Yes. He is yours and you are his. Some part of both of you knows this, but you are less willing to accept it. And he is content merely being your magister. Your first encounter, all those many lives ago, set the tone for the future. Do you recall what that encounter was? A kitsune who gave their heart away. Arvynn spoke quietly, but with great surety to her words. Kituk snorted.
Enough. Let us see what the Sky Fox has to say in the matter. Kalla growled to herself as she was frozen in place, unable to move or speak and suddenly Aleister was there in the clearing with them, looking quite bewildered. He looked to Kalla, but the Old Wolf's voice snared his attention. Kalla heard a muffled exclamation as he caught sight of Kituk and Arvynn.
Inaba Kaze, the mage has no further use for your services as magister. She has bid me set you free, that you might spend your life as you will.
The blood drained from the magister's face and he swayed slightly, looking thunderstruck. He crumpled, sinking to his knees. Head bowed, he offered no protest.
“As you wish, milady,” he whispered and she thought she could detect a slight tremor to his voice. His countenance fairly cried What did I do wrong? The mage seethed at her inability to speak and make this right.
“Please, milady, I… I want you to take the Stymphalian. You have a greater need of it than I.”
“But what will you do without your ship?” Kituk made Kalla ask. Aleister glanced up at her, then dropped his gaze again.
“I will stay here. There are old debts here that must be paid,” he replied in a leaden voice.
“But if you stay here, you will be executed, will you not?” Kalla asked, still under the Old Wolf's manipulation.
“Yes…”
“Then why?”
“You are setting me free, to 'spend my life as I will'. It is what I wish.” A brief hint of angry bitterness laced the words.
“You wish to die, given freedom?”
“I should have died long ago. My family is dead, save for Hauss. You don't… want me around anymore. It's hard to live without one's heart.” Aleister's voice trailed off.
Kalla frowned as Kituk used her to retrieve the fox-ball. The bright green and rose that had filled it had dimmed to a faint spark, nearly consumed by a muted dark blue glow. She made to hand it back to him, but the magister shook his head. “It's not that easy. It was a gift, freely given. I…” He paused, twisting his shirt in his hands, still refusing to look up. “I… love you, milady. I didn't want you to get angry, to send me away… like you are now… I know… knew… my place. I would never have overstepped that place.
“It was the only way I could think to tell you, the only thing of any value I had to offer. If… Please, do with it what you will… Just, please wait until the light is gone.” Here his voice cracked and he gave a long, shuddering sob as Kituk freed Kalla from his control.
Kalla stared at the orb in her hand, then down at the man kneeling at her feet. She never would have guessed how much he cared, if she hadn't been forced to listen. The mage tried to imagine what life might be like, if Kituk really did free him and she didn't have far to go. She gotten a taste of that when the Sky Fox had been in a coma all those weeks. Kalla realized that she did, in fact, care for Aleister quite deeply and that her life would be very empty indeed without him.
She knelt before him, tucking the orb away as she did. He cringed back as she reached out and lifted his face to look at her, as she had so many months ago in the Inferno, and in his warm brown eyes she could see his confused hurt and his resignation. Kalla brushed his tears away, and in that instant made her choice. Drawing him closer, she kissed him and knew that she had made the right choice and that the Old Wolf and Lady Arvynn approved. Shock froze Aleister for a moment, before he responded, yet still he was chaste and gentle and she could feel his uncertainty, his fear that she would still push him away. Behind her the wolf and fox chuffed softly.
Well chosen, my daughter. You are now Lady of Wolves. A gift I give to thee, that you might not forget the truth of the bond between you, though I doubt that possible. Kituk's voice rumbled through the glade.
Flickers of light danced around their hands. A band of rose gold coalesced around the ring finger of Kalla's left hand, in the stylized likeness of a fox, tiny rubies set for eyes. Likewise, a band of mythril in the shape of a wolf with emerald eyes wove itself around Aleister's same finger.
I apologize to you, Inaba Kaze. I would not really have broken the bond, though the deception was necessary, both to force Kalla to see and you to be truthful. To truly do so would have been passing cruel and that I try not to be. There is a reason why the bond is forged as it is. A mage might survive, but a mageless magister would be driven insane by the breaking of the bond.
Aleister gave a shaky laugh, relief easing the tension from his wiry frame. “Thank you, Lord…Kituk?”
That would be me, yes. Those words held a slight grin. You are most welcome, little Fox. Know this, too, when Kalla comes into the full power of the Lady, so will you come into the power that rightfully belongs to you.
“I don't understand, Lord Kituk,” the magister said.
I think you've come far enough along that you can better appreciate this. You are not any kitsune, little Fox. You are the Prince of Foxes, the son of Inari himself. Yours has been a spirit on a journey, just as has Amaraaq. The Old Wolf laughed at Aleister's dumbfounded expression.
When next you meet your father, Kaze, give him the regards of the Queen of the Snows. You must travel to Ishkar to find Ganysha. Be sure to pay your respects to your desert brethren as well. King Fennec Nall will be delighted to meet you, I'm sure. Arvynn turned her attention from the still bemused Sky Fox to Kalla. Fare thee well, my little Wolf. Good journey til the end.
* * *
Kalla snapped awake in an instant, the bizarre dream playing through her mind. Dream or truth, she felt she had her answer. The mage conjured another globe of light and froze, staring at the ring on her finger. The dream had been real after all. A quick assessment told her that Vander was still asleep and that all of an hour had passed. Beside her, Aleister twitched and came awake with a sharp intake of breath. Alarm filled the bond and he started to scramble away from her, but she grabbed his hand and he grew still. She tapped his own ring.
“The dream was real. I am Lady of Wolves. Yet, I don't feel different,” she mused.
“Oh, gods be good… It was real?” Shame trickled through the bond and she pulled his arm back around her, gently squeezing his hand.
“Yes, it was real. You are now the Consort of the Lady. That's nothing to be ashamed of, is it?” Her voice grew quieter. “I am sorry that you had to go through that, Aleister, yet, was the gain not worth it?”
“It was worth it.” He hugged her closer, burying his face in her hair. “Just please don't regret it.”
“No regrets. Over any of it,” she said sleepily. The magister barked a laugh.
“No regrets, indeed.”
Kalla's own laughter was stolen by a yawn as a feeling of lethargy crept over her. Before she knew it she was sound asleep, resting more peacefully than she had at any point the past several days.
Kalla woke once again wrapped in the scent of cinnamon and fox, but this time she paused to enjoy her magister's presence. He was still asleep, but she had the feeling that something had compelled her to wake up. She paused, seeking out Vander and finding his mind agitated.
“Lady Kalla! Help us!” Vander's voice flooded her mind. It must have been Vander, seeking her attention, that had woken her. She shook Aleister awake. Focusing on the frost wolf, she teleported the pair of them to Vander's side. Her bare feet sank into soggy turf as they materialized before the wolf and wyvern and she was drenched within seconds. The first thing Kalla noticed was the dense fog shrouding the landscape. The second thing she noticed was that Amaterasu was hurt. Kalla felt the locks on her power began to shift as she grew angry. The wyvern's right wing sagged, unable to take weight. Ragged gashes had sliced throug
h the delicate wing membranes, shredding them to ribbons. So that would be why they couldn't get back to the ship, she mused. Healthy, the wyvern was more than capable of carrying the frost wolf in her talons. Wounded, she couldn't even get herself off the ground. Amaterasu bellowed and Kalla pulled Aleister to the ground as a jet of flame shot overhead. In the brief firelight, the Mage could see a horde of dark shapes seething around them. Only Vander's ward kept them at bay, but Kalla could tell it wouldn't hold much longer. The wolf danced to her side, throwing another jet of flame out into the darkness.
“What happened?” she asked.
“The dead, Dashkele. They came from nowhere. We've destroyed many, yet they still keep coming. There are people, animals, even a wyvern. It was that which hurt Amaterasu.”
Kalla growled as more of the locks shifted. Sparks danced around her as she gathered her power together. The shadowed forms drew closer, pressing against the barrier of the warding and Kalla could feel it begin to give. The sparks wove into ragged flutterings of fire, taking on liquid quality as Vander's barrier fell. The undead hordes swarmed towards them, a massive wyvern leading the way. The great beast had started out life as a frost wyvern. Now, patches of skin and scale had all but fallen off, exposing bone. In places where the scales still clung, they were a dull, dingy blue. Strips of decaying flesh hung from the body in great swathes, causing Kalla to grimace. Around the wyvern came all manner of undead. Vykr, pronghorn, human, plains longtooth, even tiny little mice and birds.
The wyvern screeched a challenge, surging forward, even as the first of the undead reached them. Kalla ignored the tiny mice feet that scrambled up her clothes, and drew her power together. Scraps of flame blended and melded to form a solid seamless dome around the four. The dead howled as the closing curtain of flame cut them off from their quarry, Vander and Amaterasu making short work of those still trapped within. A vast golden bubble shimmered around them, pulsing gently.
The last of the locks broke under the volcanic pressure of Kalla's anger, releasing the power in a molten torrent made manifest. A laval firestorm erupted as the fiery dome burst outward, washing over the undead hordes, incinerating them. Only dust and ash remained, drifting on smoky winds.
As the air slowly cleared, Kalla was amazed to see that the rains had stopped. Indeed, her firestorm had done more than simply destroy the undead. It had been powerful enough to shred the clouds themselves. From very far away, or maybe deep within her mind, came an enraged howl of pure frustration.
Kalla turned her attention back to Amaterasu, to heal her wing, and found yet another surprise. The transition from Mother to Lady had changed Vander back to his human form. The War Mage gave her a bewildered look.
“You are Lady of Wolves now, Dashkele. You bear the twin crescents,” Vander said softly, bowing. The Sky Fox grinned and Kalla returned it with a scowl as she surveyed the damage to the wyvern's wing. Reweaving the thread of the delicate membranes would be an exacting task. She gently urged the wyvern onto her good side and carefully stretched the wing out. Amaterasu growled with the pain of it.
Will I fly again, Lady Kalla?
“If we can get this fixed quickly, I have no doubt of it,” Kalla said. The Mage called Vander and Aleister over. Vander had access to all of her own healing knowledge, so he could help with the healing. Kalla asked Aleister to help hold the wing steady, giving support where the magi needed it. Their work took several painstaking, exacting hours, but by the end the wyvern was good to fly again, the wing seamless and whole once more.
From a distant ridge a pair of figures stood and watched the magi, magister and wyvern. The elder man looked to the younger, then both looked up into the now clear skies. They nodded to one another and began to make their way across the plains.
Isle of Whispers, Year of the Mythril Serpent 2014 CE
Al'dhumarna howled in rage and frustration as the firestorm consumed his undead army. The Old Wolf's child was proving beyond meddlesome, her and her little Fox. And now she had the pathetic Dashmari serving her. He had grown more strong-willed during his brief time with Amaraaq.
The Nagali scowled and thrashed inside his mythril cage. Cracks ran through the enchanted metal. Near the tail a huge piece fell off, revealing a section of the true Al'dhumarna. Scales of iridescent blues and greens shone through.
He quieted, settling down into a simmering stew. He was nearly free. Unfortunately, at the rate they were going, the Wolf goddess and her little minions would soon be on the way to see Ganysha. He had to stop them, to kill them! The Nagali hissed sibilant instructions. There were traps to be laid and bait to be set.
Hunting Hawks
Arkaddia, Evalyce, Year of the Mythril Serpent, 2014 CE
Kalla teleported the three humans and the wyvern back to the Stymphalian with no effort at all, the transition to Lady having freed up even more of the leashed power within. She had to admit, now she felt different. Power thrummed in her bones, and her skin prickled with its weight. Kalla's ears flicked back, picking up sounds she never would have heard before. New scents filled her sensitive nose, and she could see farther, with great clarity.
Warmth spread through her, leaving a liquid contentment behind. She stood, shoulders back, surveying the sodden landscape beyond the shields. The sky was now bright with sunlight, dotted here and there with tiny cottonball clouds, and the devastation left behind by the rains was far more evident.
The rains may be gone, but the entire ecosystem within Arkaddia was threatened with collapse. The herds would suffer still, from lack of food. Kalla's brow furrowed, as she stood pondering the fate of the Plainslands.
The locks were still open, all of Amaraaq's power there for the taking. She started walking, thoughts turning inward once more, hardly aware of Aleister and Vander calling her name. Amaraaq's power was a warm, heavy blanket wrapped around her.
As she walked, Kalla expanded her awareness into the earth itself. Using this connection, she pushed the extra power into the land, willing the water to be gone. Around her steam began rising from the marshy ground. The effect spread out from her in ripples, leeching the water from the land and restoring the lush winter grass to health. Kalla swayed in place, her awareness everywhere at once as she followed the ripples outward, urging them further on. Faster and faster it spread, racing throughout the entire Plainslands.
Kalla felt the locks begin to close, breaking the connection to Amaraaq's full power. She was not yet ready to contain it all. The mage crumpled to the now dry ground. As she came back to herself, Kalla was surprised to find that the air had grown considerably cooler, more befitting the late winter. Aleister and Vander had come up behind her and now they each offered a hand to pull her up, looks of wonder on their faces.
“You healed the land,” Aleister said softly.
“Yes. Though I must admit, I didn't think it would work,” she said.
“I'm glad that it did,” Aleister said, sweeping her up in a hug. “Otherwise, famine would have taken the herds anyway. Famine and sickness. All this water is unnatural.”
Kalla followed her magisters back to the campsite and sank back against the wyvern's side, falling asleep wrapped in the safety of the healed wing.
Urgent voices in the soft, lilting tones of Arkaddia roused the dizing mage some time later. Kalla peeked around the sheltering wing. The voices belonged to two males, one near to Hauss' age, one closer to her own. They were dressed in the simple brown, spiral covered robes of the Plains shaman.
Amaterasu opened her wing to let Kalla up. The voices stopped and the two shaman stepped toward her, bending to one knee. She gave Aleister a puzzled look, which he returned with one of his own. The Plains shaman never bowed to magi, not for any reason. The elder shaman stirred.
“You are the shining lady who broke the storms, are you not?” he asked.
“Shining lady?”
“Yes, you called the fires. When we first saw you, you were wreathed in bright flame. Great Lady-”
Here K
alla cut them off with a sharp gesture.
“It's just Kalla. Kalla kyl'Solidor. Get up. I'm no one you need kneel to,” she admonished.
The shaman straightened up, shaking grass from their robes.
“My name is Shukke. This is my son, Komugi.
Lady Kalla, you must return with us to Karokorum. You've done what the magi said couldn't be done. You broke the storms and healed the land itself. Perhaps you could talk some sense into the Khan?” the elder shaman replied.
“It's a pleasure to meet you Shukke, Komugi.” Kalla inclined her head politely to first one, then the other. “Why does the Khan need sense talked into him? The last time I met the Khan Arkaddia, Nobunaga was a very pleasant, level-headed person.”
“You've met the Khan?” Aleister asked, a slightly dazed look on his face. Kalla twitched a grin.
“Yes, during the plague. I was one of the Healers who accompanied Hauss to Arkaddia. The Khan was most thankful for our help. Hauss' credit, not mine. He managed to find a cure. I was simply along to learn and to help. He probably won't even remember me,” Kalla said.
“Nevertheless, I beg you to please try. He plans to invade Rang'moori. Even now he is gathering all of the warriors together. The mage that is with him tells him evil things. It was he who suggested that the Rang'moori were to blame for the storms, though the mage be Rang'moori himself. We have a treaty of peace with them. It would be dishonorable to break it with no provocation,” Shukke said. The elder shaman's eyes pleaded with her to help.
Kalla sighed. A Rang'moori mage bent on chaos could only mean they'd inadvertently tracked down Grosso. Vander growled softly, sharing her thoughts.
“Very well. We will try. It will not bother you overmuch to travel in the ship, will it? We'll get there faster if we fly,” the mage said. Fear flitted across the shamans' faces, but they nodded agreement.
“We will fly. The sooner we can get to Karokorum, the better,” Shukke said.
Lady of Wolves (Evalyce Worldshaper Book 2) Page 2
