Sunweaver

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Still, she looked for every opportunity to escape. She couldn't imagine living under Firelord Atarin's watch. No matter what anyone said, everything about him felt wrong.

  It didn't matter that Fireweavers had been persecuted for centuries. Not everyone was involved in that persecution. There were many good people who would die if Firelord Atarin went through with his plans. Could she live with herself if she became a part of that?

  However, she also resented Sunweavers. She could see why Fireweavers felt justified in plotting revenge. After all, she wanted revenge for her treatment, her exile, her mother's execution. What kind of cruel world could do that to good people?

  Late one night, when Rella was about to drift off to sleep, she noticed a buzzing in her head. Someone was contacting her through Blue/Purple Sunweaving or Fireweaving. She wove the colors herself.

  Who is it? she sent.

  It's Kae. How are you faring, Rella?

  Better than I expected. They're treating me well, and I'm not so sure how much I oppose Firelord Atarin. They make a lot of good arguments. Maybe Atarin has the right ideas.

  Don't accept everything you hear, Kae sent. They are indoctrinating you. It's the same thing they try to do to everyone. They quote all these scriptures, but they fail to produce any evidence that these things are true. They want to free Halarik, but they have no idea what might happen if they do. They're playing a dangerous game. Don't listen to them.

  How can you be sure? Rella sent. The more I hear, the more it becomes apparent to me that no one really knows the truth of what happened between Aralea and Halarik.

  Remember this, Kae sent. Halarik is the one who tried to destroy our sun simply because he wanted to prove a point. Can a being who did that mean the best for our world? Follow your intuitions, Rella. You know that what Halarik did was wrong. You know it's wrong to kill innocent people, people who've believed Fireweavers evil simply because they've never known better. I've been thinking a lot about some of the things you said.

  So have I, Rella sent. I've had little else to do with my time. What do you think I should do? Should I try to run away? Where would I go if I did? I think you might be right about Atarin, and that scares me. I don't want to see him, don't want to live at his palace.

  I'm sorry, Kae sent, but I don't see any other choice for you. The Fire Guards might have relaxed a little, but they'll be expecting you to try to escape. They're not stupid. I would suggest playing along, making it look like you support Firelord Atarin. Maybe you can find out what exactly he's planning. I know he's planning something for the near future.

  What do you think he might be planning? Rella sent.

  Well, it's always been a dream of his to return Halarik to this world. That's why he gets so much support. People are hungry to see their god returned. If you can gain his trust, you might figure out how he intends to do this. Atarin is a smart and powerful man, possibly the strongest Firelord since Halarik himself. If anyone can find a way to free Halarik, it's him.

  Rella could feel her Purple and Blue reserves dwindling. I'm going to have to go now. I'm out of energy.

  I'll keep trying to contact you. Stay strong.

  But strong was the last thing Rella felt at the moment. She tossed and turned all night, her mind racing with opposing arguments. Kae had proven worthy of her trust. These Fire Guards had not. With all the conflicting ideas about religion floating around, she had to put her faith in the people she trusted most.

  The party continued southward, braving ever fiercer weather. Haladel was located far from Tarileth as a means of protection.

  It wasn't that long a journey, though, as Rella discovered all too soon.

  When they arrived in Haladel, they stood before a wall at least fifty feet high. Rella felt suffocated. The Fire Guards at the gate permitted them entrance.

  Inside the walls, the air became warm, heated by the city's many Sunlamps. In general, the city looked like any other city she'd ever seen. Rough stone streets and weathered stone buildings. People going about their business. Horse-drawn wagons rattling along the streets. She felt a powerful longing to return home.

  Atarin's palace stood at the south side of Haladel. It was a massive building, more like a fortress than a castle. Imposing. The kind of place she couldn't escape. The Fire Guard captain used Blue and Purple to announce their arrival ahead of time, so when they arrived at the palace, more members of the Fire Guard were waiting there. Standing with them was a man in rich furs.

  She didn't need an introduction. He had her mother's red hair and facial structure.

  "You must be Rella," he said, smiling as he stepped forward. "I hope your journey here hasn't been too uncomfortable." He came close and clasped her hands in his, a gesture of greeting. "Well, it's not every day you get to meet your niece."

  Rella felt stiff and awkward, but she remembered what Kae had told her. She had to gain Atarin's trust and find out what he was planning. Her first impression of the man was inconclusive. He didn't seem like a monster, but perhaps she hadn't seen his true nature yet.

  "Thank you for welcoming me," she said, inclining her head in greeting. "The journey was cold. I have not yet grown accustomed to the bitter chill here in the Frozen Lands."

  Atarin smiled. "Few can stand the cold. That's why Halarik made our powers so great. Even in the dead of night, we can create the heat we need to stay alive."

  "Yes, I am very grateful for Halarik," Rella said, praying that she wasn't too obvious in her deception. "In recent days, I have come to a much greater appreciation of him."

  "Of course. We are Halarik's Chosen. Come with me."

  Rella followed, her chest tight. How long until he saw through her act?

  Chapter 21: New Powers

  Kadin began training his Sunweaving the next day. After dinner, he and Marell walked to a secluded part of the giant plantation.

  "We're going to start with Suncasting," Marell said. "Since you're a Sunlord, you should be able to cast and weave every type of light. But casting is easier."

  "I'm ready."

  "We'll start with Red. Red light generates heat. Red Suncasters team with Yellow Suncasters to produce Sunlamps."

  "So how do I do it?" Kadin asked.

  "Start by thinking about the color red. Try to divide that from everything else that makes up light. If you're successful, you should generate a weak heat field around yourself."

  Kadin closed his eyes, thinking about the color red. It felt foolish, but he had to trust Marell's judgment. Kadin was a Sunweaver now, as strange as that sounded.

  "Stop it!" Marell said.

  Kadin opened his eyes to see that a small fire had appeared between him and Marell. Marell kicked dirt over it, and it went out.

  Kadin backed away, tripping over his own feet in his nervousness. "What did I do wrong?"

  "I think you accidentally wove Red and Orange. It looks like you have to focus on this. Concentrate. Separate Red from Orange. We don't want to go burning the crops."

  Kadin could hear the impatience in Marell's tone. The man had agreed to help Kadin, but he clearly wasn't happy about it.

  "I'll get it this time," Kadin said. "I'll focus."

  "Then do it."

  Kadin kept his eyes open this time, focusing on the color red. The air grew a little warmer, and there was no fire. He grinned. "This is amazing!"

  "Good," Marell said, his tone lighter. "I can feel the heat. Try to make it stronger."

  Kadin thought about drawing more of the red he'd stored in his body. This activity felt at once familiar and foreign. The air warmed around him, making the cold evening comfortable. He smiled, enjoying the heat.

  Marell's gaze was hard. "Let it go. Don't use too much of your power if you don't need to."

  "Sorry," Kadin mumbled.

  "Don't apologize. Just do as I say."

  "I thought I was your superior now," Kadin said.

  "Not officially. I'll still whip you if I think you deserve it."

  "
All right." Kadin suppressed a stab of anger. "What now?"

  Marell chewed on his lower lip. "We're going to do Orange."

  "Why do you look so nervous about it?"

  "Stop asking so many questions," Marell said. "But if you must know, it's because of the nature of Orange Suncasting." He stroked his dark beard. "Orange generates pain. It's the type of Suncasting I possess, and a skill people look for in overseers."

  "So you can torture the slaves," Kadin said.

  "Exactly. I prefer not to use it myself. It's much more painful than a whipping. I've done it from time to time, but only when there was no other choice."

  "Then how are we going to test this out?" Kadin asked, swaying on his feet.

  "You're going to use it on me." Marell held up a hand, for Kadin had opened his mouth to object. "Don't worry. You shouldn't end up hurting me too much. Or at least I hope so." He shook his head, as if uncomfortable. "But first I have to use it on you."

  Kadin backed away, heart pounding. "W-why?"

  "It's part of being an Orange Suncaster. Anyone who can cast Orange should know what it feels like. Not everyone does, though, and that can lead to abuse. I don't want you taking your powers lightly. I won't hurt you too much." He frowned. "You ready?"

  "Not really."

  A moment later, a blast of pain hit Kadin, sending him to the ground. The pain felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Hot. Sharp. Like his entire body was about to be ripped apart. He gritted his teeth against it, tears streaming down his face. Then, at last, it relented.

  Kadin lay on the ground, drenched in sweat, his body convulsing. "You said you wouldn't hurt me too much! That was the worst pain of my life."

  "Relax, Kadin. It'll fade in a few moments." Marell chuckled. "And I was going easy on you. If I'd wanted to hurt you, it would have felt a lot worse than that. Why do you think I don't like using Orange?"

  To Kadin's surprise, the pain did fade. He got back to his feet, wavering a little before his balance returned. "Am I going to use it on you now? I'm not sure I want to."

  "That's a good thing," Marell said. "You shouldn't want to use Orange. I find that I immediately dislike anyone who enjoys inflicting pain like that."

  "Yet you're the same person who constantly threatens to whip us?"

  "And how often do I actually do it?" Marell said. "I find the threat of pain can be as effective as the pain itself, sometimes more effective. I take no joy in it, unlike some of the other overseers." He set his gaze on Kadin. "I'm ready. Focus on Orange and direct it at me. Please try not to mix it with Red. I don't particularly want you to set me on fire."

  Marell smiled, but only for a moment.

  Kadin focused on Orange, his stomach churning. Marell had been kind to Kadin in his own harsh way. He didn't deserve to feel pain like this. Moments later, Marell hit the ground, grunting and writhing in pain. Kadin jumped back in shock and let the casting die. This power looked even worse from the other side.

  Kadin stepped hesitantly toward Marell. "Are you all right?"

  Marell sat up with a groan. "Next time, rein it in a bit."

  "I-I wasn't trying to hurt you."

  "I know," Marell said, getting to his feet. "You are very powerful, Kadin. You're going to have to learn how to control your powers. Most people have the opposite problem. They never develop the strength you already seem to have."

  Kadin looked down at the ground. "I don't understand how I can be so powerful when I never knew I had these abilities."

  "You never believed you could do anything, so you only did it by accident. That's how most Sunweaver and Suncaster children first show their powers." He put a hand under Kadin's chin and pulled his gaze up. "And don't look down when you're speaking to people. Eventually, you're going to have to embrace your role as a Sunweaver and Sunlord. Sunweavers and Sunlords always look people in the eye. It's a display of confidence."

  "Well, I don't feel very confident," Kadin said. He looked down at the ground, then stopped himself.

  Marell narrowed his eyes. "But you can learn to act the part."

  "Sorry."

  "What did I say about apologizing? A confident person doesn't feel the need to apologize for everything. You only apologize when an apology is truly necessary."

  "And how do you know when it's necessary?" Kadin asked, feeling like he was going to fail in his new life. How could he think he was capable of doing something as important as rescuing Faina? He'd never done anything worthwhile.

  "You don't apologize over every little thing you do wrong," Marell said. "You apologize over the big things."

  "Back home, I had to apologize for everything, even things I didn't do."

  "Well, you're not there anymore. You don't have to deal with your father now."

  Oh, but I'd like to, Kadin thought, realizing what he could do to his father with Orange Suncasting. His father did deserve it after all. Yes, Kadin would repay his father for all those years of abuse. All he had to do first was free Faina.

  "Let's get back to the training," Marell said. "How's your energy level?"

  Kadin tried to figure it out, but this all felt unfamiliar. "I-I don't know."

  "I guess you'll find out eventually," Marell said. "And don't stutter when you speak."

  "Sorry."

  Marell gave Kadin a sharp look, and Kadin nodded in understanding. How could Marell expect him to erase a lifetime of nervous habits in so little time? Did Kadin need to do all these things to be a proper Sunweaver or Sunlord?

  "Now we're going to try Yellow," Marell said. "Come with me." He led Kadin to an area that the Sunlamps didn't illuminate at all. "Yellow creates light. Focus on the color and on that idea."

  Kadin did so, and feeble light flickered at his fingertips.

  "Good," Marell said. "Try to make it brighter."

  Kadin focused, and the light did grow brighter. He couldn't help but smile. Did Suncasting come this easily to everyone, or was he as powerful as Marell claimed?

  "Let's see if you can do Green," Marell said. "From everything I've heard, even strong Green Suncasters struggle with this ability at times." He stepped toward Kadin. "What you want to do is negate heat. It's not the most useful ability, but it's worth learning."

  "Why?" Kadin asked.

  "You never know when you might need to negate a little heat—or perhaps a lot of heat." Marell frowned. "You might be able to do this naturally, since you've done it before."

  "The Sunlamps."

  Marell nodded and led Kadin to the nearest Sunlamp. "I want you to use Green. Don't make the Sunlamp go out. Just weaken its heat a little bit."

  Kadin glanced at the Sunlamp, which reminded him of his father's cruelty. He ignored those thoughts and did as Marell as had instructed.

  The air grew cooler.

  "Now return the heat," Marell said.

  "That's Red, right?"

  "Yes."

  Kadin thought about casting Red, and the heat did return. No fire this time. He couldn't keep from smiling. It wouldn't be long before he could free Faina. He hoped Andric wouldn't harm her before then.

  And what if she didn't agree to come with him?

  "All right," Marell said. "One more color and then we're done for the day."

  "But I thought there were two more colors. What about Blue?"

  "Blue is healing, and it requires the person being healed to be mostly submerged in a body of water like a tub, lake, or river. We don't have anything like that out here."

  "Then how will I know if I can do it?" Kadin asked.

  "Considering the ease with which you've done everything else, I doubt you'll have any trouble with Blue Suncasting."

  "Why can't we move on to Sunweaving tonight?"

  Marell gave him another sharp look. "There's only so long we can do this without drawing suspicion. You're the one who wants to stay here and save Faina. A day or two longer won't make much difference."

  "How do you know that?" Kadin asked. "What if Andric kills her?"
>
  "The chances of that happening are very low," Marell said. "Now let's get back to your training." He gestured at the Sunlamp. "This time, you're going to negate its light."

  Kadin took a deep breath and focused on this casting. Since he'd done it before, he figured he'd do it no problem, but when he looked up, the light remained.

  "Try again," Marell said.

  Kadin did, and the light continued glowing. It wasn't until the sixth try that he got the ability to work. Now he clenched his fists in frustration.

  "That's still very good," Marell said. "You'll improve with practice." He looked up at the sky, where the dim sun sat low upon the horizon. "And now you need to get back to your cabin. We don't want anyone getting too suspicious."

  Kadin wished he could continue training. He might not have figured out how much energy he possessed, but he thought he had a lot to spare. At the same time, though, he understood Marell's point, so he returned to the cabin.

  When he entered, Aren and Walin were waiting for him at their usual table. There was little to do after dinner but sit around and talk, or venture out onto the plantation like Kadin. From what Kadin had gathered, he and Faina were strange in doing that. Most slaves saw enough of the endless crop rows while they were working.

  "What did Marell want?" Aren asked.

  "It-it was nothing," Kadin said, stomach churning. "He just—well, he just wanted to ask something about today's work."

  Walin narrowed his eyes. "Did he ask the same thing about yesterday's work?"

  "Yeah, that must've been it," Kadin said, avoiding his new friends' gazes. Already, he was failing in one of the lessons Marell was trying to instill in him. How could people feel confident enough to look others in the eye? Did being a Sunweaver make a difference?

  "You're hiding something," Walin said. "I grew up on the streets. You can't last long if you can't tell when people are lying to you." He did look Kadin in the eye. "Whatever it is, you can tell us. We're your friends, aren't we?"

  Kadin squirmed in his stone chair. "Well, yes, you are, but this is something I need to keep secret. I'm sorry. If the time comes that I can safely tell you, I will."

  "Why so mysterious?" Aren said. "I mean, there are only so many things you can do here on the plantation."