Talin pointed a finger at her, and her body erupted with pain. It felt like flames were crawling all over her skin, like acid was eating away at her muscles. She collapsed and writhed on the cold stone floor, praying for it to end.
And it did. Trembling, she crawled along the floor.
"That was nothing," Atarin said. "Now answer my questions truthfully. How did you find out about that secret passage? Even I didn't know that such a passage existed. Surely you must see why I need to know. Tell me and the pain will end. I might even spare your life."
"I'm not telling you anything," she said, meeting his stern gaze. No matter how much pain she had to endure, she couldn't fail Deril.
Atarin nodded at Talin, and Rella closed her eyes, waiting for the pain. When it came, it felt much worse than before. She screamed and writhed on the ground, sweat covering her body. The flames burned hotter than before. It felt like someone was stabbing her.
Eventually, it stopped, but now her body felt so weak she couldn't move.
"You can keep resisting," Atarin said, "but it will only get worse."
She glared at him. "How could you do this to your own family?"
"I'll do it to anyone who threatens my true family: Halarik's Chosen."
"Then you don't care about me at all?" she said, cold and trembling.
"I had hoped you'd be different from your mother, that growing up in Tarileth would make you understand our cause. But my hopes were misplaced. You are a traitor, and traitors deserve every bit of pain and suffering you're feeling." He stroked his short red beard. "All you have to do is tell me what you know, and this will end."
It sounded so easy, so tempting. A few little words and the pain would end. What were the chances Deril would succeed anyways, even with her help?
"I don't know anything," she said, bracing for the next wave of pain.
It hit her like never before, so hot she thought she would die. The scream that came from her throat didn't sound like her. It felt as though her body were being ripped apart, as though hot knives were stabbing her in the stomach. She closed her eyes, praying that she'd pass out, or even die.
The pain stopped, and she felt like throwing up. This time, a dull ache lingered, making her so weak she lacked the energy to look at her tormenters.
"Do you enjoy this pain?" Atarin said.
She tried to speak, but no sound came from her throat. Sweat had drenched her clothing now, and she shivered as she lay with her stomach pressed flat to the cold stone.
"Is this really necessary?" Karik said. It was the first time he'd spoken.
"I know you like the girl," Atarin said, "but she has put our mission at risk. We have to find out what she knows. If you have another way to do it, by all means, mention it. If not, allow me to do something that does work."
"I'm not sure torture gets you honest answers," Karik said. "Yes, she'll eventually succumb to the torture, but how will you know her answers are true?"
"I'll find out, and she'll regret it if she lies to me." He paused a moment. "Talin, torture her again. I want answers. Now."
Rella summoned the energy to look up.
"It wouldn't be wise," Talin said, his features tightening in a rare display of emotion. "Any more and I might stop her heart."
Atarin sounded angry. "All right. I suppose that's enough for today."
Their footsteps faded into the distance, but Rella couldn't find the energy to move. The stones felt so blessedly cold after the burning pain of the Orange casting. She had no idea how long she lay there, grateful for her reprieve but dreading the next day.
A few hours later, a guard brought her food and water. She didn't feel hungry, but she downed the water in seconds. Her stomach cramped, and her body trembled.
She lay on the stone bed, trying to ignore her many aches. At some point, she must have fallen asleep. In the dim dungeon, there was no way to tell how long she slept. She stirred awake when a guard brought her food and water. The bread tasted stale, but it was all she'd get. She barely had enough water to wash it down.
The next day—or at least she thought it was the next day—footsteps sounded again, two sets this time. Her stomach twisted into a miserable knot as she peered through the bars.
Atarin strode into view, accompanied by Talin. Why wasn't Karik with them?
"Have you reconsidered?" Atarin said. "I'm willing to spare you any more pain, but you have to be honest with me." He stepped closer to the bars. "Why are you so resistant? I can't understand it. You've grown up your entire life living in fear. Fear of Sunweavers. We have the chance to create a world where people like us won't have to live like that."
"And what about all the Sunweavers?" Rella said. "Do you think Halarik will simply let them live? Surely you can't think he'll harbor no thoughts of revenge after six hundred years—and that's if he's remained sane this entire time."
Atarin gave her a sharp look. "I've heard this argument before, but there's no proof that he's insane. I must go by what the scriptures say about Halarik. The true scriptures. He is not the evil god you were indoctrinated to believe he was."
"Well, I think he is," Rella said. "That's why I'm not going to tell you anything." She was shocked by the determination in her voice, for she didn't feel determined at all, deep down.
"Then you give me no choice," Atarin said. "I don't like doing this. I hoped you could be the family your mother was before she betrayed me."
"There's a good reason she betrayed you. You're insane, so insane you can't recognize the danger in freeing Halarik."
"I am not insane," Atarin said. "I am merely willing to take chances. Don't you understand? If we free Halarik, we can return the sun to its former glory. No one will have to live in a frozen wasteland anymore. The world will be as it once was. There will be vast forests, thick jungles, and more farmland than we'll ever need."
Rella leaned against the bars, her face inches from Atarin's. "But that only happens if Halarik does what you want. Halarik is a god. He will do whatever he wants. Perhaps your interests will align with his, but I doubt it."
Atarin backed away from the bars. "Talin, it's time."
Talin stepped forward. When he spoke, he almost sounded sympathetic. "Are you sure you want to go through this again. I'm going to start at the same level of pain as yesterday."
Rella settled down on the floor. "I have to do what I think is right."
Talin shook his head and pointed a finger at her. She closed her eyes as the pain hit her, fire sweeping across her skin, knives stabbing her from every direction. Again, she felt as though she'd been torn in half.
When the pain stopped, she couldn't move. She tried to push herself to her knees, but pain lanced through her arms, hot and sharp, and she nearly passed out. The world spun around her. Her stomach contracted violently.
"That's all I can do safely," Talin said. "We'll have to try again tomorrow."
Rella prayed that she'd be dead by then.
She had no idea how much time passed before she moved again. The dungeon had long since emptied. A small crust of bread and a large pitcher of water lay beside her, but she felt no desire to eat or drink anything. She had never felt so sick, so weak.
Later, footsteps disturbed her restless sleep. She still lay on the cold stone floor, but at least the world had stopped spinning. She summoned the energy to sit up.
Karik stepped into view, his face lined with concern. He sank to his knees, facing Rella through the bars.
"What do you want?" she said, feeling stiff as she looked up at him.
"Rella, you look terrible. You need to tell Atarin the truth."
"I can't. If Halarik was crazy enough to weaken the sun six hundred years ago, he's crazy enough to do something much worse now. You can't tell me you trust some god you've never met, the god who made our world so terrible to begin with."
Karik looked away. "I don't know exactly what I believe. But we are being oppressed. We need to change that."
"There are ways to
change the world without destroying it."
"Oh, there are?" he said. "Then tell me. I'm listening."
"The Brotherhood. They have the right ideas. We need to work with Sunweavers, not destroy them. No, it won't be easy, but it's better than risking the world."
"We've tried," Karik said, exasperated. "But it's hard to achieve peace when the other side thinks you're an abomination. Given the choice, they would slaughter every Fireweaver. Men. Women. Children. They don't care. Anyone who can touch the core is evil."
"They don't all believe that," Rella said, wishing she had a better argument. "When my two closest friends found out I was a Fireweaver, they wanted to defend me against the Sun Guard trying to kill me. Your father married a Fireweaver and loved a Fireweaver son." She gathered her thoughts. "And if you free Halarik and he slaughters every Sunweaver, how does that make you any better than the people oppressing you?"
Karik avoided her gaze.
"Don't you see?" she said. "What Atarin wants is to create a world where you've become the oppressors? It isn't about peace. It isn't about equality. It's about revenge."
Karik rose to his feet. "Whatever it's about, it's necessary. I'm sorry, Rella. I like you, but I can't agree with you. Do yourself a favor and tell Atarin what he wants to know."
He strode out of view, his footsteps fading into the distance, her hope fading with them. She sank to the floor, trying in vain to hold back her tears.
Chapter 38: The Journey South
A few days had passed since Deril and the rest of the group left Hyrandel. They'd already passed through Illindel, riding to the south in a horse-drawn wagon. The air was growing chillier as summer gave way to autumn. It wasn't too bad, though, as they weren't very far south of the equator. Even in the Frozen Lands, autumn wasn't much colder than summer.
Now, if you went too far to the south, into lands where no one lived, then you'd face temperatures where you'd freeze to death. Otherwise, the cold simply made Sunweaving and Fireweaving necessary to provide the light and heat for crops.
As they'd traveled south, Deril had tried to train Kadin's Sunlord abilities, but Kadin couldn't do anything. Whenever he tried to weave every color, he became exhausted. In ordinary circumstances, a potential Sunlord would have begun training at an earlier age, so Deril worried it was too late to teach Kadin. In addition, training a Sunlord in less than thirty days was nearly impossible.
Kadin had grown distant and sullen. He spoke only to Faina, and he didn't share much with her. Deril wished he could comfort Kadin, but he needed reassurance himself.
His farewell to Tiran had felt so pathetic. Tiran deserved better than that.
Deril also felt like lashing out whenever anyone tried to comfort him. It took all his determination to keep himself from screaming at Kadin when the boy struggled in his lessons. Worse yet, Deril sometimes felt the urge to strike the boy.
Deril had never been an angry person. Had Tiran's death changed him?
A faint buzzing began in his head. He wove Blue and Purple, opening the connection.
Who is this? he sent.
It's Kae again. I have more news for you. I got it from Rella. She's been looking through the plans for Firelord Atarin's palace, and she's found a way you can sneak in. There is a warehouse directly north of the palace's entrance. Somewhere in that warehouse, you'll find a secret passage leading into the palace.
Do you have anything more specific? Deril sent.
No, I'm afraid that's all I have. Once you're in the palace, you're on your own.
Deril didn't like the sound of that, but he was glad for any help he could get. Thank you. You've been very helpful. A thought came to him. Is there some way we can meet up with you once we enter the Frozen Lands. We need all the help we can find.
I would like to help, Kae sent, to Deril's surprise. I'm worried about Rella, and I don't want them to free Halarik. So when you get to Rindel, a city just south of the Snow Knife Mountains, you'll need to come to the Brotherhood headquarters there. Inform me as you arrive and I can be waiting for you at the edge of the city.
Thank you, Deril sent. But are you sure about this? This is going to be very dangerous. I'll understand if you don't want to get involved.
A moment passed before Kae responded. As I said, I'm worried about Rella. During the brief time she was with us, I took a great liking to her. She's playing a very dangerous game in that palace. I fear it's only a matter of time until she gets caught.
Deril's stomach churned. And if she does get caught, will that ruin our plans?
Let's hope not.
On that ominous note, Kae terminated the conversation. Deril felt as though the air had become much colder, and he shivered. He looked toward the front of the wagon, where Davin was handling the horses. Their party appeared so small and inconsequential, all four of them. Deril would welcome any help he could get from Kae.
The sun had sunk low in the sky, but enough light remained to work with Kadin. Deril put a hand on the boy's shoulder, and Kadin looked up at him, defeat in his eyes.
"Let's try again," Deril said, bracing for the anger he'd soon feel.
"It's not going to work," Kadin said. "I must be broken."
"You're not broken," Faina said.
"I don't deserve to be a Sunlord," Kadin said. "Not after what I've done."
Deril glared at him. "It doesn't matter what you deserve. The world needs you."
"I know," Kadin said. "It's just so hard. I did horrible things. What if my guilt is keeping me from developing my powers? What if we fail and it's my fault?"
"It's better to try and fail," Deril said. "Or do you want to give up?"
"Well, no," Kadin said, avoiding Deril's gaze.
Deril wished he could find a way to give Kadin some confidence. If Kadin stayed like this, he'd never master his powers as Sunlord. Of course, Deril had enough problems with confidence himself. How could he train Kadin in so little time?
Another reason for Deril's anger. He'd never felt such pressure.
"Then let's get started," he said. "Try weaving three colors together. It won't accomplish anything, but perhaps it's something you need to learn first."
Kadin closed his eyes in concentration, and Deril wove Orange and Yellow to detect the heat field around Kadin. It was there, but it didn't look as strong as it should have.
"I don't think it's working," Kadin said, opening his eyes.
"Try again," Deril said, finding it more and more difficult to keep the impatience out of his tone. They had less than three weeks. Most Sunlords trained for years.
The landscape looked bleak and cold, a mirror of Deril's mood. There were a few plants along the road, but they'd made sure to stock up on feed for the horses. The terrain would become more barren as they traveled south.
Deril turned his gaze back to Kadin, who was attempting the weave. This time, his heat field glowed properly. Deril felt a small flicker of hope, though there was still a lot of work to do.
"You did it," Deril said.
"I did? But I didn't feel anything."
"You won't feel anything. That's the nature of this kind of weave. You can only feel anything when you weave every color, and you're not ready for that yet."
Kadin looked down. "Will I ever be ready?"
Faina put a hand on his shoulder. "Kadin, you have to believe in yourself. You should be happy. You've made progress."
"Not enough progress," Kadin said, looking at his knees. Deril had never seen a boy who looked less like a potential Sunlord. Confidence was essential for a Sunlord, and Deril doubted he could teach Kadin that confidence in so little time.
They moved on to an attempted weave of four colors, but Kadin couldn't make it work. Deril continued the training until Kadin depleted his light reserves. It made no difference.
As they traveled south, passing through Anindel and nearing the Snow Knife Mountains, Deril worked with Kadin. The morning they arrived at Anindel, Kadin managed to weave four colors. Only two more
to go. But Deril knew the final weave was the most difficult. His father had told him that much.
They sold their horses in Anindel. The pass through the mountains was too treacherous for their horses and the wagon. They'd have to make the rest of the journey on foot, especially once they reached the Frozen Lands, where the conditions were too harsh on horses.
Deril spent a part of each day communicating with Kae. She told them which pass through the mountains was best to take. They arrived at that pass late one evening. Though they were exhausted already, they had no choice but to continue. There was a good chance they wouldn't make it to Haladel in time.
The journey through the mountains was brutally cold, but uneventful otherwise. Soon they were within a few hours' march of Rindel. Deril contacted Kae to tell her they would arrive shortly. When they reached the edge of the city, she stood there, watching them approach.
Deril trudged through the wind-driven snow, wrapping himself in a scarf. Kae, dressed in light furs, looked comfortable in the cold weather.
"You must be Deril," she said, brushing snow from her brown hair.
Deril shivered and struggled to keep his voice steady. "And you must be Kae. Thank you for all the help you've given us."
"You do know that you could use your Sunweaving to stay warm."
"I can't afford to use too much," Deril said. "You never know when you might be attacked. Also, when it's cloudy, it's more difficult for us to restore our reserves."
"Yes, that unfortunate weakness of Sunweavers," Kae said, motioning for them to follow.
Deril glanced back at the others. Kadin also looked to be freezing despite his thick furs. Faina and Davin, on the other hand, looked comfortable. As Fireweavers, they could continuously draw power from the core. Deril hated to admit it, but Fireweavers had received the better set of abilities.
"Does it always snow this much?" he asked, numb with cold.
"Not every day," Kae said with a smile.
When they reached the edge of Rindel, the air became much warmer. Deril had never thought he'd be so happy to feel the warmth of Sunlamps.
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