Thus far, Ru’ark had killed the three of the guardians from when they had set upon him he did all he could to keep himself shielded from their unyielding attacks. Perspiration filled his brow any lesser Magus would have fallen by now. His hands moved frantically as he shifted his waving across his shield feeding his strength into it just as fast at the orbs cut it away. Perhaps he should not have entered as he did, but it was far too late for that and he refused to leave her to this place alone. He had grown close to her over the last year, and if anyone would have success, he figured it would be her, he wanted to survive and to see it. The orbs pushed in harder as their onslaught intensified, driving him down to one knee. The Waraeu thrashed beneath his skin as he focused his weaving outward keeping the thin shield between himself and the attacking white wisps.
For each swing that Nelina had expected to make contact with the creature, it continued to parry against her. Frustration was setting in, how feasible was it that she could maintain her stamina? Her mind flashed back to the earlier choking. She used her point calmness, and when the creature barreled at her, she did the unexpected and repeated what Caleb had done to her and threw her sword at it. In that instance, it did something she did not expect, it mimicked her, and it too threw its blade. Both swords clanged, and blinding sparks flew as they did the other times with the blades falling to the floor in unison. Taking her opportunity, she took the beginning position with her fists on her hips, braced in the stance Adar had taught her. It allowed her to harness her own inner energy, and as if she were ready for a strike from Adar, she prepared for the impact from the sparking guardian. Her legs remained planted firm and the creature instead of hitting her, passed over instead as gentle as a summer breeze passes through a window. “By the God of All, it worked!”
Nelina’s attention once again free it again went to finding these Nivecus Waraeu stopping the creatures above from killing Ru’ark. Walking into the center of the room directly beneath the glowing massive half circle in the ceiling, sat the pool that could only be what she had come all this way for. The pool itself was twice as wide as any bathing tub she had seen. Its edges were seamless polished white alabaster as she had seen above on the temple floor and like that one this one had etchings across its lip and exposed surfaces. Within the thick semi translucent water substance she could see movement as hundreds or possibly thousands of the white Waraeu swimming beneath its surface. In a flash, she had unhooked her sword belt and was stripping out of her armor and the doeskin covering beneath it as she stepped without hesitation into the waiting pool. Floating on her back, she closed her eyes, trying to invite these Waraeu into her. At first, she felt them circling her, as they brushed through her hair while another one brushed against her back. “Please,” her words echoed in the large empty chamber, she was worried about Ru’ark trapped and fighting those creatures, even his strength would fail eventually, she wanted desperately to get back to him. As if sensing her desire to bond with them, they one by one flocked to her. Her body started to submerge and she did not try to struggle as she took a final deep breath. It felt at first like a bite, then as more swarmed it became a stinging sensation, panic and fear had no place here. A numbing sensation ran through her from head to toe as she exhaled the air and instead breathed in the water like substance, when it filled her chest it did not differ from breathing air. Her eyes flew open as the Waraeu poured and burrowed themselves into her waiting flesh, their new host. Thoughts of Ru’ark were in her mind and she was wrought with anxiety and worry about whether he was surviving. The Waraeu swarmed under her skin as a complete feeling of peace washed over her. In her bonding they understood her memories, her feelings, her fears and her deep love for Ru’ark. Her last thoughts were of him as darkness washed over her.
Ru’ark’s fingers slowed as his strength waned, several of the white wisps pierced through his shield. Each one he had severed from its master, but not before they had done their own damage, leaving searing marks across both of his legs and arms and leaving his robes frayed at the edges. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his eyes shut and with the sheer force of his will, and with one hand maintaining his shield, he brought his free hand around and loosened the dagger at his waist to cut off the coiling tendrils desperate to slice his throat. His hand dropped and joined the other in maintaining the protective shield and from a thousand burning arms such as that one. His hands trembled and his throat was dry from having made it this long to begin with, his weavings were dying embers waiting to be extinguished. The image of Nelina ran through his mind, for the briefest of seconds his mind flashed to lying next to her. For the first time in his life he had touched love, something before her he could never have fathomed. His eyes caught notice of the floor, as a bluish glow infused the etched engravings. His strength could not hold much longer and he knew full well once his shield fell they would be ready to slaughter him. The white slithering wisps penetrated his defense this time he did not have the strength to re-form the weavings. A white tendril slithered up his leg and with it came a hot burning sensation travelling straight to the bone of his limb. Unable to maintain the onslaught any longer the last of his strength gave way as the thin shield protecting him collapsed.
Walking back in from the temple Nelina stepped onto the etchings on the floor, causing the runes beneath to come to life beneath her feet. “Leave the Magus of the Alter,” smoky white tendrils poured out from her fingertips and bore down deep into the runes and the ground underneath her feet.
Ru’ark braced himself as the tendril, inches from his eye, disintegrated followed by the other ones. The orbs retreated and pulled back, no longer were they assailing him. He straightened up his posture and the saw Nelina, her skin was pale and flawless with her eyes as white as snowfall upon a mountain. She was majestic as the power of the Nivecus flowed through her. Alive, she had lived and returned back to him. He was far too drained to go as fast as he wanted to get to her side. When he was by her he froze, it was Nelina’s body, but not her. The way she told those things to cease was odd and she would never call him the Magus of the Alter. “Nelina,” when he said her name, her eyes had fluttered closed, and he caught her as she collapsed in his arms.
The morning light streamed into the room that in the time before the swamp had belonged to a High Priest of the Nivecus Waraeu. Ru’ark with a gentle hand moved an errant hair away from her face. She had been asleep for days since her bonding with the Nivecus Waraeu had sapped her remaining strength. He found it extraordinary that she tapped into the Waraeu’s power, let alone wield it. It perplexed him as neither he nor his brother had touched the Waraeu within themselves until after sixteen moons, it was unheard of for a Magus to have finished a bonding in such a short span of time when it tended to take years. The feeling of the place itself trying to repel him was no longer there, and the defenses trying to kill him had ceased in its entirety. Instead, it felt as though there was an unspoken truce. His mind flashed back to when she had said ‘Magus Alter’ something about it was off to him. It was more than the Temple reacting to Nelina’s presence, the City itself was awaking from its long slumber. After she had fallen into his arms, he had brought her here into the upper rooms of the temple. The chambers of the former high priest of the Nivecus Waraeu were pristine, having been spared the ravages of time, as if their long dead former master could return at any moment. Nelina had lain peacefully in the large circular bed at the room’s center.
As she shifted and moved in the round bed, the tugs of her deep slumber still shadowed her thoughts until her body found its fill of rest.
Ru’ark watched Nelina stirring and he wanted to have food and water for her which meant that he would have to leave her. Standing and giving a final glance to the glass he had attempted to draw liquid from earlier. Unlike the glasses, he had in his chamber in Danthamore the dormant power within would not be drawn out through his weaving because of the Alter Waraeu within him. His previous attempt had produced a dark, putrid liquid, and he had no intention of repeat
ing that. With a reluctant sigh at leaving her, he picked up the wineskins to make his way down to the fountains outside for water. Unlike his homeland with its rigid, angular construction here these buildings while retaining a delicate appearance were curved into one another rather than hard sharp angles. His eyes grew into their black pools as he approached the doorway. It was different as compared to when he carried Nelina into the chamber where the doors dissolved, without her it required his weavings to get them to react. The thin threads of smoke sprung out from his fingertips as it turned and twisted driving into the two oval doors twice his size. After a few moments the door responded by dissolving into nothingness as his eyes returned to their sharp blue color. With one quick look back, he watched as the oval doors rematerialized and then took the stairs down to the temple and the fountains outside.
She swam in the sensation of weightlessness, her mind could not form a full thought yet and she enjoyed the feeling of peace spreading through her. She had never quite felt anything like it, it was a feeling of disconnection in perfect stillness as if her body was separate but yet whole. Her memories trickled to the forefront of her mind, with her last thoughts before coming here were of stepping into the pool with the Nivecus Waraeu. With wild and panicked filled eyes, she bolted upright in the bed. “Ru’ark?” looking across the strange room, she found she was alone. Her heart fluttered with a brief second of panic until the realization came that she did not get in the room by herself he must have survived. She wrapped and tied the thin sheet around herself and left the bed, her bare feet touched the unique floor which was not stone or obsidian, but some other material which held the same strength. Holding out and examining her arm in the daylight, she felt no different. In fact, she felt better than she could remember in her entire life, and more alive, if that was possible. She took in her surroundings, the bed was similar to the one she had in her dream with Ru’ark. It took up the greatest portion of space and was more than ample for her and Ru’ark to lay in. The curved glass walls were not anything she had seen before as the thin silver structure stretched up into the domed ceiling above. The floor itself was warm to the touch as she walked to the curved wall’s window. Aside from the occasional strips silver reaching up to the ceiling above, it gave a clear, full view of the city below covered by centuries of vegetation. From this vantage point, she estimated herself to be at the top of the Nivecus temple. Turning back to assess the room, it also held other strange furniture as there were small tables made of the same material of the walls with the stripes of silver binding it. There were no drawers or handles to open, but she was drawn to the top of one of the small tables. Her green eyes spotted a silver chain bracelet with three blue stones attached to it. Smiling to herself, she fastened it around her wrist. It was something she intended to keep with her, as a constant reminder to her of what she would endure for Ru’ark, her Magus, and the man she loved. As if by thought, he appeared. She turned around to see the oval doors dissipate and him standing there. “Ru’ark!” Her eyes welled up with tears as she rushed to him.
Ru’ark’s smile filled his face at seeing her up and about, and in the next moment he had his arms around her lifting her up to him off her feet. “You have come back to me my love, I’ll not let go of you again.”
“I could never leave you, never.” She clung to him with happiness filling her heart at being back together with him.
He held her for a second longer to savor her touch before letting go of her. “You have to eat Sweetling, you’ve been through a lot.”
She nodded and let him lead her to a small settee with the strange appearance of having grown out from the floor. Along the side was a table and next to it a sack where she could see her dress poking out from its top. “Clothes”
“The sheet will do fine for a little while,” Ru’ark pulled loose the wineskins off his shoulder and filled a nearby empty glass similar to the ones in Danthamore he had introduced her to and handed it to her. “You need to refresh yourself.”
Taking the glass she drank down the water, then frowned at it. “I think I’d rather have the entire wineskin if you don’t mind.”
“Thirst is normal,” he gave her the wineskin he had poured from and was glad that he had filled both skins. “Are you well otherwise, can you feel the Waraeu inside you?”
“I feel as if there is something different, the world seems more alive, as if I can see more of what has always been around me, does that sound right?” She drank down half the water in the wineskin then took a breath. “I don’t think I can do what you do.” She waved her fingers in front of her face imagining and thinking about smoky tendrils coming forth, but it nothing did.
“With the Alter, the power manifests different within each child as the two become one. However, you somehow stopped the temple’s guardians from killing me.” His eyes locked with hers. “The bonding I underwent in Aghadine was done at the age of ten summers, it’s said that the older you are the greater the pain is.”
“No, there wasn’t any pain,” she grabbed a piece of the hardened bread. “Numbness, and when they became a part of me, it was different, sort of like my body which was my own wasn’t and I share it.” She frowned for a second as her mind grasped at recollecting it. “I get an impression here and there of things I don’t recognize or understand. My thoughts were of you, when I went in, and when the Waraeu started to inhabit my body my fear melted away. It was as if I was aware it would be alright.” She shrugged “As far as what happened or what I did, I can’t recall any second of it.”
“In truth, what you did should not have been possible.” He undid the cloth holding the cheese and salted meat.
“Love,” she drank the rest of the water in the wineskin. “I don’t know, I do think these Waraeu understand that I love you.”
His smile grew wide with her sentimentality, yet his thoughts were unsure. “Perhaps, if so, then I hope they realize how much I love you.” His tender hand held her chin as he stared into her vibrant green eyes. "I can see the bonding is still forming within you, soon you’ll no longer be felled by the weakness of your body. A crumb will sustain you for months and a single drop of water will fill you more than a dozen wine casks.” Standing he stretched out his arm for her to join him. “I have something to show you Sweetling, other things besides your reaction to Waraeu have begun to happen.”
Nelina standing up accepted his hand as he led her to the curved window and its balcony. The crystal curled into a railing encompassing its full length. She rubbed her eyes, her vision was sharper as the bonding within her continued to grow. Even from this distance she could see the small storeroom they had slept in from before and where Ru’ark had cut the vines free from the entrance. At the base of the temple, she saw the swamp’s relentless encroachment of vegetation retreating by an unseen force.
Ru’ark pulled her close to him as his lips found hers. “The city awakens for you, Sweetling.”
Smiling, Nelina returned his kiss with her hands going to the sides of his face, she knew that whatever may lie ahead, they would face it together.
Epilogue
Danthamore I
The two palace guards tore through the Magus desk dumping the contents of the oak drawers across its surface.
“Take the papers and mirror to my private chambers, but keep the shroud on the mirror at all times.” Celeste’s eyes scoured over the Magus Ru’ark’s bed chamber. She decided to add the historical relics he had collected to the royal coffers would give it a much needed boost. She smiled to herself, at last her palace was hers again.
“Yer Majesty, what would you have me do with these?” The youthful brown haired soldier held a bundle of women’s clothes.
“Bring it to my Ladies in Waiting let them tear through it.” She smirked until three of the items caught her attention “Wait-”
He stopped and stepped back toward the Queen.
“Drop it to the floor.” The clothing landed in a heap at Celeste’s feet. She reached down and pulled free
the elaborate blue and white dress that Nelina had worn to the royal feast for the Seer Kinnat. It was exquisite in truth, but it was in a foreign style she did not recognize. She had every intention of asking this brother Magus about the garments and if they held any meaning perhaps he would know. Next to that, she spotted the strange dark blue slave silks, which were indecent and had no place in public. She handed the delicate silks and dress to the waiting guard. “These two will be taken to my personal chambers.” Her eyes narrowed as she swiped up the last garment. This dress and its style she recognized, the blue one with the silver embroidering, was in the fashion of Danthamore’s royalty, a consort dress to be exact. Her hands shook from clutching it and her knuckles turned white with her tight grip. Sheer joy and anger welled up in her heart and all at once poured through her. “This one, thank the God of All she left this one.” Closing her eyes for a moment she smiled to herself. She would use the dirty little slave pet’s gown as a message to the city and its people that it was she who ruled. “You will make a straw figure and dress it in this gown.” Her eyes narrowed reflecting her seriousness. “Make sure the slave square is cleared, then burn it at the stake for all to see.”
The Magus (A Chronicle of Rebirth Book 1) Page 28
