The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “It’s worth taking a look at. As for myself, Dukarth wool, finely woven and fire aspected preferred, Kalpheran silk, and any type of mana-infused cloth,” Ruethwyn said calmly. “I’d prefer blues, but other shades I’ll consider. I’d also like to see any brighter orange or red silk if you have it.”

  “You certainly know what you want, and I think I can satisfy those requests. One moment and I’ll bring them out,” Calla said, her eyebrows having risen for a moment, then vanished into the back.

  “Isn’t that going to be expensive, Rue?” Sella asked, looking worried. “From what you said before…”

  “I’m anticipating that if I get everything I have in mind, it’s going to run over twenty gold, if not even more than that,” Ruethwyn admitted, the thought making her cringe internally. That much money was more than her father and mother had kept on hand for emergencies. “I have the funds for it, though, and I’d prefer some warmer robes before the winter hits. I find I’m more sensitive to temperature now.”

  “Well, it’s best to have it before you need it, I guess,” Tadrick said, considering before adding, “Besides, Sella, if you want some help with the fabric, just ask. Remember, I was willing to help with tailoring. That would’ve cost more than what Rue’s talking about.”

  “I… we’ll see,” Sella said, swallowing hard. Ruethwyn couldn’t blame her. If she hadn’t been dealing with her finances and tuition to the academy for the last few months, Ruethwyn probably would have been reacting about the same. The capital’s prices were ridiculous.

  “Alright, a bit of an armful here, so I brought out the reds first,” Calla said, stepping out of the back with five bolts of fabric, and Ruethwyn’s annoyance vanished as she saw the fabric, and couldn’t help but inhale in admiration.

  The cotton bolt was a deeper, berry red, while the other four were all silks. Only one was orange, but it was bright, almost like the setting sun lighting the clouds. The other three ranged from ruby to cherry red. Ruethwyn felt a pang of guilt as she realized how much her father would have loved to use these in an outfit, as he’d only once had silk that she could remember, to make a scarf for Anara’s mother. It only increased her determination to make use of the fabric as she realized that, and she glanced over the cloth, then at Korima and Sella.

  “It’s gorgeous…” Sella breathed, and Korima’s ears had obviously perked up as well.

  “I’m glad you like it. One moment and I’ll get the others,” Calla said, smiling broadly as she headed into the back again.

  Studying the colors, Ruethwyn glanced at Korima and Sella, considering how they’d look in them, but didn’t say anything as Sella reluctantly turned from the silks to the cotton. A few moments later, Calla returned with another three bolts, and Ruethwyn’s gaze grew more intense as she saw the glittering ice-blue of the top bolt, verging on purple. The glitter wasn’t figurative, either, it was glowing with faint magic, and as the light changed, it seemed to shift to a deeper blue, then to a deeper purple as the light struck it at different angles. After a moment, Ruethwyn tore her gaze away to look at the other two bolts Calla had brought. One was a deeper blue silk, while the other was wool, midway between the two and of a finer weave than she’d seen before.

  “I don’t have a large selection of what you’ve asked for, but I believe this would fit the bill. This on the top is water-aspected… well, let’s call it silk. It’s woven from strands of water lilies that grow in a water node,” Calla explained, tapping the top bolt gently. “It’s soft and smooth to the touch, as you can see, and far tougher than its appearance may suggest.”

  “Of course. It would have to be,” Ruethwyn murmured, then smiled and said, “I’d like ten yards each of all the blue fabric, and another ten of the ruby and cherry silk.”

  Sella gasped at Ruethwyn’s words, and Calla grinned. “I see you’re happy with my selection. Now then, considering the prices of them…”

  Ruethwyn quickly settled down to haggle, even though she knew she’d likely be outmatched. It was going to be more expensive than she’d anticipated, but probably worth it.

  Chapter 16

  “Settle down, all of you!” Master Mara said, clapping his hands firmly. As the teacher flicked his fingers, the door closed behind him, cutting off the hubbub outside the classroom.

  Ruethwyn had been startled when she’d come into the main building, as more students than she’d ever seen in a single place had been crowding the halls of the academy, talking excitedly among themselves. From the bits of conversation she’d picked up in passing, it seemed that news of the Starlight Troupe coming to town had managed to spread in the past few days, and even most of the more skilled students were excited to attend the performance if they could.

  “I know that you’re likely all excited by the news around town, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Tickets to the Starlight Troupe’s performances are always in demand, so even if they are going to be in the city for two weeks, I imagine that your chances of seeing them are poor.” Master Mara spoke briskly, smiling wryly as he added, “I’m speaking from experience here, I should add. I’ve been trying to get into a show of theirs for each of their visits over the last decade, and still haven’t managed it.”

  “Really? I thought it would be easier to get into, with your status!” Delvin exclaimed, the young man sounding startled.

  “I’m afraid that the headmaster gets first choice on purchasing a pair of tickets, and unfortunately for all the staff, his wife is an enormous admirer of the troupe, so the rest of us have to buy tickets like everyone else,” Master Mara explained with a helpless shrug, pacing over to his desk. “I believe the royal household is given a number of tickets that they distribute among the nobility as well, as do the churches of Nature’s Court, but aside from those, the tickets are entirely sold by the theater. Maybe I’ll manage to get one this year.”

  Ruethwyn glanced at Korima speculatively, and from the way the kitsune’s ears were up, she suspected that Korima found the information surprising. It was more surprising that the kitsune hadn’t said anything yet, but it made Korima’s offer to Ruethwyn and the others even more generous than Ruethwyn had thought it was.

  “If my house is offered tickets, I could see about getting you one if you’d like, Master Mara,” Madeline spoke up, her voice sweet and calm, as she usually was with nearly everyone else, Ruethwyn found.

  “Thank you for the offer, but no. I can’t take gifts from students,” Master Mara said, sighing as he pulled out a book. “In any case, that’s enough of a digression for now. We have magic to learn about. Lissa! What have you learned over the last three lessons?”

  “Me? Oh, well…” Lissa started slightly, the mousy woman almost shrinking back for a moment, then seeming to steady herself. Ruethwyn turned a little in her seat to see the other woman as she sat up, her voice soft as she brushed back her hair. “You made certain that all of us had basic mastery of a major sphere of at least second circle other than energy, then we began learning the basics of summoning.”

  “That’s correct. I’m glad you were paying attention, Lissa.” Master Mara sounded approving as he nodded, glancing around the room again as he continued. “Madeline, what relation do major spheres and summoning have in common?”

  “That… I…” Madeline frowned slightly, then shook her head. “I’m not sure what you mean, Master Mara.”

  “Very well. Yalline, can you answer the question?” the teacher asked, turning to Madeline’s quiet maid. Ruethwyn suppressed a sigh, as she thought she knew what Master Mara was getting at.

  “I’m not entirely certain, but I think you’re indicating that all the major spheres, aside from energy, allow you to summon elementals?” Yalline said hesitantly, and Ruethwyn caught a hint of Madeline glaring at her maid as she continued. “I’m not sure about necromancy, but all of the others…”

  “That’s correct, Yalline! While some minor spheres have elementals that you can summon, not all do. An excellent example of this are the artif
icing and poison spheres, but there are many others as well,” Master Mara said, smiling broadly. “Summoning is a difficult art, and is aided by having an understanding of the sphere associated with their element. A few people can learn to use summoning on its own, but they’re rare, and even rarer are those who have soul-bound elementals that grow with their own power. Still, even those of you who don’t have those advantages should learn how to summon elementals. That’s why I intend to teach all of you to summon minor ones.”

  “Ah, Master Mara?” Tadrick raised his hand, frowning. At the teacher’s nod, he asked, “You say that all the major spheres have the ability to summon elementals, but there are two I don’t understand. The spheres of nature and necromancy… they don’t seem to fit that, at least not to me. Can you explain further on what type of elementals they can call forth?”

  “Certainly. You have a talent for nature, so I can understand why you may wonder,” Master Mara replied in approval, nodding happily. “Nature gives rise to many beings, so it’s no wonder that the majority of elementals wouldn’t be seen as such by the mundane folk through the kingdom. Most nature elementals are merely plants and animals that dwell on other planes of existence, often with strange and unusual appearances. More rarely, fey can be summoned, from dryads to nymphs, satyrs, or rarely, the wild fey. However, fey are… capricious, and I cannot recommend summoning them lightly. I believe I told you this before, actually.”

  “Ah, that makes more sense. I never thought animals would be considered elementals…” Tadrick mused, flushing as he added, “Also, if you told me, I’m afraid I forgot. My apologies, Master Mara.”

  “Just try not to forget again, please. It was when Ruethwyn demonstrated atavism for the class. In all honesty, the term ‘elemental’ is terribly imprecise. It simply refers to a creature that isn’t from our world, and one which is subject to banishment,” Master Mara explained, a finger tapping his thigh as he contemplated. “In fact, to go off on a tangent… it’s an interesting aspect of magic that, if we go to another plane of existence, it’s actually us that are elementals, by our own definition. For whatever reason, elves, kitsune, and other creatures from our world can’t be summoned, but we can be banished from those realms and sent home via magic. No one knows why we’re effectively immune to summoning, save in rare special cases, but we are.”

  “Um, what about necromancy, then? You seem to be avoiding the subject, Master Mara, so I’ll drop it if you don’t want to answer, but I’m curious,” Sella asked, frowning.

  “I was trying to decide what to say about it. While necromancy isn’t innately evil, the easiest uses for it will quickly lead those who attempt to learn it down a very, very dark path,” Master Mara said, his smile fading quickly as he looked over the classroom solemnly. “While necromancy is taught to a small subset of students, the teachers carefully vet their numbers and don’t allow anyone who wishes to learn it to do so. It simply is too dangerous to do otherwise. Necromancy can raise undead by animating corpses with summoned fragments of ill will and dark feelings cast off by beings who have died. Worse, these fragments can’t be banished like normal summons can be. Still darker magic allows them to remove a portion of the soul of one who recently died and corrupt the portion to use as the animus for a corpse, turning them into a far deadlier creature that has much of the skills and memories of the dead, while also tormenting the soul of the departed. I won’t claim such is easy, but it’s far easier than it should be.”

  “Gods above!” Sella gasped, her hands going over her mouth.

  “While what I said was true, I also don’t want that to be your only association with necromancy. It can be a useful tool, and there are a number of white necromancers who I’ve known over the years,” the teacher continued quickly, looking over his sober audience. “Necromancy is a broader sphere than even life, though many ignore the aspect that it’s the manipulation of death and life energies. A necromancer with the proper spells can use their own life energy or that of another to heal, and with sufficient mastery, they can even restore the dead to life more easily than a life mage can. They can summon the spirits of the recently dead to question them, help put the restless dead to sleep, and control undead to keep them from killing those in the area. Necromancy is dangerous, yes, for the users can reap the souls of others if they misuse it… but so is a fireball if one were to just throw it into a tavern or classroom.”

  Ruethwyn flinched at the suggestion, shivering slightly. Sella glanced over and asked softly, “Did you know that, Rue?”

  “Some of it. My teacher explained a bit about necromancy, and why she didn’t want to teach me any of it, but that’s all,” Ruethwyn murmured in return.

  “What type of elementals do you intend for us to summon, Master Mara?” Korima finally interjected, the woman sounding only a little subdued by comparison, though her enthusiasm seemed a little forced. “I know I have a talent in earth, but that’s not what I want to focus on.”

  “I know you don’t want to, Korima, but it’s for the best if you play to your strengths, as it will help when you gain enough mastery of other spheres to summon in them,” Master Mara explained gently. “As for elementals, I intend for all of you to start with relatively weak ones that would only require first circle to call forth. All but Ruethwyn, that is.”

  Ruethwyn blinked in surprise, looking at the teacher quickly as she spoke. “Not me, Master Mara? What will I be doing, then?”

  “I’ve studied the transcripts which your teacher sent here for your training, and with the headmaster’s agreement, I’ve decided to make your task more difficult. We wish for you to summon an elemental requiring at least third circle mastery, and if necessary, will provide a focus to assist with the task. Should you prove up to the test, you’ll assist me in teaching the others to summon elementals,” Master Mara said, his eyes glittering as he watched her.

  “That…” Ruethwyn hesitated, trying to decide what the teacher was thinking. Many of the other students were also looking at her, and after a moment, she sighed and asked, “May I ask how soon this would need to occur? I’ve ordered a focus for summoning an elemental I’d like to contract, but I don’t expect it to arrive for at least a week. The elemental would meet your requirements.”

  Master Mara’s eyebrows rose at her question, and he considered for a moment before speaking. “A week, hmm? Well, that should suffice. Teaching everyone how to draw the summoning circles correctly should likely take the remainder of this week. That being the case, let’s get started on the summoning circles, shall we?”

  Ruethwyn let out a slight breath of relief as the teacher turned away from her, happy that he wasn’t going to keep pressing. Still, she did have to wonder what he had in mind.

  As she thought, Master Mara began drawing a summoning circle on the board in front of the class, explaining what he was doing as he did so.

  Opening the door, Ruethwyn stepped into Master Mara’s office and paused, turning her head to scan the right side of the office first, partially to keep from being surprised if there was someone other than the teacher in the room. The handful of times that she hadn’t known someone was in the room had resulted in an unpleasant shock.

  The office was well-appointed with tapestries on the walls, and a trio of bookcases held a variety of tomes, along with a crystal orb, what looked like a handful of silver dragon scales the size of Ruethwyn’s thumb, and a worn iron dagger. There was a set of merchant’s scales on the oak desk, the simple brass seeming slightly unusual to Ruethwyn’s gaze, along with an inkwell, ink pen, and a silver letter opener. She’d expected the room to be ornate, but it wasn’t so ornate as to make her uncomfortable. Master Mara made up for that as he looked up from his chair and smiled, speaking. “Ah, Ruethwyn. Good, you came.”

  “Of course, Master Mara. May I ask why you wished to see me?” Ruethwyn asked, turning to more easily close the door before turning back to the teacher. In the moment that he was in her blind spot, she heard his chair push back, and when sh
e saw him again, the teacher was standing.

  “Yes, of course. I must admit that when I first heard you were to be placed in my class, I wasn’t terribly pleased,” the teacher said bluntly, examining Ruethwyn carefully. “Those who attend Tyrness Academy are generally considered to be the most exceptional students of the kingdom, and your disadvantages are obvious. My opinion has changed somewhat, but I can’t say that I approve of your admission even now.”

  “I can understand that, Master Mara. I may not agree with it, but I can understand it,” Ruethwyn replied, looking him in the eye as she felt her determination harden. “I also have no intention of just hiding from the world after what has happened to me. Sinera trusted me with her magic, and I will not let my injuries stop me from making her proud.”

  Master Mara smiled thinly and nodded, somewhat to her surprise, his voice gruff. “That attitude is part of what has made me more… accepting of your presence. I’m still not happy that you’re in the class, mind you, but I’m not going to let you just coast through things. The headmaster was a bit hesitant, but if I’m going to have someone in the class who was supposed to be starting their trials of mastery this year, I’m going to put you to work. This is in addition to the assignments, but you find those easy enough, I’m certain.”

  “I hardly find them easy. Magic isn’t as easy as it once was for me,” Ruethwyn replied, shaking her head. “Now, understanding the magic is easy enough, that much I’ll readily admit. It’s the doing that’s more difficult. More work doesn’t sound pleasant, either, as it’ll cut into my time for learning artificing.”

  “Too bad,” the teacher said bluntly, grinning. “You’re a student, and you were sponsored, so you aren’t even being charged full tuition. Besides, what else are you going to do?”

  Ruethwyn bit back the impulse to reply with a sarcastic response, even if it was honest. It wasn’t as though any of the teachers would agree with her if they knew that she was trying to come up with items that could help her rescue Anara and the others. Instead, she replied calmly. “Is that everything for now, Master Mara?”