Laila started to protest, but Icarus stood quickly and stepped out into the afternoon air. The whistle of the pot of water went unnoticed for a time as Laila and Connor stared at Icarus's retreating back.
The next morning dawned cloudy and dim. Laila had not slept well, her mind full of images of magic and demons. More than once she had woken up, startled by something in her dreams. Each time she had woken to see Icarus sitting by the dying light of the fire, reading from his books. Even being up all night did not stop him from waking her and Connor at dawn, however.
As she stepped out of the hut, the crisp autumn air of the mountains stung her face. She pulled the fur cloak Icarus had given her more tightly around her shoulders. It was a little too large for her, and the back of the cloak dragged behind her as she walked. But it was warm. She breathed hot air into her hands, hoping to dissipate some of the cold that had worked its way into her bones. This would have been a warm winter day in Terus, but up here, in the mountains, she could tell that winter was still a ways off...and she hoped to be out of these mountains by the time the cold had truly settled in. If this was what autumn felt like, she had no desire to see winter.
Connor followed behind her, his own cloak draped over his shoulders. He appeared much more comfortable in the cold than she was.
"Good morning," he said, smiling at her.
Laila grunted a response, still too cold and not quite awake. He shrugged and moved past her down to the edge of the lake where Icarus was standing. She followed behind him, her breath hanging in the air. Icarus stood on a boulder overlooking Grimmere and facing away from them. He turned as they approached, lightly stepping down from the boulder. He seemed much more at peace, almost excited, now that they were finally settled.
"Good morning." Icarus offered a smile as well. Laila grunted again and Connor nodded. "We're going to start with something simple. Come, find a place near the lake."
He motioned them to the shore next to the boulder, and he sat facing away from the lake, his legs crossed. Laila and Connor took seats facing toward him. Laila again pulled her cloak about her, not understanding how the other two did not notice the cold.
"Do I need to be here for this?" asked Connor.
"It may do you well, Connor. I know you still struggle with your command of the Sword. This may help."
That reminded Laila of another question. "What is the Sword?"
Icarus turned to her, considering his response. "It's...a manifestation. Much like your own power. My talents were refined by years of study and meditation. Yours is a more primal power. As is Connor's."
"Is he a Magus too?" she asked.
"No," Icarus said flatly. "Connor is something else."
"What?"
“We’ve spoken of the reason for your birth as the Magusari, the imbalance.”
Laila nodded.
“The same…process that triggers the birth of a Magusari also elicits the birth of their protector, the Warden. That is what Connor is.”
“My protector?” Laila glanced at Connor, who shrugged.
“Yes. Millenia ago, while it was especially rare, being born into the role of Magusari or Warden was the highest honor. It also heralded times of turmoil, but the people of the Moon Kingdom had a better grasp on what all this meant.”
“Unlike us…” Laila cut in sharply.
“Unlike us, yes,” Icarus answered, acknowledging the cut in Laila’s words. “Connor’s power is similar to yours. Yours stems from a fundamental connection to the elements of the world, and Connor’s… Well, Connor’s, as I understand it, is attuned to you.”
Laila raised an eyebrow.
“I know that sounds odd. I don’t fully understand it myself. The more I discover in the old treatises, the better I understand your path, but Connor’s role is still somewhat of an unknown to me.”
"Was he the reason you knew I was...who I was?"
"A confirmation, yes. But, we get off track." He sat straighter, and his voice took on a more formal tone. "First close your eyes—"
For the entire morning, the three of them sat by Grimmere, Icarus guiding the two young people through a series of different mental exercises and meditations. He encouraged Laila to focus on her surroundings, the earth beneath her, the stones near her, trying to find that connection she had only felt during times of great stress. While Laila tried to focus her attention, Icarus would direct Connor through similar exercises, except his focus was more internal, on the image of the Sword. Laila often found herself drifting, errant thoughts and fears popping up in her mind, breaking her concentration. Connor seemed to take to the exercises much faster, even manifesting the Sword once, to his own surprise. Laila, however, felt nothing. No connection to the earth around her, no power or confidence like she had felt in Terus and when she had unlocked the door to the tunnel that led them here. Nothing.
The day ended in frustration. She ate a sparse meal, not wanting to speak to either of her companions, and rolled herself into her blankets, dejected.
After a week of failed attempts, Laila had had enough.
"I can't do this!" she snapped at Icarus on the morning of their eighth day at Grimmere. "I think you were wrong about me."
"Child, I'm not wrong," he answered, his voice calm.
"But, I can't do anything. Nothing you've been teaching me has worked."
"Not yet, Laila. Remember, it took me many years to grasp even the simplest of talents. It will come, in time."
Laila pushed herself up from the ground, stomping her feet to warm herself and reinforce her point. "But nothing's working!"
Before Icarus could say anything in response, she stormed off into the woods, skirting the edge of the lake. Her frustration had been building with every failure, she could not keep her mind calm as Icarus wanted, and she could not sense any of the power he insisted was within her. She was overwhelmed once again by a sense of loss. Tears began to roll down her face, but she brushed them away angrily. This was not her fault. She had not chosen this. She just wanted to go home.
Coming to the large boulder where she had encountered Connor on their first day by the lake, she climbed to the top of it and sat with her head in her hands. She expected Icarus to follow her, but she sat for a long while with no sound of anyone approaching her. She could hear the wind whisper through the tall trees that surrounded the lake. She finally opened her eyes and watched the reflections in the water. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She knew her anger and frustration were hindering any progress she could be making with Icarus, but there was still so much that she did not know.
A soft footstep behind her made her turn, ready to unleash her frustrations on Icarus, but the shouts died in her throat when she saw that it was Connor. He did not deserve her anger. He had done nothing but try to help her all this time. Seeing the anger on her face, he raised his hands in a gesture of peace.
"I surrender," he said.
Laila took a deep breath, swallowing her frustration. "Sorry."
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, climbing onto the rock next to her.
"Talk about what? That I can't do any of things that I'm supposed to be able to? That this whole crazy thing centers around me, and I can't figure anything out?"
Connor tried to smile into her anger. "Aye, that."
His simple response caught her off guard. Her anger deflated, and a small laugh escaped her. "Don't you ever wonder if we're doing the right thing? What if Icarus is wrong?"
Connor turned and studied the clear lake. "I don't know. I've never really thought about it. I was chosen for this role by Icarus, and it's an honor for me to be here, as hard as it may have been to leave my home. It's different for you. You were forced to leave. I can't imagine what that must feel like.”
He glanced over to see if Laila was going to respond before continuing. "But something's going on. Those creatures in the cave. The Guardians near Ester. You even said yourself that their posting didn't make sense."
Laila
nodded. She still could not figure out why the Guardians would be gathered near Ester or how Torin had worked his way into becoming the next Consulari. That change in his position almost frightened her more than the Manders had. If not for herself, then for her family. She had left Terus to protect her mother and father, but with Torin in power, she no longer knew if they were safe.
"Have you ever thought that it's not working because you're afraid?" Connor continued. "I know I was at first."
He held his hand out for a moment and closed his eyes in concentration. The blue light of the Sword coalesced in his palm, stretching out to form the blade. "I had no idea what it meant when this first happened. I still don't know. But at least I'm not afraid anymore."
"I am afraid," Laila admitted. "I'm afraid that all this is happening for no reason. That, no matter how hard I try, I'm not who Icarus thinks I am. And that I'm going to fail, even if I am."
Connor opened his eyes and the Sword dissipated. "I believe. I saw what you could do in that alley. I've never seen anything like that."
Laila nodded. There was no explanation for that experience except the one Icarus had offered. They sat for a while longer in silence, staring at the lake, before finally making their way back to Icarus's hut. Laila intended to apologize to Icarus, but he was nowhere to be found. They went into the hut, and Connor began cooking a small meal. Eventually, night began to fall, and there had still been no sign of Icarus.
"I'll go see if I can find him anywhere," Connor said.
"I can come," Laila offered.
"No. Stay here in case he comes back before I do. I won't go far," Connor said reassuringly.
Laila nodded and watched Connor disappear into the dusk outside of the hut. She sat quietly, watching the fire dance in the pit. She saw one of the books Icarus had been studying lying on a small table near the fire. She walked over and picked it up, flipping through the pages. She could not understand the flowing script. Turning the book over, she saw that it was the one Icarus had called The Bones of the Earth. She turned back to the pages, trying to decipher at least something in the text.
She stared at the script intently. The longer she studied it, the more she could see some similarities with the language of the Confederacy. The symbols were different, but she began to see certain letters that she thought she could recognize, albeit in a very different context than she knew them. She turned another page and saw some sort of diagram. It looked like a staff along with a drawing of a large mountain.
A sound from outside the hut brought her attention back to the present. It was probably Icarus or Connor returning. She walked to the door to see who. The sun had set behind the mountains, leaving a dim red glow bathing the lake but barely illuminating the trees near the hut. She could not see anyone nearby. Taking a step out of the hut to see if the fire behind her was affecting her vision, she heard the sound again, a crunching footstep, just to her right.
She turned to the origin of the sound just in time to see a large bear-like creature come crashing through the trees, throwing itself at her and roaring loudly. Laila let out a sharp cry and dove out of the creature's path, crashing to the ground heavily. The bear-thing sprawled just past her, catching itself off balance after its desperate lunge. Laila pulled herself to her feet quickly, spinning around to orient herself to the creature.
A round body covered in dark fur gathered itself, readying for another lunge at its newly discovered prey. Laila's heart pounded in her chest, but she waited, trying to judge which way she could escape. The creature scraped at the ground, sharp claws ripping through the dirt. Laila watched, bracing herself. Then the creature launched itself at her again, but this time she was ready. Bolting to her left, she felt the air blow by her as she just escaped the swing of the creature's claws. She took off into the dark of the trees.
She ran, dodging through the trees, trying to use the creature's bulk to her advantage, slipping in between small groups of trunks, scraping her arms and shoulders on the thick bark. The creature roared behind her, clambering its way after her, knocking branches down in its haste.
Reacting on instinct alone, Laila turned toward the lake and headed for another large rock that she and Icarus had sat on while he was trying to teach her a calming exercise. It was large enough to keep the creature at bay if she could just get to the top of it quickly enough.
Risking a quick glance behind her, she saw that the creature was closer than she had thought. Desperation infused her legs, and she flung herself onto the boulder, clinging to the top and pulling herself up. The bear-thing reached the rock just after her, pawing after her feet. She rushed to the other side of the rock, looking out onto the lake. She heard the scrape of stone and claws behind her and saw, to her horror, that the creature was powerful enough to climb its way up the rock behind her.
Reaching the top of the stone, the creature faced its prey. Dark fangs dripped with saliva, but it did not charge immediately, sensing that its prey was now cornered. Laila felt her fear rise.
Could she jump into the lake? What if the creature could swim? The shock from the freezing water would make it difficult, if not impossible, to escape.
The creature took a step toward her, claws grating on the large stone. As the terror rose in Laila's chest, so too did another sensation. She recognized it immediately. The stone pulsed beneath her feet with its own power. A power she could finally see. Calling it forth with her will, the boulder flared to light, the earthlight inside it bursting out. The bear-thing stumbled back at the sudden flash of light. Laila, the confidence of stone filling her, reached out with her mind and felt the earth respond. She felt the slithering sensation again as the earth climbed up her legs and body, coating her and granting her its strength.
Recovering from the sudden flash, the creature gathered itself up to launch at Laila. As its foreleg swung out toward her, claws gleaming in the earthlight, Laila brought an arm up to deflect the blow. The creature's limb bounced off of her arm as though it had struck stone. Recoiling, the creature roared in fury and swung with its other foreleg. Laila deflected that blow as well.
Before the creature could attack again, Laila dropped to a knee, placing her hands on the stone. She had only seen Icarus do this once, but she instinctively felt that she could do it as well. Reaching into the stone with her power, she manipulated the surface and watched as the creature’s hind legs sank into the boulder, trapping it within. The bear-thing howled in anger, swiping at her ineffectually. She stepped back toward the edge of the boulder and watched as the creature tried desperately to reach her.
After a moment of desperation, the bear-thing stopped reaching toward her and settled onto its forelegs calmly. A slight breeze blew across the lake, and Laila watched in surprise as the creature began to disintegrate before her. Dust floated away on the wind, leaving nothing behind but a layer of dirt coating the top of the boulder where the creature had been. Laila stared, unsure of what was happening.
Into the earthlight of the boulder walked Icarus with a smile plastered across his face. Laila felt her anger redouble. This had been his doing. He had attacked her with this creature!
Before Icarus could take another step, Laila reached out with her power, sinking his feet into the ground as she had done to the creature. Icarus pulled at his feet, glancing down, before looking back up at Laila.
"You were never truly in any danger, child," he said calmly.
"You attacked me!" The authority still rang in her voice.
"I needed to show you that you have power. I want you to feel this strength, coursing through you. Listen to the earth. It's always been there. You just needed to see it again."
Laila let her senses take in everything around her before she lost the sensation again, focusing on the earth despite her anger at Icarus. She could feel everything. The boulder beneath her, the ground beyond that, the dirt and stone that had Icarus's feet trapped.
"I was wrong!" Icarus's voice cut through her senses. "Your power does not stem from t
he same place as mine. Yours is a power of passion and need, not study and meditation. Grasp this sensation, feel it flow through you."
The more he coaxed her, the more she could feel it. The confidence and power coursed through her body. The earth covering her felt as strong as armor and as smooth as silk. It was incredible. The boulder beneath her shone brighter, illuminating the forest and the lake as the moon rose over the mountains.
"This is your true power, Laila!"
Laila was exalted. She drew more from the earth, calling on its strength. The light grew brighter, blinding her. Slowly she became aware of a straining sound. The stone beneath her rumbled.
"Let it go, Laila," Icarus said, and this time his voice was calm, guiding.
She felt the power continue to grow in her, raging for release. She could feel the very structure of the earth beneath her, its sinew straining. She felt as though she could tear down mountains with her strength. Loud popping sounds began to accompany the creaking sound. Small cracks began to appear in the boulder beneath her.
"Enough, child." Icarus's voice became more forceful. "Let it go!"
Laila relished the power a moment longer before reluctantly releasing it. The light in the boulder dimmed and died. The earth that was covering her skin slid off and returned to the ground. Icarus pulled his feet from the dirt.
"Good," Icarus began. "Remember those feelings. Remember your anger and passion. That is your key."
Laila absorbed the warmth of the fire in the hut. Her body trembled with small chills under her cloak and blankets. The high of her power had finally faded away. She sipped at her tea, already reminiscing about the sensations that had overcome her while standing on the boulder, awash in power. There was still a hint of the strength sitting at the back of her mind. She felt as though it was no longer hidden from her. Icarus sat across from her; the book she had been looking at rested across his knees, open.
"I figured out why everything we've been doing wasn't working," he was explaining. "I was trying to teach you as I would teach another Magus. But that's not really what you are. You are a fundamental expression of the elements. Your existence arises from their need to right the balance of the world, therefore you don't need to 'learn' how to utilize your power. It's inside of you already."
Bones of the Earth Page 20
