It was a mistake, as molten lava felt like it blasted through Ruethwyn’s body and she spasmed, falling to the ground again. Her mana core didn’t feel cool like it normally did, but it felt as though someone had filled it with fire. Her mana veins felt like they were in tatters, and the very touch of mana in them had nearly caused unbelievable agony. When Ruethwyn regained her senses, she was on her side, the agony somehow greater than it’d been before.
“Now what do we have here?” The voice of the woman Resvarygrath had called Essryl was surprisingly gentle, and somehow she’d gotten close without Ruethwyn noticing, though the pain couldn’t have made that too hard. Ruethwyn looked up and swallowed as the woman smiled, at this distance it was obvious that her lips were as black as pitch, and the woman spoke softly, crouching down next to Ruethwyn. “Despite being struck by his flames, you still have the fire to resist? How remarkable for an elf. I’d never have expected to find such in this tiny village.”
“G-give… her back…” Ruethwyn gasped, trying to gather herself as she stared at the woman balefully, ignoring the fear clamoring in the back of her mind.
“Her? Which her do you speak of?” Essryl asked, tilting her head slightly. She followed Ruethwyn’s gaze to the others and clicked her tongue. “Ahh, I see… hmm, likely not a sister… you look nothing like any of them. A beloved, perhaps? How intriguing.”
Ruethwyn hissed and tried to grab the woman’s foot, but before she came close, the woman moved like a striking serpent, her hand grabbing Ruethwyn’s wrist before she realized what had happened, and the dark elf spoke more softly, a warning tone to her voice. “No, no… none of that, little elf. Try that again and I’ll remove your hand, and you’ve only got one of those left. No, if I were one of my sisters, I’d probably put you out of your misery. But I’m not one of my sisters, and the Dowager teaches that while fire destroys, it also tempers. There’s still a fire in you, isn’t there? You haven’t given up yet, have you?”
“Shut… up…” Ruethwyn whispered. She had nothing left to lose by insulting the woman, and the patronizing tone the woman used angered her. There was also fear, due to what the woman had said about only having one hand, but the thought was strangely distant.
“No. Hmm… you’ll die if I leave you like this… but you’re also not a threat, are you?” Essryl considered a moment, then glanced back at the vanishing soldiers. They were alone next to the burning library, and the Illisyr nodded after a moment, her tail lashing behind her almost like a cat’s. “I think I’ll give you a chance, girl. You wish to save your beloved, do you not?”
“What?” Ruethwyn asked, growing confused.
“I asked if you wanted to save your beloved,” Essryl replied, her smile widening slightly.
“Y-yes?” Ruethwyn said, her voice questioning as she spoke despite the pain, which was now growing slightly more distant. “Why?”
“Then I’ll heal you, just enough to keep you alive,” Essryl replied. “You have two years. That’s how long I can keep the new girls in training. After that… I can’t guarantee your beloved will be untouched. Mostly untouched, I should say. Untouched implies that nothing will happen for two years, and that’s almost certainly untrue.”
Ruethwyn watched in shock as the dark elf cast a spell, her fingers flicking through minimal gestures and a soft green light washing over Ruethwyn with a sensation much like that of being immersed in a cool river. She shivered, and as the healing progressed, her mind sharpened slightly.
Her breathing wasn’t as labored after several long seconds, and as Essryl pulled away, Ruethwyn spoke again, her voice more stable now. “Why? Why are you doing this?”
“Why? Because I’m curious. I’m curious to see how far your determination can take you. You’re no threat to me or My Lord… you’re a mere elven child, crippled by dragon fire,” Essryl replied, her smile enigmatic. “If you can rescue your beloved… why, that shows potential. That interests me. Don’t disappoint me, girl.”
The dark elf took a step back, and as she did so, the air around her shimmered and she faded into it like a shadow and was gone. A moment later, her voice echoed softly in Ruethwyn’s ear. “Remember, two years. That’s all.”
Then Ruethwyn was alone. The smell of ashes and burning wood surrounded her, and for a long moment, Ruethwyn simply laid there, unable to force herself to move through the pain and anguish of the last few minutes, feeling almost numb. Finally, she couldn’t lay there any longer, and Ruethwyn pushed herself to her feet, looking down to see how her dress was scorched along the parts of it which she could see. Then she looked at where Anara had been dancing, and at the burning library where she’d spent so much of her life. She looked at the destroyed remnants of the bench where she’d been sitting and dreaming only a short time before.
Only then did some of the numbness wear off, and Ruethwyn began to weep.
Chapter 4
“Excuse me, Miss?”
Sella jumped slightly at the calm inquiry, quickly turning as she flushed slightly. Behind her was another elf, a young man with skin tanned by the outdoors, a fit body, and short sandy-blond hair. He was wearing a loose tunic, leather trousers, and a sword hung from his belt, all of it of finer make than Sella’s formal clothing. His brown eyes were sparkling with amusement, Sella noticed in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to block the path,” Sella said, quickly stepping to the side. “I was just distracted.”
“I can understand that. The academy is rather impressive, isn’t it?” the young man replied, nodding in understanding as he also stepped off the path.
“Yes… I come from the northeast, in the Estan Barony, so I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Sella agreed, turning to look at the academy grounds again.
Tyrness Academy was enormous, and it was obvious that a great deal of care went into keeping the grounds tidy. Dozens of copses of trees and fields covered the grounds, but large areas where the earth was scorched or reshaped were obviously intended as training areas for students. In the cardinal directions were four large towers, each fifty feet tall and widely built, their surfaces a dull white that gleamed in the morning sun.
The central buildings were similar to the towers, the cross-shaped central hall standing thirty feet tall and with a tower that rose over eighty feet into the air, with smooth sides only broken by the wide arches of windows. Several other outbuildings stood near the hall, but even the smallest of the buildings were several times larger than the home Sella had grown up in.
“Really? You’ve come quite some way then,” the young man said, then offered his hand. “I’m a new student, Tadrick Daskar. You?”
“Um, I’m Sella Vintas, also a new student,” Sella replied, reaching to shake his hand, only to be surprised when Tadrick instead gently rotated her hand, then bowed and kissed the back of it. At her startled expression, he quickly straightened and spoke.
“Ah, did I overstep myself? My apologies, I was just taught to… never mind that, my apologies,” Tadrick said, smiling at her. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“It… it isn’t a problem, just startling. I have to assume that you’re a noble?” Sella said uncertainly, suddenly feeling even more hesitant. Tyrness Academy’s tuition was quite high if the student wasn’t sponsored by a graduate like she’d been, and while she’d known that she’d be encountering nobles, it was an entirely different experience to meet them.
“My father’s the Earl of Daskar, and we’re about as far south as your home is to the north,” Tadrick replied, and quickly grinned as he added, “Don’t worry, though. I’m not the heir. That’s my brother, and I’ll be relieved when he finally marries. I don’t want to inherit.”
“I… I see. My father’s just a knight, so I’m not used to all of this,” Sella admitted. “Is there some particular way I should—”
“Tadrick! There you are. I was starting to wonder, after your luggage arrived earlier,” another voice interrupted, and Sella glance
d over to see a man who looked a lot like Tadrick, save in blue robes and with longer hair approaching. There were a few wands thrust through his belt, and the man had an air of command about him, similar to her father’s. He glanced at Sella and blinked before smiling. “Ah, you must be one of the new students. I’d guess Ms. Vintas, based on your description.”
“That would be correct,” Sella agreed, giving a slight curtsey as she asked, “May I ask who you are?”
“I’m Navaan Daskar, heir to the Earldom of Daskar and elder brother to Tadrick here,” the mage said, smiling as he glanced at Tadrick. “I’m also preparing for my trial of mastery here at the academy, and have been assigned to greet the new students and get all of you settled in. I’m glad I found the pair of you; we’re only waiting on three more students. The rest have already arrived.”
“Ah! I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were waiting for me!” Sella said, heat rising in her cheeks again.
“I wouldn’t worry about it, Sella. We have all day to get in, that’s why I went shopping before coming over,” Tadrick interjected, grinning. “Isn’t that right, Navaan?”
“While true, I don’t want either of you to get into bad habits,” Navaan replied, frowning. “Your teacher is Emrick Mara, and he has no patience for people who’re late. Do not test him, especially at the beginning of the term.”
“Oh? Is he not a good teacher, or…” Sella asked quietly, a bit of dread washing over her.
Navaan looked startled for a moment, then quickly shook his head and grinned. “Oh, no! I didn’t mean that at all. Master Mara is skilled in an enormous variety of magic, and is perfect for teaching new students here. The problem is that he doesn’t like people who don’t take his time or the classes seriously, that’s all.”
Sella let out a sigh of relief and nodded. “That’s good; it means he’s more like my mentor, then. I was afraid that it might be different. I’m afraid that Master didn’t tell me what it’d be like here, just that it would be good for me.”
“Who’s your master?” Tadrick asked curiously. “Also, would you like help with your things?”
“Sorceress Jepharrine Thunderstroke,” Sella said, shrugging as she added, “Also, thank you for the offer, but I have them.”
She leaned down and shouldered her backpack again, picking up the other bag relatively easily. Something she’d noticed on her trip to the capital was that many of the women here seemed a good deal less fit, but Sella tried not to judge. It was amusing to see the two men blink, though.
“Fair enough,” Tadrick conceded, looking thoughtful. “I haven’t heard of your master before, though.”
“I have. She’s a weather mage assigned to the northeast of the nation, and somewhat anti-social from what I’ve heard,” Navaan replied, then paused as he looked at Sella apologetically. “Sorry about that. I’m just repeating what I’ve generally heard about her.”
“No, you’re right. Master is… difficult to deal with. She trained me because she knew my father when they were younger, and as soon as she realized I would be better off at the academy, she enrolled me,” Sella replied, considering her teacher for a moment before adding sheepishly, “I think I was relieved by that. She’s probably happier, too.”
“That’s completely understandable to me, considering her reputation. Now come along; I’ll get the two of you signed in, then we can get you rooms in the dormitory,” Navaan said, glancing at Sella. “Are you going to be getting an upgraded room? The ones they provide without additional tuition are rather… minimal.”
Sella began to follow the two down the path from the gate, shrugging before she answered. “I honestly don’t know. Master said she’d arrange it, and she said something about ‘decent lodging’, so I suspect it’ll be what she considers decent.”
“Well, she is a sorceress, so I imagine she wouldn’t get a basic room,” Tadrick said, meandering along the path almost like he owned it, and as they moved, Sella saw a few other students were out, along with others that must be teachers or members of the academy.
Tyrness Academy was the most renowned school for magi in all Selwyn, and as such, it wasn’t easy to get into. Even setting foot onto the grounds was enough to have her lauded with praise back home, let alone taking classes. Only those who’d reached the age of thirty could become students, no matter how early they began their training, and the slots for each year’s class were limited. Even so, Sella had heard that there were hundreds of students, former students, and graduates throughout the kingdom, though only a master mage could be considered an academy graduate. She imagined that was why Navaan was preparing for his trials of mastery.
They passed several smaller outbuildings before Sella asked, “What are the towers for? The ones on the edges of the grounds, I mean.”
“They’re the elemental towers, along with being temples to four of Nature’s Court,” Navaan explained, his easy tone giving the impression he’d explained this several times before. “Each is where higher ranking classes of students who specialize in one of the four elemental spheres train. Practitioners of water train in the north tower, which is dedicated to the Princess, while adepts of fire train in the southern tower, dedicated to the Dowager. Earth is the eastern tower, linked to the Guardian, and I train in the western tower, dedicated to air magic and the Shifter. All the others are taught in the main building, which also contains the temple to the Queen.”
“Ah, okay. That’s good to know! I’m glad there’re temples on the grounds, too,” Sella said, relief flooding through her. Her family had always been particularly devoted to the Guardian, so attending services had been something she wasn’t sure she could manage, as enormous as the capital was.
“So, you mentioned your father was a knight, Sella? Is he one of the border knights, then?” Tadrick asked curiously, his eyes oddly intense, and Navaan laughed.
“Tadrick has been interested in being a mage-knight since he was young. I suspect he’s wondering if your father is one of those,” the older student explained, grinning. “I admit some curiosity about you as well, since your teacher sent you here, but I’d rather be forthright about it.”
“Hey!” Tadrick protested.
“Oh, that explains it,” Sella said, trying to suppress a blush as she cleared her throat, then shook her head. “No, my father isn’t anyone that impressive. He’s in charge of a small town, Waterstone, and heads the patrols for any creatures that escape the Frostglades. As for me… I guess I’m just lucky. I have a decent talent for grasping the basics of different spheres, and I developed a mana core naturally.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Navaan’s eyes lit up as he looked at Sella with obvious enthusiasm. “That gives you an immense advantage going forward! I’ve always wished that I hadn’t been forced to build up my mana core; it just took so much time.”
“It isn’t that impressive, is it?” Sella asked, looking up as they approached the doors of the main building, the pillars on either side of the elegantly carved door enormous enough to startle her. “I mean, there must be others with a natural mana core at the school.”
“One in twenty,” Tadrick said succinctly, and when Sella looked at him, he explained. “Of the students coming to Tyrness Academy, one in twenty has a natural mana core, on average. Since they only allow up to twelve students per class, that gives less than one per year. You’re very unusual, Sella… though all of us who get into the school are, in our own ways.”
“Yes, though your class is going to be even more unusual than normal, from what I’ve heard,” Navaan said, his smile fading as he opened the doors for them, speaking calmly. “This is the library wing, by the by. To either side of us are entrances into the library, and the upper floors are restricted to graduates and select members of more advanced classes. You’ll likely be spending a lot of time here.”
“Of course,” Sella said, looking down the long hallway, then at the numerous doors that must lead into the library. Several of them were propped open, giving a glimpse of the numerou
s bookshelves that crowded the rooms to either side of them, along with floating light orbs, tables, and chairs where a few students could be seen.
“What do you mean our class will be more unusual than most?” Tadrick asked, frowning. “I mean, most classes are kind of weird, from what you said. Didn’t you have a prince in your class?”
“Yes, I did. The difference is that your class has Duchess Azure and—” Navaan began, then suddenly shut up, pausing as he looked through one of the doors and gestured them forward, murmuring, “There’s one of your classmates. Try not to overreact.”
Sella stepped forward and followed his gesture and could barely suppress a gasp. Tadrick didn’t have quite as much restraint, muttering, “Gods above! What happened to her?”
The woman sitting at a table with a book had a large empty space around her, and her appearance repulsed Sella, at least initially. She was an elven woman and had dark brown hair with just a hint of red to it, but any beauty she might’ve possessed had been destroyed. The right side of her skull was bare of hair, the skin bubbled and with a mottled color to it, while the right side of her face almost looked like it’d melted and run like wax before re-solidifying in an oddly red hue that spread down her neck to where her robes began. There was no sign of her right eye, and her ear was entirely missing, along with her arm on that side. The robe’s sleeve had been neatly folded up and pinned in place, making it quite obvious that her arm wasn’t inside her robes. It was simply gone.
Navaan continued forward until he was out of line of sight of the woman, gesturing them after him. It took a moment for Sella to pull herself away, but she managed after a moment, practically trotting to catch up with Navaan.
“That’s Ruethwyn Sylaris. She was scheduled to join my class this fall, actually,” Navaan explained, his voice tight. “I wasn’t happy when I heard that, but from every report, she was considered… very skilled, on the verge of being ready for her trials of mastery herself.”
The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1) Page 3
