At that moment, Tadrick came down the stairs, and the man paused as Ruethwyn glanced at him. He looked surprised, then amused.
“What just happened?” Tadrick asked playfully, grinning as he added, “From the look of things, it’s almost like someone stole Korima’s dessert.”
“Hardly something that bad. Korima asked Rue to make her a dress, then we teased her about being so stern all the time. That prompted Rue to threaten not to do it after all, which had predictable results,” Sella explained, grinning.
“I don’t think I’m stern. Reserved, maybe,” Ruethwyn interjected.
“Ah, that does explain it. You could always socialize a bit more, Rue,” Tadrick said, ignoring her interruption. “Well, I’m ready to go. Shall we?”
“Definitely, I…” Ruethwyn paused, seeing as Korima was still holding her hand and looking at her pleadingly, her eyes almost like those of a distraught kitten or puppy. It was practically soul-wrenching, and she winced. “Korima… do you practice looking like that?”
“Please, Rue?” Korima begged, not responding to Ruethwyn’s question.
“Fine, fine… but please, try not to tease so much?” Ruethwyn said, letting out a soft sigh.
“Thank you!” Korima exclaimed, her expression instantly changing from pitiful to enthusiastic, and Ruethwyn freed her hand quickly as she pulled away.
“Come on, we’re delaying Rue, Korima,” Sella said, smiling and shaking her head.
“Alright!” Korima said, all but bouncing toward the door, and Ruethwyn shook her head, wondering how she’d gotten the odd group to go with her.
Chapter 20
“So Rue, since you’re buying a focus, and since Master Mara hasn’t mentioned them so far in the summoning lectures… why do you need one?” Sella asked, walking down the street at a sedate pace.
“That’s somewhat complicated, but almost all summoning requires a focus. For weaker elementals, it might be the air around you, a candle, or a twig, depending on the sphere you’re using,” Ruethwyn replied calmly. She’d noticed that Korima had chosen to walk on her right, and the kitsune occasionally guided her around a pothole, something that she appreciated. “Think of a focus as an aid that helps you find the right type of elemental. Without it, you might summon something at random. More powerful elementals can be summoned without a rare focus, but it isn’t easy to manage, and I need all the help I can get.”
“Oh, that would explain it…” Sella murmured, looking contemplative.
“Hey, Sella, have you decided what sphere of magic you’re going to focus on, yet?” Korima asked, sounding quite happy. “You’re going to have to for the summoning, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, you haven’t talked about it much. I envy how easily you picked things up,” Tadrick added.
“It isn’t that good, compared to everyone else. Most of you are more skilled than I am in your spheres,” Sella said, flushing in embarrassment, and Ruethwyn let out a soft snort.
“You had reached second circle in air, and first circle in energy and water before coming to the academy. Then, since the start of the term, you’ve advanced to the second circle in energy and have reached first circle in earth, life, and light,” Ruethwyn said, shaking her head firmly. “With an elemental contract, I learned faster than that, but only with a contract. Even if first and second circle are easy to achieve, that’s incredibly impressive. You’re a prodigy, Sella. Probably the most skilled student in the class, though who knows what the others can manage.”
“It’s not… I’m not that good, am I?” Sella protested, glancing back toward Tadrick and over at Korima. “They didn’t seem that hard to grasp!”
“You’re awesome, Sella. I think your previous teacher was being a bit lazy about teaching you, or you didn’t have enough time to learn from her,” Tadrick said, grinning.
“Yup! They have it right. You’re getting earth down pretty quick, and that’s my specialty, as much as I loathe it,” Korima agreed.
“I… I guess so…” Sella said, looking a bit stunned. As they walked, she regained her composure before clearing her throat and speaking again. “Well, I’ve been thinking a fair bit, and with what I’ve seen of what happened to Rue, and what I’ve heard, I’m thinking to try the sphere of life.”
Ruethwyn almost tripped at the explanation but caught herself. She glanced over at Sella as she spoke, her voice unsteady. “Sella, my injuries can’t be healed. Powerful magi have tried that.”
“I know that, but there have to be people like you who’ve been injured, who don’t have curses stopping the healing from happening,” Sella replied, shrugging. “I just… I want to help where I can. Even if I can’t help you, like the priests of Devaran or other people you’ve talked about, I can try to help some people.”
“That’s… a really good idea, actually,” Ruethwyn admitted, her pace slower now.
“I agree!” Korima chimed in and was about to speak more when Tadrick interrupted.
“Actually, that’s a thought…” His voice was thoughtful as he considered, then asked, “Rue, have you thought about summoning an angel or something like that that could remove the curse?”
“I’d need a focus, and good luck getting one appropriate for an angel of sufficient power. Beyond that, angels are… temperamental, a bit. I hear that there are relatively few of them, so ones of that power are often unwilling to aid mortals without good reason,” Ruethwyn said, pausing for a long moment before adding, softly. “Besides, I doubt that anyone aside from the High Priestess of the Princess would have a chance of summoning such an angel in the kingdom, and her chances wouldn’t be very good based on what I know.”
“That… isn’t it worth a try?” Sella asked uncertainly.
“I sent a letter to the temple as soon as I was aware of the possibility, and I still haven’t gotten a response,” Ruethwyn replied, uncomfortable with the subject.
“Umm, isn’t that the Emporium?” Tadrick asked, distracting everyone, to Ruethwyn’s relief.
The building was much the same as the last time Ruethwyn had seen it, with well-fitted masonry walls carved with enchantments to make them last longer, a slate roof, and a fine wooden door. It looked like most other shops on the street, save that instead of bearing a symbol showing what the shop was for, it bore the shop’s name in gold paint.
“Yes, that’s it,” Ruethwyn said, feeling even better as she walked quickly toward the shop, hoping the transaction would be relatively quick. She thought her hope was somewhat in vain, considering the people with her, but she could hope.
A bell jingled as she opened the door, and Ruethwyn took a deep breath of the air inside the building, air which felt so much better than what was outside. The interior of the shop was also immaculate, with polished wooden floors and wall panels, and dozens of sets of fine shelves around the room, the neutral-toned wood almost perfect for showing off the wares that were carefully arranged on them.
Nearest the door were the least valuable of items, from a bowl of acorns to river-stones that had been polished smooth to delicate glass orbs that looked like they contained pure water. Farther from the door, though, items grew stranger, from the wooden bracelet, which was growing, tiny leaves sprouting from its twigs, to a basket woven of pure shadows, and an egg smaller than Ruethwyn’s thumb that glowed a brilliant red.
In the corner, there was a stand with a birdcage atop it, the door open as a pheasant nested inside, its plumage unusually bright and colorful, while an older elven man stood behind the desk, his brown hair streaked with white, and he looked up from polishing a silver necklace to regard Ruethwyn with steady hazel eyes.
“Oh, wow… the air in here is nice! It smells almost… pristine? Like a meadow near a lake while it’s raining,” Korima said, sniffing as she looked around.
“Welcome to Daven Emporium. I recognize young Ruethwyn, but not the rest of you,” the man said gravely, nodding to them. “As to the air, enchantments keep my shop’s environment as clean and pure as pos
sible to avoid any potential contamination of my wares. I do hope that explains things, young lady.”
“Oh, yes! I guess it does,” Korima said, looking a bit startled.
“Grandmaster Daven,” Ruethwyn said politely, giving a half-bow, then straightening. “I came to pick up the focus I ordered. These are some of my classmates, Korima Lightweaver, Sella Vintas, and Tadrick Daskar. Everyone, this is Grandmaster Daven the Enchanter, owner of Daven Emporium.”
“Grandmaster?” Sella asked, and quickly curtsied, speaking respectfully. “My apologies; I wasn’t aware of that!”
Tadrick bowed, adding, “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Grandmaster Daven.”
“Greetings to all of you. I recall meeting your father a few times, Tadrick. An honorable, pleasant man,” Daven said, his gaze drifting to Korima, who was staring at him.
Korima seemed to consider for a little while, then nodded, smiling broadly as she spoke happily. “It’s nice to meet you, Mister Daven! It seems like everyone’s being really stiff, and that doesn’t seem pleasant. Unless you want me to be formal? I can be, if you’d prefer that.”
Daven blinked, and Tadrick gasped, speaking quickly. “Korima! He’s at least the equal of the academy headmaster in skill and power. Be respectful!”
“Don’t worry about it, young lady. Korima, was it?” Daven said, chuckling softly as he smiled slowly. “A member of the Lightweaver clan, I presume? It’s the only kitsune enclave in the kingdom, so that seems likely.”
“Yes, it is. I’m sorry if it’s disrespectful, it just seems so… so boring if everyone talks to you like that,” Korima explained, to Ruethwyn’s amusement.
“It can be, but you shouldn’t assume that about everyone,” Daven replied politely, setting the necklace and polishing cloth aside. “Some people thrive on order and rituals, and they would find your attitude grating or rude. Fortunately, I’m not among them.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Grandmaster,” Ruethwyn said respectfully, happy to hear that Korima’s attitude wasn’t insulting. Clearing her throat, she asked, somewhat anxiously. “So, you were able to find what I wanted?”
“Yes. I was quite fortunate to find a mage who already possessed one last night, and who was willing to sell it,” Daven replied, smiling as he reached under the counter and pulled out a small teak box. Opening it, he turned the box toward Ruethwyn and spoke simply. “One thousand-year crystal of eternal ice.”
The interior of the box was lined in red velvet, and atop it laid a crystal no more than an inch across. The hexagonal jewel glowed a soft blue and was almost perfectly smooth, while the velvet it was touching was covered in frost. Ruethwyn stared at it for a moment in admiration, letting out a sigh of relief.
“That’s beautiful…” Sella breathed, reaching out, and Daven quickly pulled the box backward.
“No, Ms. Sella. For one, it isn’t yours to touch. Even if it were, this gem contains a great deal of cold energy and could harm you if you touched it without preparation,” Daven explained, frowning at her.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Sella said, blushing. “I just thought it looked so perfect that I wanted to see how it felt.”
“It’s good to know, though…” Tadrick said, studying the crystal for a moment before asking, “What even is it? You called it thousand-year eternal ice… is it enchanted to remain frozen?”
Daven looked at Ruethwyn, and she sighed before shaking her head. “No, it isn’t. Eternal ice is a type of gemstone that crystallizes from ice that has not melted for at least a century in a cold-aligned elemental node. Even those of only a century in age won’t melt if removed from the area, but the older they are, the more potent the cold energy contained within them. I’ve heard of a handful of ten-thousand-year crystals, but those are more of legends. More crystals are found in our area due to the Frostglades, and they’re ideal for summoning elementals of frost and ice. My teacher suspected a thousand-year crystal might allow me to summon up to a ninth rank elemental, but doubted it.”
“I’m glad to hear I didn’t misjudge your understanding of its use,” Daven said, nodding in approval. “I was dubious when Vrenne sent you to me, as many students aren’t wise enough to use foci properly.”
“I do try,” Ruethwyn said, bowing her head respectfully.
“Ninth rank? That’s practically a ninth circle spell, from what Master Mara said!” Sella protested, her eyes going wide. “You can’t be planning to summon something like that, can you?”
“Not ninth circle, more like seventh,” Korima interjected, though she frowned as she looked at Ruethwyn. “But it doesn’t seem like a good idea to me…”
“I’m not summoning an elemental that powerful. My chances of survival would be essentially non-existent, but why not get a focus that can be used in the future?” Ruethwyn said, shrugging as she added, “Sinera summoned a couple of elementals and spoke to them, and one gave me the summoning name of a fifth circle ice elemental that I could call once I was strong enough and had a focus. I should be able to manage a pact by this point, so…”
“Good,” Tadrick said, looking relieved. “I didn’t want Master Mara to get upset.”
“Neither do I, though for slightly different reasons,” Ruethwyn said, looking at Daven as she asked, “Is the payment we agreed on before still acceptable?”
“Of course. I’m curious to see how you’ll do in carrying on Sinera’s work,” Daven said, his smile slightly mysterious as he glanced at Ruethwyn.
“Thank you,” Ruethwyn said, removing the pouch from her belt so she could pay him. The others gasped at the number of coins she removed, stacking them in front of Daven carefully. Once she had a full hundred gold in front of him, the man smiled and nodded, taking the coins and closing the box to slide it over to her.
“The pleasure is mine. Is there anything else you’d like while you’re here?” Daven asked.
Ruethwyn didn’t say anything as Tadrick cleared his throat and spoke up. “If you don’t mind, Grandmaster, I was curious if you could recommend a few foci for beginning summoners like us. My goal is to become a mage-knight, so I’d prefer metal or earth but water would work, while I know Korima has a talent for earth, and Sella is looking at advancing in the sphere of life. I’m not looking to overstep our skill, just something… simple?”
“Ah, that I’m willing to help you with,” Daven said, rising from his chair as he smiled. “Now, let me see…”
As the mage began to show the others the foci he had, Ruethwyn looked down at the box and closed her eye to sense it. Even with the box and lining, she could feel how cool it was inside… and she let out a soft sigh of relief. The crystal was yet another step forward, closer to her goal.
Chapter 21
“When summoning, you always need to be aware of what’s in the area. Unless you have a good relationship with the being to be summoned and their summoning name, summoning an elemental without a containment circle is foolish and dangerous,” Ruethwyn said, her voice sober as she slowly drew the circle on the floor in chalk. “While nothing a summoned elemental can do is able to damage a properly drawn containment circle from within if it’s powerful enough, even so much as a thread or leaf crossing the edge of a circle can break it. This is why most magi summon indoors, in rooms much like this one.”
The students were all gathered in one of the basement rooms of the northern tower of the academy, as water was more closely aligned with ice than any of the other elements, and Master Mara had wanted to make the summoning as easy and safe as possible. The room itself must have been intended for the purpose, since there was a large area of perfectly smooth stone for the summoning and plenty of space for the others to stand. It hadn’t escaped Ruethwyn’s notice that symbols of containment had been carved into the door of the room and around the edge of the flat platform, but it only made sense.
Master Mara nodded in approval, his voice loud in the confines of the room. “Well explained, Ruethwyn. The danger of an unknown summon cannot be overs
tated, as elementals run the gamut of possibilities. On one hand, you have unintelligent creatures that are driven purely by instinct, and on the other, you have highly intelligent, sophisticated ones that can put the finest minds of our kingdom to shame. Most of these beings don’t much care about us, but a surprisingly large percentage can be actively malevolent, so you should always be wary.”
“You have the summoning name, though. Doesn’t that mean you can do without the containment circle?” Dana asked, looking slightly skeptical as she watched, her arms folded, and Ruethwyn laughed.
“Hardly. I have the name, but I’ve never met the elemental in question. The one I met was much more powerful than I could hope to summon, so she gave me the name as an… interim step,” Ruethwyn replied, shaking her head. “As we’ve never met, there’s no reason to think that she’ll react well initially.”
Ruethwyn set down the chalk for a moment once the circle was complete to flex her fingers, then began to carefully draw the containment symbols, focusing on them as she continued. “I hope it goes well, as an elemental of her strength should be able to help me glean a great deal of insight into the sphere of ice.”
“Indeed,” Master Mara agreed.
“Master Mara, why’re you having us wait until she’s done to let us summon our own elementals? It’s kind of frustrating to be held back because she isn’t ready,” Madeline asked, her tone relaxed and almost normal.
“I can only help one of you at a time, Madeline, and summoning is an exceedingly precise art. While all of you are skilled magi for being apprentices, you’re sloppy from time to time. Barthel doesn’t pay attention to his gestures and wastes mana when casting spells, Korima often skips steps, Yalline forgets the order of runes, and you sometimes rush to finish and leave the ending of your incantations muddled,” Master Mara said sternly. “Ruethwyn’s art specializes in summoning, so if she can pull this off correctly, she can help guide some of you at the same time as me, which will speed up the class’s progress. If she hadn’t been attacked, she wouldn’t even have been in this class, I’ll have you know. She’d be looking at attempting her trials of mastery.”
The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1) Page 15
