not your fault. You hold no responsibility for their deaths.”
Treace wasn’t blaming himself, or Kiril, but he didn’t agree that he held no responsibility. Without the knowledge of what he and Kiril had found, the others would not have stone-faced themselves trying to replicate it. The very first day Drevic gave out the information and allowed students to try it, someone had immediately become stone-faced. It was bad enough that lives were lost, but considering that they’d lost nearly a tenth of their members in just a few days made it that much worse.
“We aren’t, and we know,” Kiril replied.
“How many have been successful?” Heral asked.
“Other than you three,” Drevic began. “Eight.”
“That’s better than I thought,” Treace replied. He didn’t think so many would have already been able to work the magic. Being able to compartmentalize your mind and keep the level of focus needed wasn’t easy. That was the difficult part. If you could successfully do that, then releasing the magic at the same time wasn’t nearly as complicated. At least in his estimation.
“That number includes Kint, Kelvrin, Edas, and myself,” Drevic clarified. “Edas was reluctant at first, and even after being successful he’s vowed to never attempt it again. Most students don’t want to attempt it.”
It had only been a week and the number of students willing to try to light something on fire from a distance was limited. Once news of the latest death spread, Treace doubted many more, if any, would be willing to try.
“So four, then,” Heral muttered.
“Eleven in total,” Drevic corrected. “And that will be enough. I’m forbidding others from attempting it. I shouldn’t have allowed it to go on this long.”
“Has there been more success with the barrier?” Treace asked. He was going to say that it wasn’t Drevic’s fault either, but he knew the Archmagister would shoulder that burden no matter what was said. Archbishop, he reminded himself. Drevic had forbid anyone from calling him the Archmagister.
“Not really,” Drevic replied. “Though those attempting that have yet to stone-face themselves. As you know, the difficulty lies in locking your mind into sections. It is much more complicated than it seems. The fact that the three of you can do it is a testament to your magical and mental strength.”
“We’ve also had much more time practicing it,” Treace pointed out.
“Well, either way, others are having trouble where you’ve succeeded,” Drevic re
plied. “Which is part of the reason why I’m here.”
Treace gestured for Drevic to explain.
“For one, I’ve decided that our members will assist in the war by healing the wounded and trying to place barriers over others in battle.”
“And no offensive maneuvers?” Treace asked.
“No, it’s too risky,” Drevic confirmed.
“So they’ll fight side by side with Liernin’s men then?” Kiril asked.
“We have several that have made strides with learning to fight with a staff. I suspect they’ll volunteer to do so. Others will be helping from afar,” Drevic replied.
Treace wished Drevic would allow offensive magic to be used. Yes it was dangerous and Treace understood why Drevic wasn’t going to allow it, but it could help immensely if used correctly. He wasn’t going to argue with him over it in front of others, though. He respected Drevic too much to do so. “And us?”
“I trust in you. If you feel the risk is worth it, then by all means. Just don’t stone-face yourselves in the process.”
Treace was glad to hear that he wasn’t banned from trying. That made him feel a little better. He still felt like Drevic and the other magisters should be using offensive magic to help, but it wasn’t his call.
“There’s something else,” Drevic informed them. “One of the workers, a carpenter, fell from the wall while adding a platform for our archers. I took the opportunity to attempt to heal him from a short distance away.”
“Did it work?” Heral asked excitedly.
Drevic said that he attempted, not succeeded, so Treace knew that it didn’t work.
“Unfortunately, no,” Drevic admitted. “Which dumbfounds me. I can utilize a barrier and light things aflame, both at a distance, yet I cannot heal wounds without placing my hands upon the person. The poor carpenter suffered for nearly ten minutes before I gave up and healed him by touch.”
“Maybe healing just isn’t compatible with range,” Heral suggested.
“I also tried to imbue water with healing properties,” Drevic informed them. “But that also failed. The man did say the water tasted good, but there were no signs of healing.”
“You’ve been quite busy, Archbishop,” Treace told him.
“Water doesn’t have emotion,” Heral pointed out.
