She bowed slightly. “I am happy to do as you ask, Master.”
He leaned back in his chair and smiled. “You certainly are. When will you be departing for Castle Lonwick?”
“The eighth waning moon,” she said. “I was planning to take my rest after I finish gathering the crystals on the seventh, and depart early in the morning.”
“Good,” he said, nodding. “I will be back at Mount Stromgard on the evening of the seventh. We can spend some time together before you go. I want to review your learning with you and perform a ritual.”
Her stomach tightened. “A ritual, Master?” she asked, trying to mask the tenseness in her voice.
“Yes. Do not fear, we will not be using the elixir this time. It will be designed to link your energy directly to Mount Stromgard, as mine is, so you can draw directly from the nexus. It will increase your power considerably.”
She relaxed, but only slightly. “Yes, Master, I look forward to it.”
“Good,” he said again. “Now, get some sleep. I expect to hear a report tomorrow evening as to the condition of Valtheim, and news about the movement of soldiers, if there is any.”
Amethyst nodded. “I will. Goodnight, Giriraj.”
“Goodnight, Amethyst.”
The crystal went dark, and Amethyst sat at the desk for a moment before covering it over with a velvet cloth. While she was fairly certain that Giriraj could remove it if wanted to, she felt more comfortable if the crystal was covered while she slept. She got up and walked into his room, disrobing down to her chemise before pulling back the quilt and climbing into bed.
She stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. If Giriraj wanted to do another ritual, then she would have to oblige him. If that ritual turned sexual, the way the first one had, regardless of whether or not the elixir was used, there was no way she would be able to use her golem in her place. She would have to be present to focus the energies and work the magic for her part of the ceremony.
She had six days to plan for Giriraj's arrival. She needed to come up with a plan.
~~~
4th Waning Planting Moon, Year 4368
Amethyst huddled in the brush overlooking Valtheim, miserable from the heat. Though it was still only spring, the days were getting much warmer, and the sun beat relentlessly down on the land. She wiped sweat from her brow and glared into the valley, occasionally looking to the west and north, keeping an eye out for any sign of the Steinhalt soldiers. Rasul had said they were four days of marching away if they decided to come to Valtheim, but if the cavalry rode ahead, they would make the same journey in two.
Rasul had taken the day to scout near Eisberg, watching the northern roads for signs of soldiers, so she was alone here. Though she lay on her belly under the brush, at the highest point of the northwestern ridge, she felt absurdly exposed. If a hunter or woodsman were to pass near, she would be forced to defend herself, and with magic that would likely be deadly. She didn't relish the idea of hurting anyone, but neither did she wish to be captured by Northmen.
She lay on the ridge until sundown. She was ready to retreat into the forest to wait for Rasul to transport her back to the mountain when she noticed movement to her left, far off along the valley. A group of riders approached from the north, flying banners of several colors. She recognized Steinhalt's gray and blue, but there was also a gray and brown pennant, as well as a blue one with a white shape on it she couldn't make out from this distance. She squinted her eyes, trying to see better in the slowly failing light, but it was no use.
She watched them as they trotted along the road that led to the east side of the city, disappearing behind the wall. She lay still for a while longer, watching for more, but none came. She crept back, making her way carefully down the ridge and into the trees.
Rasul was already waiting for her when she reached the clearing. “Did you see anything today?” he asked her as she came out of the trees.
“Nothing until just before I came down,” she replied, dusting off her robes. “A small force of riders, flying three different banners. Not large enough to be an invading force, and they weren't attacked as they approached the city.”
Rasul frowned. “What were their banners?”
“I saw the gray and blue from Steinhalt, a gray and brown one, and one that was blue with a white spot on it.”
He nodded. “Steinhalt, Tiefuhr, and Eisberg. The lords must be traveling to Valtheim for Brynjar's death.” Frowning, he furrowed his brow. “What doesn't make sense is why Steinhalt's soldiers marched past the road to Valtheim and went on towards Eisberg. Waldgebeit sent a detachment with them as well, perhaps a thousand archers... Maybe they're on their way to Tiefuhr? If they are planning a coup, the time to do it would be right after Brynjar passes.”
Amethyst shook her head. “We'd best get back to Mount Stromgard and tell Giriraj. He will be contacting me soon.”
Rasul started scuffing the symbol into the dirt with his boot. “I really need to teach you how to do this yourself. It would make it much easier.”
“I agree,” she said, stepping into the star when he had it finished. Once he lit the herbs on fire, the travel to Stromgard was almost instantaneous. She had realized that, though the magical teleportation was unbelievably faster than it would be to march, time still passed at an altered rate around them. It mattered less when they returned to the mountain, as there was no sun to tell them what the time was, but she noticed a difference when they traveled outside.
The dining chamber table had a platter of thickly sliced roast meat and bread on it when they arrived, and Amethyst took a plate with her to Giriraj's study, Rasul accompanying her with his own plate. It was peppered turkey breast, and the smell of it made her mouth water. She hadn't eaten since that morning, and she was starving; she hoped the meeting with Giriraj would be over quickly so that she could eat.
She set her plate down on a table out of view, and Rasul did the same. Returning to the desk, she pulled the cloth from the crystal sphere and set her hand on the top, channeling energy into it to signal Giriraj. Immediately, the crystal blinked to life, revealing Giriraj in its depths.
“I assume you have news,” he said, looking up from his writing.
“Yes, Master,” she said, and told him about the riders she had seen entering Valtheim, as well as the soldiers that Rasul had observed traveling on the northern road. Giriraj listened intently, frowning as Amethyst described the banners of the group that had entered Valtheim.
“And you're certain that there was a brown and gray pennant?”
“Yes. Of that I am certain.”
Giriraj's frown deepened into a scowl. “I have someone I need to talk to, right now. Thank you, Amethyst, and you Rasul. You will hear from me again tomorrow. Until then, stay in the mountain. Do not go into Valtheim's valley or any of the surrounding lands.”
Amethyst and Rasul nodded. “Yes, Master,” she said, curious as to why he was upset as he was. She covered over the crystal as Giriraj's image faded and raised an eyebrow, glancing at Rasul. “He seemed concerned about Tiefuhr's lord going to Valtheim.”
“Tiefuhr is the second largest and most powerful hold in the Northlands, just behind Valtheim,” he replied. “If he had the full strength of the other lords behind him, he could conceivably overthrow the monarchy.”
Amethyst frowned. “Why would he care about that, though? He hasn't shown any real interest in the rest of Erde's politics.”
Rasul shook his head. “There's really no telling unless he decides to enlighten us. I have found that it is best to wait and watch. Most of the time, his motives become known eventually.”
Chapter Eighteen
5th Waning Planting Moon, Year 4368
Amethyst had spent the day reading, mostly bored. She had gone over the vast majority of the books in the library during her stays in the mountain, and it was becoming challenging to find material that was not only new, but interesting. She had the notion of exploring the labyrinth that she had wandered th
rough during the final trial of her choosing, but when she returned to the door that led to it, she found nothing but an empty stone room. Rasul informed her that after she had completed the trial, Giriraj had filled it back in, as he had only created it for the purpose of choosing an apprentice.
She was pacing back and forth in the library when she heard Giriraj's voice from the study. She ran through the door and uncovered the crystal, taking a seat in his chair.
“I am here, Master,” she said, folding her hands in front of her.
“Good. I have news for you.”
Amethyst sat in Giriraj's chair. “What news?”
“Carloman seeks to take control of the Northlands and return it to the lords, with Tiefuhr acting as the head of an alliance of free cities,” he said. “When Brynjar dies, the six other lords of the North plan to refuse to swear fealty to his son, Brandt, and lay siege to Valtheim until Brandt concedes.”
“This sounds as though it will start a civil war, if Brandt means to hold his throne,” Amethyst said, arching an eyebrow.
Giriraj shook his head, scoffing. “It won't be much of a war. Valtheim is powerful, yes, but they don't hold a candle to a Northlands united against them. The rule of the Bear of the North is coming to an end.”
“How does this affect us?”
“Well,” he said, stroking his beard, “it has been advantageous for us to have Brynjar and his ancestors in control of Valtheim. They have historically shown little interest in the priesthood, so the balance of energies in that region has been less skewed than it otherwise could have been. Valtheim has a temple to their god of the element of Air, Tempest, and so our power is weaker there, and Cedric's is stronger.” He scowled, huffing. “That's why Eira was able to live there without too much trouble. The balance was already in her favor.”
Amethyst furrowed her brow. “And if someone who was more supportive of the temple came in...?”
“Well, then they would start following more of their ceremonies, or at least do so more publicly,” he said, sighing. “By pulling more focus and performing more rituals in the favor of Air, the balance will be skewed even further, and we will lose power in the region as a whole. It won't affect us at the mountain, but it will be a bit of a black eye, having a pocket of weakness in the middle of my domain.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “But we have Tiefuhr to the north, where the Temple of the Mountain is, and despite Steinhalt housing the Temple of Life, that city is strongly oriented towards our element. With those two regions and Mount Stromgard together, the Northlands is firmly under our control. It would take a Master to tip the scales, and frankly, none of them would dare.”
“So, what are we going to do?” Amethyst asked.
“There is nothing to do. We will just have to wait and see how it all plays out. Maybe Brandt takes the throne once his father dies. Maybe he doesn't. We shall see.”
Amethyst nodded. “Yes, Master.” She paused, then said, “should I tell my father?”
“That is up to you. If he decides to start a war over it, then that's no skin off our noses.” Giriraj looked back up at Amethyst through the crystal. “However, I've been giving it some thought. Rasul told me that you showed some natural talent and precision when frightening those Northmen near Steinhalt. Have him drill you in some battle magic.”
“Battle magic?”
“Yes. There may be a time where you have to defend yourself. Having the ability to counterattack could come in handy.”
“Do you think that someone may be coming to attack us?” she asked, worried.
“No, not necessarily,” he said, reassuring her somewhat, “but it is better to be prepared for something that never happens than to be caught unprepared.”
She nodded again. “Absolutely. We will spend today and tomorrow practicing, and on the seventh, we will collect the crystals.”
“Good. I'm going to get back to my ridiculous meetings. I will see you on the seventh.”
“Good luck, Master.”
He snorted. “Luck,” he said derisively as he broke the connection and faded out of view.
~~~
6th Waning Planting Moon, Year 4368
Amethyst stood braced, listening intently for her next signal.
“To your left!”
She cast her left arm out, and a cluster of stone spikes burst from the floor, impaling an imaginary foe. She pulled her hand back, drawing the spears back into the ground.
“Arrows, from your front right!”
She waved her hands up from the floor, bringing a curved sheet of stone up to block the imagined threat, forming a shell that covered a quarter of a sphere.
“Behind you, horsemen!”
She half turned, stomping on the floor, bringing razor sharp blades bursting upwards, high enough to impale a horse and slash at its rider.
“A wizard, in front of you!”
She whipped forward to face Rasul, forming the protective barrier a fraction of a second too late. Rasul's burst of energy struck her in the chest, knocking her down and nearly throwing her into the blades that she had made to deter the fictional horsemen.
She groaned and rolled to her front, pushing herself to her feet. “It's always the damn wizard that gets me,” she said, rubbing her chest where the energy struck her.
“If you were a little faster with bringing up the barrier, it would at least dissipate the blow,” Rasul said, walking towards her. “You might not be able to block it entirely, especially if it was opposing to your element, but you could lessen its impact.”
She dusted off her clothing, rolling her shoulders. “I've been trying to build it faster,” she said. “It feels like something is holding me back, like I can't pull the energy up like I used to. I have to work a lot harder to do the same things.”
“Well, then we'll just have to work a lot harder,” said Rasul.
Amethyst scowled. “I want you to show me how to throw the energy like you do.”
“We can work on that next. Here, let's get rid of all of this stone.”
He waved his hands across the training room, and all of Amethyst's spikes and blades and shells melted into the ground, leaving a smooth floor once again.
He stood next to Amethyst. “So, you know how you can pull the energy into your hands and then put it into something? Well, you do that. You draw the energy up into your hands, you focus it into yourself, into your arms and shoulders.”
As he did this, he pantomimed pulling the energy out of the ground like rope and gathering it up into his hands. Amethyst did the same, drawing the element out of the mountain and into herself, concentrating the energy into her hands and arms.
“When you have enough of it built up,” said Rasul, “all you do is just cast it out. It's a lot like sending it through stone, but instead of stone, you release it through nothing.” He flicked his hand forward, and a ball of amber light launched through the air, impacting the wall on the other side of the room. “Now you try.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then flicked her hands forward like she had seen him do, channeling the energy from her shoulders to her arms to her fingertips, pushing it out into the air in front of her. She envisioned a bolt of energy like she had seen come from Rasul.
Nothing happened.
She frowned and opened her eyes. She focused again, drawing up more energy, and flicked her wrists forward.
Nothing.
“You need to project and release the energy, not hold on to it,” Rasul said. “You can't try to control it once it leaves you, or it cannot burst free.”
Frustrated, Amethyst closed her eyes and pulled more energy from the mountain, the effort like pulling a great weight from an extreme depth. She braced her shoulders and pulled harder, gritting her teeth, until she felt the electric tingle on her skin again. It flowed over her, feeling like it was tracing paths over her flesh. She forced it into her hands. Reaching back as though she were going to throw a stone, she hurled the energy forward,
releasing it at the apex of her swing.
Nothing happened. The energy bled off around her, soaking back into the stone. The room shimmered from the influx of energy around her, dimming slowly as the mountain took back what belonged to it.
Rasul shook his head. “Perhaps Giriraj can teach this technique to you... I do not know how to explain it beyond how I already have.”
Amethyst scowled, her shoulders sagging. The effort had been exhausting. She had channeled the energy, she had done everything that Rasul had told her to. Why hadn't it worked? She stood upright, sweat beading on her brow. Rasul glanced at her, lifting an eyebrow.
“Are you ready to continue?”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling through her mouth. She nodded and opened her eyes.
“Very well,” Rasul said, stepping back to where he had been before. “Axeman, rear left!”
~~~
The bath was warm, relaxing, and almost enough to put her to sleep. Her back and shoulders were bruised from being knocked down a number of times when training her barrier, but she had finally been able to block one of Rasul's bolts. Some of it had gotten through and struck her, but it was like being pushed instead of being kicked by a mule.
She reveled in being able to bathe by herself, without having other people watching her, or bathing Giriraj, or anything else. She floated for a while, her ears under the water, the absolute silence and warm comfort blissful after the day of rigorous practice.
When she was finished, she stepped out of the bath, letting the water run off her on the shallow steps before she took a thick, soft towel from the wooden rack nearby. She wrapped it around her chest, letting it fall to her mid thighs, tucking the end in so that it would stay in place. As she was using another to dry her hair, there was a knock on the door.
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