“Maybe you don’t understand.” Travis shook his head. “I want to use rune magic, something binding.”
“Oh. Well, that doesn’t really change anything, but it is…” Tiffany trailed off. “Alright, I can see why you’d want to do this, especially with what I told you about how Odin died, but I want something in return.”
“What?”
Tiffany scratched her arm and adjusted a bracelet, looking like she was searching for words. Finally she said, “I want you to come with me to the stars, to my domain, to help announce our union. If we do this, it will actually increase my power, and help deepen my understanding of my mantle.”
“What will I get out of that?” asked Trav.
“Maybe nothing. But I think our power will increase together, or at least benefit each other. Also, consider that I’m not getting anything out of letting you rune-bind me, either. I think with this deal, we are both still coming out ahead.”
“Pretty risky to haggle, right? You have a lot more at stake than I do,” said Trav. He saw no point in sugar coating it.
Tiffany was completely unfazed. “Do I have more at stake, at least personally? We’re both Restless. This benefits us both, and neither of us is exactly swimming in power or resources yet.” She met his eyes squarely. “I am not weak, Trav. If I was, you wouldn’t even be considering this. I know you are formidable too, and I really don’t want to waste time with back and forth. This is a fair trade, and I believe you know this. Let’s not drag this out.” The initial terror that Trav had seen when he’d met her was still there, but now the core of steel underneath was clearly visible.
On top of that, the new goddess was doing something to project her power at Trav, making herself vulnerable, allowing him access to her surface thoughts. Trav hadn’t even known such a thing was possible, and with his emberstone eye, he could see it had something to do with Restless auras. She was being entirely sincere, at least about her intentions with marriage.
Behind him, Narnaste breathed, “Truth.”
“I know,” muttered Trav. He ran a hand through his hair. “Alright, I don’t like screwing around either.”
Tiffany stood and after Trav had done so as well, she said, “Alright, in front of these witnesses, let us clearly state our terms. With your agreement, I will start.” After Trav nodded, Tiffany announced, “I, Tiffany Erben, inheritor of Zorya’s mantle, intend to marry this man, Travis Sterling, inheritor of Odin’s mantle. My agreement is that, if I agree to his rune-binding terms, after he enacts them, we will be married. Then, he will go with me, travel to the stars to announce our union. Do you agree to this, Travis Sterling?”
Trav could feel the air change, and knew there was some sort of magical significance to her words, but his mystic vision wasn’t showing him anything out of the ordinary other than a few motes of magic dancing through the room. He took his time, thinking about what he wanted to say, then clearly replied, “I agree, as long as you agree to the terms of my rune-binding.”
He thought he could see a small smile and a flash of approval in Tiffany’s eyes as she said, “Continue.”
“The rune-binding will compel you to always act in our best interests as a couple. In a life-threatening crisis, or in wartime, you may prioritize your own safety, but must also work for the benefit of myself and my subordinates. My valkyries will be considered part of our household, and our household will be something you agree to protect. You will agree to not make major decisions that affect our household or our mantles without consulting me, and you will never engage in violence or direct physical confrontation with me except in self-defense. Power you receive will be offered to be shared with me if possible.”
Trav had been tempted to add more to the list, but knew he had already been pushing it as-is. However, he believed he’d kept it more or less fair, especially based on the relative strengths of the Restless their mantles had come from. Tiffany narrowed her eyes as she stared at him, likely running his words through her mind again, and slowly nodded. “Agreed. Our bargain is struck. Do you need any special tools or items to create the rune-binding?”
“No. Where should I make it, though?”
“In this room is fine.”
Trav nodded, and moved forward to begin burning sigils, glyphs, and runes directly into the floor. He deliberately did not look at Narnaste while he did so. Her presence was clear and he knew exactly where she stood at all times through their bond, he would just need to look up. He didn’t, though. Dealing with his valkyries later, all together would be better.
As he used Hex to carve runes into the floor, he thought back to how he’d met Narnaste and how despite being Kin, he owed her his life. He finally glanced up and saw Narnaste studying him with an unreadable expression. They hadn’t known each other that long, not in the grand scheme of things, but Trav had been through a lot with her. The fact that he might know this canine woman for the rest of his life, thousands of years, was just starting to sink in. He cocked an eyebrow.
Narnaste took a second before responding with a tiny shrug.
Trav went back to his work, and his heart felt lighter. He wasn’t sure why, but he was grateful nonetheless.
It took about thirty minutes to create the intricate rune circle, acting as much by instinct as the knowledge packed away in his head. After he was finished, he slowly examined the entire thing and nodded. This had been a good piece of work.
When he glanced up this time, he finally saw the varying degrees of shock and bewilderment on everyone’s faces. “What?”
“I have never seen a magical construct of this complexity in any kind of power system, on any world,” said Leonard.
“How does this thing work?” asked Tiffany.
“Once we both drop our blood on it, in the two areas there, and there,” Trav said, pointing, “we touch each other and will the circle to close. After that, our mantles will power the thing, and our agreement will be enforced.”
“But you don’t have any rune-bound promises aimed at yourself, right?”
“Well, not really, no.”
She nodded. “So if I break any of these promises, what happens?”
“Your mantle will lose its power and actively work against you. Any power you try to use will drain away, and you will grow sick and eventually perish.”
“How will I know if I’ve broken the covenant, on purpose or on accident?”
Trav answered, “You will feel sick, and sicker as you keep breaking the promises. It will be painful, extremely painful. Like most magic, it’s based on intent, but with a few objective ways to trigger the system worked into the rune equation so there isn’t a way to get around it.”
Tiffany smiled. “This is well crafted. And you swear on your existence as Restless and on your name and on your mantle that this construct will do no more, and no less than the exact words I agreed to before?”
“Yes,” answered Travis.
“Truth,” said Leonard, and Narnaste gave the priest a surprised look.
Travis chuckled. It seemed he was not the only person capable of being careful.
Tiffany curtly nodded, walked to the spot Trav had pointed to earlier and cut her hand with a knife she’d pulled from somewhere. “Here?” she asked.
After Trav nodded, she let her blood drip onto the appropriate spot. Then Trav did the same, and moved to the center of the rune circle. Tiffany joined him, and as they held hands, Trav instructed the rune equation to flare, closing the circle.
Tiffany shuddered as the wave of magic hit. Trav still felt a little odd, even though it hadn’t affected him much. The way the rune circle had been constructed truly did make it draw power from Restless mantles themselves. This type of magic was final and binding, too. The only way it could ever be removed would be to do this ceremony all over again, with the blood and consent of both parties.
As the knots of the agreement settled in place, Trav thought about rune magic, and how it worked so well as a vehicle for the divine power of the Rest
less. Odin had known many other magic systems, but rune magic was powerful on every veil, and especially so on Asgard. This rune circle would have been much more difficult to craft on some other worlds.
Finally, as the power of the crafting died down, and Tiffany sagged before slowly standing straight again. She looked Trav in the eye and said, “It is done.” Then she glanced around the room, intoning, “Before witnesses of both households, a new union has been created.”
“Wait, we’re married now?” asked Trav. “That’s it?”
“Yes, that’s it.” Tiffany smiled. “Thank you.”
“Wow, well that’s something,” Trav began, but trailed off speaking as he felt a change. He’d just gained two bars of power.
“So, shall we go to the stars now?” asked Tiffany. She held out an elbow in suggestion.
Somewhat haltingly, Trav held out his arm, and Tiffany took it with a smile. Then she drew her fan and pointed it before her before making a slashing motion. A spinning bar of light resolved in an open portal that looked a lot like a veil gate. “Shall we?” asked the goddess.
Trav just nodded and stepped forward before remembering Narnaste. “How long is this going to take?” he asked Tiffany.
“It depends. Time moves differently where we are going. It could be a few hours, it could be a few days.”
“Days?” said Trav. He turned to Narnaste. “If I’m gone a while, just rotate guard shifts, okay?”
The canine Kin shook her head. “You really shouldn’t go alone. Remember what happened with the witches and the mine?”
“Witches? Mine?” Tiffany sounded curious but didn’t wait for an answer. “Valkyrie Narnaste, where we are going, only Restless may go. I am sorry.”
Trav put a hand on Narnaste’s shoulder. “Narn, she made the oaths. I have to start trusting someone or we are screwed. Not only that, you can feel through the bond whether I’m in danger or not so this should be okay, right?”
Narnaste slowly nodded. Behind her, Leonard bowed his head respectfully to Tiffany. “We will guard this home while you are away, Majesty.”
Tiffany smiled in return, and moved toward the portal again. Trav followed, and as soon as he’d made contact with it, the world flashed white and he was someplace else.
Chapter 5
"Wow," said Trav.
"This is my private temple. It kind of came with my mantle." Tiffany was facing the other direction and was trying to hide it, but Trav could hear a note of nervousness in her voice.
The area they stood in looked like a giant round colosseum built on a glass floor suspended in the vastness of space. A beautiful building rose from the very center, looking something like a cross between a mansion and a museum. Six completely still ponds were spaced around the building, and lighted arches of gold hung in the sky over them.
Trav didn't need his mystic overlay to tell he was standing in a place of potent power. Since he'd walked out of an entry arch that Tiffany's portal had connected to, his teeth had been buzzing from the sheer concentration of magic. This place felt like what it was—the retreat of power of an ancient goddess.
Without being told, Trav immediately understood a few other things, too. Now that he had visited this place, he could probably figure out how to return. He didn’t exactly know how yet, but he felt it’d be possible. This place was secure, but was less a fortress than a hidden observatory.
Tiffany no doubt had told the truth about why she'd brought him here, but doing so had also made her vulnerable. Whether the gesture was a calculated risk or a gesture of trust, Trav didn’t know. But if she'd intended it to make him soften towards her, it was working.
The clever blond woman nodded toward the ponds. "Those are the scrying pools. I can't use them very well yet, but with more power and skill I will one day be able to see anywhere in the continuum, to track the most important events and people."
“Is that how Zorya witnessed what she shouldn’t have before? I mean when Odin was murdered.”
“Yes.”
“That makes sense, but then how was she killed, Zorya I mean? This place is protected and hidden, isn’t it? I don’t think anyone else could even find this place now, Restless or not.”
“Well, you could now, right?” Tiffany gave a quick, nervous smile.
Trav had to admit he was impressed. Tiffany seemed to really be letting her guard down in an effort to build trust. She was taking the first steps. Even if everything she was doing was meant to be manipulative, the way she was making herself vulnerable was real. He kept a poker face and walked to one of the pools, idly glancing down.
Right beneath the surface of the water, he saw a swirl of light that resolved into a mountain for half a second before the swirling lights returned. Trav felt like he’d been kicked in the head by a mule and stepped away, shaking his head. He said, “All right, you have a point about tracking, and I figure this is all a show of trust, but why? I know that we will need to get to know each other and work together, but aren’t you going out on a limb for basically a stranger, marriage or not? You don’t seem like the sort of person to mindlessly dance to the tune of a prophecy.”
“You’re right.” Tiffany walked to the pool nearest Trav and sat on the edge, then trailed her fingers through the water. “Don’t do what I’m doing right now, by the way. It might kill you.”
“Noted.”
The goddess chuckled and pursed her lips before saying, “Based on what I know, you never asked for your mantle, right?” Trav shook his head and Tiffany continued, “I didn’t know about all the strings that would come with mine, but I was willing. On my world, the Restless are not common knowledge, but not unknown, and I spent much of my life studying the mystical world. I want to change the continuum, and I needed power to do that. Everything I want to accomplish will be impossible without taking some risks, and the odds will be even worse if my world is destroyed. I need a partner, Trav. Given your past, I know you won’t trust easily, but I wanted to do what I could to move that along. I meant what I said that a partnership will help both of us.”
Trav nodded slowly. He wasn’t naive enough to just accept what she’d said at face value, but he’d already begun to understand just how little he knew about the world of the Restless. It was ironic that he had a universe of knowledge locked away in his head but he was still ignorant about the things and people who likely would try to destroy him. Having a guide would definitely be helpful if he could trust her.
The fact that Tiffany was older than he was and had probably been much better prepared for her mantle would definitely be a benefit...if she didn’t stab him in the back. He definitely had a lot to think about now, but he remembered what Tiffany said about time moving differently in this place. “What do we need to do for the announcement?” he asked.
Tiffany nodded at the building. “There is a device inside that will take us to the very top of this domain. Once we are there, we can hold hands and I can make the announcement.”
Some of Trav’s borrowed knowledge was triggered by the explanation. Married Restless were usually more powerful, by some esoteric rule of the universe. Trav ruefully compared how it worked to filing for taxes jointly on Earth to retain more money. “I think I understand. You can make your intention resonate throughout your domain here, and it will actually restructure your mantle a little, right?”
“Yes.” Tiffany’s eyes and voice showed her surprise.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Trav was lost in thought, and Tiffany’s nervousness was beginning to show. She fidgeted as they moved through the beautiful, opulent building, and Trav turned from watching her to examine their surroundings better.
The place really did seem to be structured a bit like a temple, but was also a workshop, and seemed to be a library and maybe an armory. Two hallways on either side of the large central room led to other rooms, but he was following Tiffany on a direct path toward a platform in the corner of the room. Through Trav’s emberstone eye, he could see swirls of in
credibly powerful magic around it. The platform was probably the most heavily protected place in this entire pocket dimension, or not-a-place, which was saying something. Protective magic was layered practically everywhere Trav looked.
They passed a tapestry on the wall, showing a scene of primordial creation, and the two stepped up on the pedestal. “What now?” asked Trav.
In response, Tiffany raised her fan, and without any sense of motion or time passing first, the two of them were floating among the stars, looking down on the building and the pools below. The goddess turned to meet Trav’s eyes and held out a hand.
Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Trav slowly put his hand in hers, and as soon as he did, he felt his mantle tremble. Instinctively, he knew that his consent had carried some sort of mystical significance. Where he had contact with Tiffany, his skin grew warm, and he felt his power touch hers. Where the two forces met, they began to intertwine.
On the mystic level, their two Restless mantles began to resonate, to harmonize.
Tiffany’s wordless voice suddenly rang out into the void, disappearing as soon as it hit the vacuum of space, but Trav could both see and feel the eddies of power continue onward. His eyes wide, he witnessed the stars themselves seem to respond to her power, her will.
For the first time since he’d become Restless, Trav truly felt awe at the potential of what he was becoming. Everything he was witnessing now was far beyond some magic spells or flashy abilities.
The moment seemed to last for a while, but Trav couldn’t tell how long—he was spellbound. Finally, he found himself back in the temple with Tiffany. The fashionable blond woman was sweating and panting heavily. She reached one hand out against the wall to steady herself and muttered, “Thanks.”
As Trav mutely nodded, he checked his power levels, slightly disappointed that they hadn’t gone up past the two bars of power he’d already gotten from getting married. After reflecting on his current thoughts, he shook his head. My life is truly strange now.
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