Etchings of Power (Aegis of the Gods)

by Simpson, Terry C. ; Wilson-Viola, D Kai; Ordonez Arias, Gonzalo

  “How do the Etchings work?”

  “No one really knows. There’s no record to be found of exactly what they looked like or what they did. All we know are some of the results. Of course, they were those among the netherlings who didn’t agree because they too reaped benefits from the constant death and destruction of the wars.”

  “What could one gain from all that death?”

  Bodo raised his brows. “Why sela of course. Forged the right way, sela can be a source of near immortality. I know you’re thinking no one can Forge sela. The truth is, it can be done. But in order to reap the rewards, a living being has to die. The more death, the more sela gained. So for the sake of eternal youth, we became fodder. Bred and raised to die.”

  Irmina cringed at the idea of being bred like cattle. “Is that what the Tribunal does and others like yourself to live as long as you do?” Maybe Bodo would give her the answer Taeria wouldn’t.

  “The Tribunal, yes. Me, no. There are other, safer ways now.”

  “Yes. I stumbled upon one,” Irmina admitted, now convinced of what the Eldanhill Council and Setian’s old leaders did. “Using kinai products to feed the masses then leeching Mater from them to halt aging.” She ached to tell someone, anyone, how she knew. The revelation and the side effects of the process had been her parents’ work. They’d died because they believed it was unjust and wished to expose the Tribunal. The Dorns had issued the execution order. Irmina took a deep breath, forcing the sudden wave of heat deep inside the Eye.

  “…simple way to put a complex process, but yes, in short that is how it works,” Bodo finished.

  Irmina needed to change the subject. “If the Eztezians aren’t dead, what happened to them?”

  “They sealed themselves and hid the memory of their locations. But there was one thing they forgot to account for.”

  “What?”

  “The Chroniclers.”

  “The Great Tomes?”

  “No. The Chroniclers. The men and women who wrote the Chronicles within the Great Tomes. The lost descendants of Eztezian and netherling couplings. They decided it was their duty to walk the land and record all past, present and futures. They passed their knowledge down inherently. After thousands of years, their offspring became the Matii we are today. The Ashishin, the Namazzi, the Svenzar, the Alzari, the Skadwaz and others who shall remain nameless.”

  Irmina frowned. “So what makes the Chroniclers so important?”

  “Well, if you could find the descendants of the Chroniclers, then you could find who now holds the histories. In turn, you could find out where the Eztezians are hidden.”

  Everything fell into place for Irmina now. “And by perfecting the Bloodline Affinity, whoever it is among Amuni’s Children now has the upper hand in locating the last Eztezians. Kill them, and they break the seals.”

  “Precisely so.”

  Something still didn’t make sense to her. “But who has enough power to kill an Eztezian. Not even a High Ashishin could. One of the Exalted, maybe?”

  Bodo paced once more. “Several Exalted may stand a chance. It’s more likely all this has been put into play by a netherling.”

  “Merciful Ilumni,” Irmina whispered. “A netherling, here in Denestia? But that would mean the seals have weakened enough for them to breach the Kassite and pass into any of the Planes of Existence.”

  “That, is just the beginning of the horrors that could be unleashed on our world,” Bodo said, his round faced now haggard and grim. “We don't think the seals have weakened to that point yet, but we believe some netherlings have always been here since the sealing. We don't know how to find them, but as of now, we suspect only the weakest creatures can cross the Kassite as it is attuned to stop the strongest threats.

  “However, as the seals continue to weaken, not only will stronger shadelings pass through, but we will face daemons and the Skadwaz themselves. Denestia will fall to a horde of shadelings under their power. Eventually, the seals will be broken, and the gods will come to seek vengeance. So, you see our dilemma. We ourselves need the help of the Eztezians. It’s why Jerem has ordered you to approach this man, Ryne. You need to find a way to have him trust you. Jerem believes this Ryne to be a direct descendant of an Eztezian.”

  CHAPTER 37

  Ancel shifted his butt around in an attempt to find a more comfortable position in the corner of the old barn, brushing away the offending sprigs of hay that poked at him through his clothes. Kachien, her face a pale imitation of its normal coppery color, lay asleep next to him. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, much better than the shallow breathing she’d suffered from as the night had turned to day and she pointed the way to this abandoned farm and its ramshackle buildings. Now, dusk had come again, but at least this time they’d found shelter. Charra stood guard near the door, his eyes focused out into the night’s encroaching darkness.

  Earlier, they’d managed to find an old oil lamp and enough fuel in a metal drum to keep it alight. Mirza, his hair now a faded scarlet, stirred the coals in a fire pit they’d dug after clearing out the hay from the stall he and Danvir occupied. The small fire flared and smoke wafted through the air, finding its way out a nearby window. On a spit, Danvir turned several mutton haunches, their juices sizzling when they touched the glowing coals. The meat’s mouthwatering aroma set Ancel’s stomach grumbling.

  Ancel made certain Kachien still rested comfortably before he stood and walked over to his friends. He took a seat next to them on the barn’s earthen floor, the fire’s warmth a welcome comfort.

  Danvir nodded toward Kachien. “How’s she doing?”

  “Much better. I still don’t think we’ll be able to leave tonight like she wanted.”

  Mirza stirred the coals again, kicking up sparks. “As long as we get to eat first, I don’t care. I’ve never much liked this side of the Kelvore River.”

  Danvir grunted in agreement. The two of them had kept up a constant vigil since they crossed the river. Although still in Sendeth, Ancel couldn’t blame his friends for their apprehension. They weren’t far from Randane, but this region may as well be unclaimed lands—the result of frequent skirmishes between Dosteri and Sendethi troops.

  “I still can’t believe what she did,” Ancel said, his low voice filled with awe. “To be able to hold the currents of a river at bay. To calm storm winds. To go against the natural flow of Mater. Can you imagine if any of us could do something like that? I wonder how strong she is?”

  “Stronger than an Ashishin, I think,” Mirza said.

  Danvir took down the hunks of sizzling meat. “Maybe. And right now, I don’t care. I just want to eat and get home.” He dropped the haunches into two large pots they’d found inside the farmhouse.

  Echoing his sentiments, Ancel nodded and eyed the food. They’d discussed staying in the farmhouse until they ventured inside past the broken down front door. A weeks old corpse sat rotting in a chair, a huge gash across the chest, head lolled to one side. The place reeked of death. They took only what they needed to prepare their food and left. Ancel cringed with the memory and almost lost his appetite, but his need for sustenance overrode his revulsion.

  “Do you think they’re looking for us back home?” Mirza stared out through the lone window.

  Ancel followed his gaze. The twin moons hung low in the sky. On clear nights after a storm, if one saw the moons before they reached their zenith, their huge silvery-blue forms gave the impression they were close enough to reach out and touch.

  “They must be by now. I’m sure my father’s people in Randane dispatched eagles,” Ancel said.

  At least that’s what he hoped. But suppose they didn’t know it was him and his friends that the King’s men sought? Then word wouldn’t reach Eldanhill until too late. How long before the soldiers discovered what they did? He thought about his father, his mother, his classes, Teacher’s Calestis’ tutelage, and the long ride in the morning that comforted him so much. Would they ever see their homes again?

/>   “I’m sure by now my Da has either sent men or is on his way to Randane himself,” Danvir said as he fanned the hot food with the flat back of an old chair.

  “I’m worried about that too,” Mirza said. “None of our people are safe in Randane or anywhere in Sendeth for that matter.”

  “You know what this all means, right?” Ancel said glumly. He stared off into the distance. “It means more war. To think King Emory’s involved with the shade. Wouldn’t it have been easier to seize us when we delivered the kinai? It’s not like Headspeaker Valdeen could’ve stopped them. Either way, they’ll all answer to the Tribunal.”

  Danvir growled. “They can keep their bloody war. All I want right now is to eat.” His broad shoulders flexed as he ripped chunks of meat from the bone.

  Following their friend’s lead, Ancel and Mirza went to the pots and prepared themselves their own meals. Before long, they sat drinking water and eating in silence.

  Ancel found himself thinking about Kachien’s power again, and his own recent manifestations came to mind. From the way Kachien had grown weak from her Forging, he knew she would soon need to kill to appease whatever her power required as a price or she would either go insane or die. He shuddered to think what she went through. If he was to ever control what grew inside himself, he needed to practice in earnest. Tonight, he would begin the task until the ability to step into the Eye’s calmness became as easy as breathing.

  After he finished eating, Ancel cleared old furniture and wood from the far side of the barn. He found a thin branch among some firewood. Using a rusted knife he’d found in the barn, he whittled the stick until its weight matched his sword. Satisfied, he stood and shifted into a ready position, his right foot forward, facing straight ahead. Most of his weight rested on his back leg, firm to the ground like tree roots. He kept his front foot balanced on the ball with the heel slightly raised.

  In quick motions, he began to move, shifting his front foot to copy likely scenarios, to compensate for balance or to pull back as if he slipped. Adding his rooted back leg to the movements, he pushed off into lunges, side steps, and blocks, his charm bouncing on his chest. At times, he dropped his weight onto his front foot to press forward. The entire time, his legs remained slightly bent, his joints loose, his back straight, body facing forward and his arms relaxed. He imagined his father or Teacher Calestis calling out the positions from left, right, back and front as he ran through the exercises called the Bonadotors, his feet making precise steps in every direction, his arms whipping out, loose and fast.

  “Dexterity and sword handling are as important as strength. Speed kills,” his father would say. “The Bonadotors are the keys. Practice them daily.”

  He repeated the Bonadotors several times before he moved into basic swordplay. First came the eight basic parry positions, from head, to shoulder, to flank and to his legs on each side. He imagined his assailant attacking him from each position, and he defended. When he found his opening he struck with the cuts, slices, and thrusts he’d been taught. Elancose for all attacks on the right. Carnean for those on the left. His repertoire sped faster and faster, and he hardly noticed the sweat on his brow.

  The burning in his arms and shoulders became a sweet sensation, the weight of his legs, a feather. The stick became a sword in truth.

  He shifted into the Stances his father had taught him. Flowing like water, absorbing every attack was the art of the Namazzi. Rumbling and strong, strength like the mountains themselves was the Svenzar. Swift, faster than an eye could follow, like light itself, were the Ashishin arts. If only he knew the Styles to go with each. Regret touched him as he realized how far along in his training he could be at this moment.

  Teacher Calestis’ voice echoed in his ear. “Your sela isn’t just a combination of life and death essences. It’s the combination of your heart and mind, as your gaze is your perception and sight, as your hearing is a connection to locate anything close, as your touch can be as useful as what you perceive. Thrust all you sense into yourself, so deep until you reach a calm pool. There resides your sela. All that makes you who you are. Embrace it. When you have, then you will have attained the Eye. Within the Eye, all and nothing exists. There is no speed, no strength, no dark, no light. There is just you and what your heart desires. Commit to that and what seems impossible will become possible. Ultimate control will be yours to reap.”

  Ancel embraced the Eye, and floated upon the calm pool at his center. Outside, all his emotions and feelings raged. They tugged at him from every direction. He could pluck any he wished to use or none. In the Eye, control belonged to him.

  As before, at the river with Kachien or when he was overcome with emotions, a sight rose within him. Every living thing glowed with their own luminescence, with their own shades, like an aura of light around a candle, lightstone or lamp.

  The glow drifted over Mirza and Danvir in vibrant hues. Ancel could tell them apart like the calluses on his palms. Whites, reds, and blues swirled around Mirza as if he was swathed in fire then surrounded by sky and clouds. Danvir’s was heavy with browns and greens, which somehow reminded Ancel of the mountains and forests. When he turned to Kachien, he stared with his mouth open.

  Colors roiled around the woman as if they fought for supremacy—a white glare, many shades of brown, yellowish light, faint blue. And dominating them all, squeezing them in was darkness. Ancel knew the darkness for what it was. Shade. Somehow, he knew. This hue was what encroached on her sanity, made her kill, caused her lack of control. And as he watched, the shade was devouring the other colors in tiny increments. Ancel wanted to run to her, to hold her, to tell her she would be fine. He could tell the pain being inflicted on her by the battle around her body. Each time the shade gained ground, a near imperceptible shiver passed over her body, too tiny for a normal eye to notice but not for his new sight. Not able to bear anymore, he tore his eyes away from her.

  His gaze passed over Charra, and he lost a hold on the Eye. The glow around everything melted like snow into a geyser. But he knew what he witnessed, what caused him to lose his grip on the Eye in the first place.

  Charra had no hues. Looking at the daggerpaw had been like looking at a blank slate. How could there be nothing?

  A groan from Kachien broke Ancel from his thoughts. Her eyes opened.

  Danvir and Mirza rushed to her side. Ancel looked on, not quite sure what to do now he’d seen the suffering existing around her. After a moment, and one more glance at where Charra lay, he joined his friends.

  They prepared a meal for Kachien and helped her get comfortable. She ate, and before long, she was shooing them away.

  “You three remind me of Tae, one of the old menders in my village. Fussing over me as if I am about to die. I am fine and strong.” Kachien stood.

  As Ancel and his friends watched, she closed her eyes and danced. First left, then right, back, front, a side step, her shoulders dipping or rising with each rhythmic movement. Her movements were achingly slow at first, mesmerizing. She swayed delicately, but not as sensual as the Temtesa. Her movements were sharper, more pronounced. Ancel found himself smiling as he recognized what she did. The Bonadotors, but in a more flowing way than he’d ever seen, like the lapping movement of tiny waves on a calm sea. In tiny increments, she sped up, until she flitted so quickly he could no longer follow her movements. When she finished, he and his friends stood jaws unhinged in awe. Kachien bowed.

  How she could perform as she did with what Ancel witnessed around her, he didn’t know, but for now he possessed no desire to question it. She appeared fine for the moment.

  “Now that you three are done staring, it is time to go. The dartans I have hidden are not far from here. They should still be safe.” Kachien headed to the door. “Come, we must hurry. The other part of me is in need.”

  Ancel squeezed his eyes shut. Although she hadn’t said it, he knew. Kachien’s power needed to be fed.

  CHAPTER 38

  Just before dawn, Ryne received Varic
k’s summons. Twilight tinged the cloudy horizon to the east in deep orange, while above the encampment, the skies remained dark, the moons having already fled from view to the west. The camp bustled with preparations of a mass exodus. Firepits smoked and smoldered, and the sweet aroma from early breakfast lingered on the air. Already soldiers on horseback, followed by those on dartans, formed a long line, all facing west. Behind them, Dagodin infantry stood in neat rows, most appearing bored and impatient. Varick’s tent was the only one still standing.

  With a nod to the two guards, and a signal for Sakari to wait, Ryne ducked inside. Varick, in his resplendent silver armor, the Lightstorm insignia engraved into the chest plate in gold, stood at his table tracing a finger along a map next to his helmet. He glanced up when Ryne cleared his throat.

  “Ah, you’re here. Good,” Varick said. He went back to his map for a moment. “What do you know of a town named Ranoda?” His attention remained on the map as he spoke.

  “Small town as Ostanian towns go.” Ryne joined Varick at the table near the tent’s center where he could finally straighten to his full height. “Up northwest, not far from the Nevermore Heights. There’s a Granadian barracks there. Well fortified from what I could tell the last time I passed anywhere close. Why?”

  “The Tribunal has ordered us back to the Vallum. There’s been trouble at Ranoda.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  Varick looked up then, his face grim. “Shadeling and Amuni’s Children kind. According to the report, the entire town has been wiped out.”

  Ryne sensed there was more, so he waited. Ranoda was less than a day’s travel from where he’d left Jaecar, his family, and this Ashishin, Irmina. Being able to strike there as well as destroy Carnas and raid the farms along the Astocan border meant this army now moved on several fronts, and still their forces had been sizable enough to take a town with an entire Dagodin legion as well as one Ashishin.