Sunweaver

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Daine sounded too cold, too harsh, but Deril had to trust his mother's judgment.

  "Tiran is a friend," he said. "He's more sympathetic toward Fireweavers than I am, and he promised me he would not reveal the secret."

  "Promises are not exactly sacred in our world," Daine said.

  "He'll keep his promise," Deril said as he took a seat. "As will I."

  His mother gave him a hard look. "You've already told someone else. Why should I believe that you won't let my secret spread any farther? Perhaps you'll tell Captain Hanir."

  "I won't tell him," Deril said, fidgeting in his stone chair. He felt as though Daine's dark eyes could see right through him. "I know he wouldn't approve. He's a very devout man."

  "I trust my son," his mother said at last, putting a hand on Daine's arm. "And I know Tiran well enough to believe he'll keep his word. However, I can't say I know how he truly feels."

  Tiran tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. "I don't believe Fireweavers are inherently evil. I've seen too many good people executed simply for being Fireweavers. I used to be much more devout. Now, I'm not so sure."

  Daine kept her gaze severe, her eyes narrowed. Deril didn't like her, but he could understand why she might not trust them. Fireweavers had to be paranoid, for any day could turn out to be their last. Deril felt a pang of sympathy.

  Was that the right way to feel, or was he going against his faith?

  "I'm not sure I should trust either of you," Daine said. "But I rarely trust anyone."

  "What is our plan?" Deril asked, tired of talking in circles. He wove Yellow and Blue within him, casting a shield around the room that would keep anyone else from hearing them.

  "With my help," Daine said, "you are going to enter the Brotherhood of Fire here in Hyrandel. They're hesitant to accept newcomers, especially ones who are not Fireweavers, so you will come with me. I will pledge my support to you and tell them of your mother's support."

  Deril turned to his mother. "Will you be coming with us?"

  "No, I need to keep my powers secret. More than ever."

  "Once you're inside," Daine said, "you'll be on your own. You will come with assumed identities. As your mother has told you, there are some among us in the Brotherhood who are also members of Halarik's chosen. They will be watching you. They, more than anyone, will be suspicious of new arrivals. You two will be playing a very dangerous game."

  Tiran leaned forward. "Why can't you help us once we're inside?"

  Daine's gaze remained stern. "Do you think your investigation is the only secret activity I'm involved in? In the Brotherhood, we play a lot of political games. If you make a wrong move, you'll wake up with a knife in your back. The stronger the hold of Halarik's Chosen becomes, the more dangerous these games are. And they're stronger than ever."

  Tiran opened his mouth to respond, but Deril held up a hand to silence him. "I think I understand. You need to make it appear as though you support Halarik's Chosen."

  Daine smiled for the first time. "Exactly. If I associated too closely with your investigation and you got caught, I would be killed right with you."

  "But isn't this important enough to take that risk?" Tiran said. "After all, the scriptures say Fireweavers may be the end of the world. If they kill the Sunlord, that could easily happen."

  "Yes, it could," Daine said, "but I doubt they'll kill him."

  "You can't know that," Tiran said.

  "Halarik's Chosen might seem evil," Daine said, "but they are as interested in survival as anyone. Those scriptures you cite are unclear, possibly complete lies, and the Church has altered them to support their own views on the world. One cannot predict the future."

  Deril had always wondered about that. No type of Sunweaving could predict the future. The scriptures claimed such visions came from Aralea, but was there a chance that the Church had fabricated these prophecies?

  "How do we know we can trust anything you say?" Tiran asked. Deril stifled a laugh, knowing how little Tiran was predisposed to trusting anyone.

  Daine looked on with no expression. "You'll have to find out the truth for yourself. The Brotherhood has collected original versions of the scriptures. The Church's priests claim these versions are not originals, that they are alterations. You'll have to decide what you think."

  "But why would the Church hide the truth?" Deril asked. And why was he prepared to accept anything this woman told him? She was a Fireweaver, one he hadn't known his whole life.

  "It's simple," Daine said. "The truth would send the world into chaos."

  "What is this dangerous truth?" Tiran asked, leaning so far forward he was barely sitting in the chair.

  "Aralea is dead."

  Chapter 8: The Mission Begins

  Deril fidgeted in the stone chair. How could Aralea be dead? That contradicted everything the Church taught.

  "How do you know that?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

  "I knew you wouldn't accept it easily," Daine said. "But that's what the lost scriptures say. Six hundred years ago, Aralea did succeed in imprisoning Halarik, but she died in the process. All these years, people have been praying to no one."

  "How can a god die?" Tiran said. "I thought that was the whole reason Aralea imprisoned Halarik instead of killing him. If she can die, then Halarik can die. Why didn't she kill Halarik instead? It would have been easier."

  "No, it wouldn't have," Daine said. "Aralea's death isn't the only thing your Church has kept from you. The fact is Aralea was not as powerful as Halarik. She didn't kill Halarik because she couldn't. Imprisoning him through sacrificing herself was the only choice."

  "I don't believe any of this," Deril said. "Where's the proof?" He had no idea if Daine was trying to trick him. She was a Fireweaver after all. Perhaps she worshipped Halarik and meant to make it sound like Halarik was more powerful when he truly wasn't.

  "It's in the scriptures we hold. When you come with me, you can see."

  "But there's no proof that those scriptures are true," Tiran said.

  "Think through it logically," Daine said, her features tightening. "If Aralea were still alive, would she allow the sun to weaken like this? In the war between Aralea and Halarik, Halarik's final act was to weaken the sun, to prove that he was more powerful, that the world could survive on his powers with a weakened sun. Aralea might not have been as powerful as Halarik, but the sun was her domain. If she hadn't died, she would have restored it."

  Instead, she'd given people the powers of Sunweaving and Suncasting, and most importantly, she'd given the powers of a Sunlord to a select few. Deril knew the official account, but he was starting to wonder about it, regardless of what he'd said to Daine.

  "It does make a little sense," Deril said. "But I still don't see proof."

  "I can understand," Daine said, her expression softening.

  Deril didn't want to believe her, but she sounded sincere. He glanced at his mother, who'd been silent awhile. She looked uncomfortable, turning her gaze to the door.

  Tiran gave Daine a sharp look. "I still don't trust you. You could be inventing all this to win us to your side. How can we know before it's too late?"

  "Whether you believe it or not," Daine said, "we are on the same side."

  Deril wanted to believe it, but Daine struck him as manipulative. Perhaps she was changing some key elements of her story to support her point. Or was Deril overly suspicious?

  "We have to trust her at least a little," he said, turning his gaze to Tiran, feeling sick at the thought of trusting any Fireweaver. "We have to take some risks if we're going to find out who took my father. You willing?"

  Tiran chewed on his lower lip, considering for a long time. "I suppose."

  Deril turned back to Daine. "Do you have any ideas on why they might have taken my father? I know that's what we're investigating, but you have to know something. You understand these people in a way we don't."

  "I can speculate," Daine said, "but I have no proof of anything. I do bel
ieve that Halarik's Chosen have been working behind the scenes to eliminate potential Sunlords. However, I have no idea why they might be doing this. You'll have to discover that yourselves."

  Or you might know, and you're not telling us.

  "Do you really want us to find answers?" Tiran asked.

  "Of course I do," Daine said, her gaze hard and unyielding. "The Sunlord keeps everyone alive."

  "Then why have Halarik's Chosen been eliminating potential Sunlords?" Deril asked, wishing he could figure out all of this.

  Daine remained silent a few moments. "I don't know."

  Once again, she sounded evasive, but Deril could do nothing about it. It was good enough that she'd agreed to help them.

  Deril turned to his mother. "Do you agree with everything she's said?"

  "I do. And I do trust her. If you trust my judgment, you will trust her as well."

  "I'm not sure whom to trust anymore," Deril said, unable to meet his mother's gaze.

  "How will this plan work?" Tiran asked. "You haven't told us how we're getting in."

  "I will lead you there," Daine said, impatience creeping into her tone. She cast a quick glance at the door. "You two will be Zalin and Rorik, young Sunweavers who hold sympathies for the Brotherhood and Fireweavers in general."

  "And how will we prove these sympathies?" Deril asked, leaning forward. His stomach churned, and he listened for movement in the adjoining hallway, despite the shield he'd woven.

  "You must act the part," Daine said. "I will vouch for you to get you inside. After that, you'll have to keep the appearance of support. Perhaps, in time, you will even start believing your act." She rose from her stone chair. "I will return tomorrow. Be ready by then."

  "We will be," Deril said as Daine and his mother walked to the door. They stepped through it, leaving Deril in a state of confusion. There were so many ways this plan could go wrong. How would he convince Captain Hanir to let him do this? He couldn't tell Hanir what he intended to do, but he had to tell the man something.

  Deril rose, motioning for Tiran to follow.

  Tiran jogged to catch up, his chainmail clinking beneath his golden uniform. "Where are we going?"

  "We have to tell Hanir that we're following a confidential lead."

  "You think he'll believe us?"

  Deril stopped at the door, his chest tight. "We'll have to hope so."

  Soon they sat in Captain Hanir's office, a small chamber lit by Sunlamps. Deril tried to calm his racing heart and roiling stomach, but he couldn't think of anything but how badly this might all turn out. Captain Hanir sat across from them, leaning on his clean stone desk.

  "What is this important information?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

  "I've spoken to a confidential source," Deril said, praying this would work. "They've given me a lead to follow on my father's disappearance. I'm afraid I can't reveal who the source is or what the lead is. I promised to keep it secret. But you have to trust me. This is our best chance."

  Hanir ran a hand through his dark beard, studying Deril and Tiran for a few long, tense moments. "I do trust you Deril. I trust you like I trust Zaren himself. If you need to keep this lead of yours secret, I understand." He frowned. "Still, I wonder how you came by this information. You haven't left the temple since you broke your legs."

  "There are many people in the temple," Deril said, breaking out in a cold sweat despite the room's Sunlamps. "One of them had information we needed."

  Hanir stroked his beard again. "My guards have informed me that your mother had a visitor today, a woman with suspected Fireweaver ties. Could this be related to your information?"

  Deril tried to keep his expression neutral as he squirmed in the stone chair. "Perhaps my mother needed someone to comfort her after my father's disappearance."

  "You're lying," Hanir said. "I think this woman gave you this information. You don't get to be a captain in the Sun Guard without being able to make logical connections." He shook his head gravely. "I have the feeling that what you're doing will be dangerous."

  "Yes, we suspect it will be," Tiran said.

  "I also have the feeling you're protecting someone. I've long wondered about some of your mother's acquaintances. If she weren't the Sunlord's wife, I'd have investigated her."

  "What are you saying?" Deril demanded, feigning outrage. "Do you truly believe my mother would be involved with Fireweavers? That sounds ridiculous."

  "I hope that, whatever you're doing, you don't need to do much acting, because you're a terrible actor, Deril."

  Deril's stomach twisted. Hanir was getting too close to the truth. Not only that, but Deril worried now that he wouldn't fool anyone in the Brotherhood, especially not those who were also part of Halarik's chosen. They were suspicious by nature.

  Tiran looked pale. "Please, sir, you don't need to get involved in this."

  "I am involved," Hanir said. "It is my task to protect the Sunlord and his family. We've already lost one Sunlord and a potential Sunlord. We can't lose our land's only remaining hope." He narrowed his eyes at Tiran. "And you are one of my guards. If you want to do anything, I must approve it, and I'm not sure I should. Not without more details."

  Deril had to think. What could he give away without revealing too much? He'd promised his mother that he wouldn't disclose her secret, and though he didn't trust Fireweavers, he meant to stand by his promise.

  "I can tell you a few things," he said. "Our confidential informant has told us that Fireweavers are behind this, specifically Halarik's Chosen. Most likely, they've taken my father, and Karik, deep into the Frozen Lands. Before we can rescue them, we have to figure out why they wanted him. Even Fireweavers can't live without the Sunlord."

  "And what is it that you intend to do?" Hanir asked.

  "We're going to infiltrate the Brotherhood of Fire," Deril said, heart pounding. He wasn't sure how Hanir would react. "There are many Sunweavers among their numbers, so we should be all right. From there, we'll try to find those in the Brotherhood who are also affiliated with Halarik's Chosen, and hopefully we'll find out why they kidnapped my father." He let out a long sigh. "I know it's not much, but that's all I can give you."

  Hanir frowned in deep thought. Had Deril given away too much? Would Hanir put a stop to this—or worse, demand the identity of their informant?

  At last, Hanir said, "This is a very dangerous plan. Deril, I have no authority to forbid you from doing this, though I will warn you that your influence as the Sunlord's son will only protect you so much where the law is concerned."

  "I understand," Deril said, but his stomach churned. Joining the Brotherhood, even as a spy, was against the law. Perhaps it was best that Hanir knew of the plan, at least in part.

  "I can protect you to a certain extent," Hanir said, shifting in his stone chair. "But when you make yourself a spy, you accept some risk. I can't guarantee that you'll avoid justice if you commit any crimes in this endeavor."

  "I know that," Deril said. "This is very important, though. I hate to sound dramatic, but the fate of the world might be involved here. We can't even know if my father is still performing as Sunlord."

  "You still can't feel the sun?" Hanir said, concern etched on his face.

  "No, I can't, and I doubt I ever will. This mission is my chance to help the world."

  "Then I won't stop you," Hanir said. He turned his gaze to Tiran, who'd been tapping his gloved fingers on the arm of his chair. "As for you, Tiran, I should order you not to do this. However, at the same time, I recognize how important this could be. We need to do something. So I grant you permission to do this, with the same cautions I gave to Deril."

  Tiran's expression relaxed. "Thank you, sir. We'll find the Sunlord."

  "If anyone can do it, you can."

  As nervous as Deril was, he had to agree. Tiran was one of the more talented Sunweavers among the Sun Guard, where talent in Sunweaving was a requirement for the job. And though Deril couldn't feel the sun like his father, his Sunweavi
ng skills were nearly unrivaled.

  Of course, that wouldn't do them much good if they faced many opponents at once.

  "How will you explain our absence?" Tiran asked.

  "I will tell some of the truth," Hanir said. "That you are on a secret mission related to the Sunlord's disappearance. But I won't give any details of the investigation."

  Deril cleared his throat. "Is there any information you have that might help us? I'm sure you know at least something about the groups we're spying on."

  "Well, I know that both groups are more active than we let the people know. Usually, we work behind the scenes to capture and kill Fireweavers, especially those in Halarik's Chosen. We don't want people knowing how strong the threat really is."

  "Do we have any intelligence on Halarik's Chosen?" Deril asked. He cursed himself for ignoring the threats of groups like these. Of course, he'd been spending most of his time trying to develop the Sunlord's weave. He'd had little time for anything else.

  "They've been more active than usual lately," Hanir said, "so I agree with your suspicions that they might be behind the kidnapping. Here in Tarileth, they operate very much in secret, usually placing some of their members among the Brotherhood. In the Frozen Lands, however, they are the ruling party, led by many Firelords. Their true leader is Firelord Atarin."

  "What do you know about him?" Deril asked, leaning forward with interest. He'd heard the name Atarin only in passing.

  "He is a very powerful Firelord. He can draw power from the core in a way no other Fireweaver can. Firelords, in general, are able to draw enough heat from the core to keep the people of the Frozen Lands alive, even prosperous in some cases." His expression became grave. "I hate to say this, but in a war with Fireweavers, we would probably lose."

  Deril's chest tightened. He'd been hesitant to believe Daine's assertions, but now Captain Hanir had confirmed the danger of Fireweavers in the Frozen Lands. Why had the Sun Guard, the Church, and the Sunweaver Council worked so hard to conceal this? Didn't the people have a right to know their entire nation could be in danger?