Fireweaver

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Vanara must have been somewhere else. In truth, Karik was glad to have Atarin alone. He wanted to know Vanara better, but she didn't allow it. She was too absorbed in her books, too severe in her personality.

  "I don't know why we keep him around," Karik said.

  "He's one of the best bandits in the Frozen Lands. Sometimes, we find such skills necessary in our line of work. I can't claim to like the man, but he is useful."

  "Why didn't you answer his question?" Karik asked, worried he was prying too much. Atarin was never one to give away secrets without a fight.

  "Because I didn't want him to think I'm soft."

  Karik took a seat in a wooden chair. "I don't understand."

  "You have to know the reason I'm keeping Andra with us."

  "I'm afraid I don't," Karik said, wondering if he was missing something obvious.

  "I'm keeping her around because she's the only link to Rella I have left. As long as Andra is with us, Rella will join Kae and Talin in trying to rescue her." He shook his head slowly, lost in thought for a few moments. "I may be a fool, but I wish to see Rella again. I never married. I've never had children. She's the only family I have left."

  "But she's also a threat to our plans," Karik said.

  Atarin sighed deeply. "I know that. That's why I think I might be a fool."

  "I think you should let Andra go. You can see Rella again some other time, once we've brought Halarik back." Karik worried he was going too far. "Besides, I'm not sure she's going to be open to any kind of reconciliation with you. You had her tortured."

  Atarin's gaze became distant. "I know, and I hate myself for it."

  Karik was surprised to see genuine sadness in Atarin's eyes. Once, Karik had thought Atarin was a cold and calculated man, nothing more, but there was a sentimental human being beneath that stony exterior. There was a man Karik appreciated even more.

  "I still think it would be best to let Andra go," Karik said.

  "And leave her to fend for herself in the Sardek Empire? You know what they do to unregistered Fireweavers who enter their nation."

  Karik did know. In the Sardek Empire, native Fireweavers were free to live their lives as they pleased, but they did not take in any refugees from Tarileth and the Frozen Lands. Those found guilty of entering the empire illegally faced execution as they would back home. The Sardek Empire might have liked to claim they were better, but they were just as cruel.

  "Then you're going to keep Andra prisoner for her own protection?"

  Atarin nodded. "What else can I do now? It's the only way she's sure of surviving."

  "And you're suddenly concerned with her welfare?"

  "She's a Fireweaver," Atarin said. "She may be misguided in some of her beliefs, but I can understand why some might have their doubts. They've been raised on many of the same lies the Church of Aralea has told its people. The more you hear lies, the more they start to sound like the truth." He clasped his hands in front of him. "I also must blame myself."

  Karik frowned at him.

  "I have alienated many of my own people. They don't see all Sunweavers as the enemy, not as I do. To them, I look like a cruel man, a villain. Someone who is willing to murder thousands and thousands of people to achieve my goals."

  "And aren't you that man?" Karik asked, fearing he was entering dangerous territory again. He couldn't read Atarin's expression.

  Atarin's gaze became distant once more. "I'm not sure. Once, I would have had no qualms about killing all Sunweavers. Now, I don't know. It does seem an extreme reaction, and perhaps I need to rethink my approach. I think that might be your brother's doing."

  "What does Deril have to do with anything?"

  Atarin leaned forward in his chair. "His mission to stop us. As much as I hate to admit it, he showed that Sunweavers and Fireweavers can live together, even work together to achieve a common goal. If your brother—a man who was raised in the very heart of Tarileth, a man exposed his entire life to the Church's lies, a man who lived in the very temple dedicated to Aralea—if a man like that can change his mind about Fireweavers, then perhaps I can change my mind about Sunweavers. Perhaps there is still hope for this world."

  Karik was surprised to hear these words coming from Atarin's mouth. Atarin's devotion to wiping out Sunweaver society had seemed so strong. Stronger even than Karik's.

  "You do realize that Halarik will kill all the Sunweavers, don't you?"

  Atarin nodded. "Yes, that may happen, but now I'm not so sure. I've spent a lot of time talking with Vanara, and she has very interesting theories."

  "Theories without proof are merely hypotheses," Karik said. "Educated guesses at best."

  "I understand that, but I also trust her insights. She is perhaps the most intelligent person I've ever met. Her mind has a way of finding the patterns that most of us miss. Is she always correct? Of course not. But she is correct more often than not."

  "And what does she say about Halarik?"

  "Keep in mind that this is only a guess," Atarin said. "But she believes that everything we've ever known about the war between Halarik and Aralea is a lie."

  Karik leaned forward with interest.

  "Halarik and Aralea may not be enemies, as we've always thought. The Church has made us think that's the case, but Vanara is familiar with many of the older writings, those from before the Church established its hold over all information. She believes that Halarik and Aralea are on the same side, fighting against another opponent, something very powerful. And very evil."

  Karik tried to sort through this information. He wanted to believe it, wanted to think that there could be healing between Sunweavers and Fireweavers.

  But his rational and scientific mind would not allow that. He needed more proof before he could consider such outlandish hypotheses.

  "I see your doubt written across your face," Atarin said.

  Karik tried to laugh, but it sounded strained and unnatural. "You know me too well."

  "I think you've also helped me come to a decision. You're right. It would be best if Rella and the others don't have the chance to interfere with her plans. However much I might want to apologize for what I did to her, we don't have that luxury right now."

  "But she must be following us already," Karik said.

  "That can be handled easily enough." Atarin rose from his chair and began pacing. "When we reach the Sardek Empire, I will tell them that they need to be especially thorough in testing the people aboard every ship that approaches the Empire. All it should take is a few gold coins in the right hands."

  "But won't they kill any Fireweavers they find?"

  "Their laws are clear," Atarin said. "As long as the Fireweavers remain aboard their ships, they are free to live their lives as they please, but the second they set foot on Sardeki soil, they are criminals."

  "This could get her killed," Karik said.

  Atarin nodded gravely. "I'm aware of that."

  Chapter 14: A New Path

  "You should join the Sunweaver Council."

  Deril sat across from his father in his father's chambers, considering what the man had just told him. Though Deril had always been opposed to the idea of taking part in politics, it appeared he might not have any choice. He needed to acquire one of the keys to the Vault, and only the High Councilor held that key. Would he trust anyone who wasn't a part of the Council?

  "I don't know," Deril said. "You know my feelings about politics."

  "It could also be an opportunity to change our world."

  "I don't think there's any hope of that."

  "Well, something has to change," his father said. "Recent events are a sure indication of that. We can't perpetuate this hatred between Sunweavers and Fireweavers. The more we push each other away, the closer to tragedy the world comes. We could have been left without any Sunlords. That's a reality we must never face."

  Deril sorted through his thoughts. He understood his father's points, but Deril had never been good at all the games and manipul
ations that came with politics. The thought of joining the Sunweaver Council made him wish he were back at Atarin's palace. At least then he'd felt he was in control, felt he could use his powers to his advantage.

  "I'll do it," he said, surprising himself. He couldn't take the easy path, not anymore. His father was right. The world needed to change. Deril doubted he could lead these efforts, but he had to try.

  "I'm glad to hear it," his father said.

  Deril left his father's chambers, wishing he had made another decision. Any other decision. He felt sick to his stomach as he walked through the wide stone corridors of the Temple of Aralea, and it wasn't just the thought of what he had to do.

  No, it was also the sting of bad memories. Memories of Tiran, of all the time they'd spent together in these halls. Through everything Deril had endured, it had been necessary to focus on the task at hand. He'd pushed his sadness over Tiran to the back of his mind. But now that Deril walked the same halls he'd once shared with his closest friend, he could think of little else.

  As he walked past the Sun Chamber, he heard faint sobbing. He glanced into the room to see Kadin sitting upon the floor, his head lowered to the ground. Was he praying?

  For a moment, Deril considered leaving Kadin to whatever dark thoughts troubled him. But, no, Deril couldn't do that. He was Kadin's big brother now, and he needed to support him. The boy had suffered a harsh life, and now he bore a heavy burden.

  Deril understood the pain of that burden all too well. He stepped into the Sun Chamber and cleared his throat.

  Kadin looked up at him sharply. "What do you want?"

  "Something's troubling you. I'm your brother. You can tell me."

  Kadin shook his head, avoiding Deril's gaze. "Back home, I never could tell my brother anything like this. He hated me."

  "This is your home now," Deril said. "We are your family."

  "It doesn't feel that way. I don't belong here. I can barely do the Sunlord's weave. My sister's out there without any sense of who she is. I don't know if I'll ever see Faina again." He turned toward Deril, tears running down his cheeks. "I didn't think life could get any worse. I was wrong." He looked down at the stone floor. "I-I want to die."

  Something tightened in Deril's chest. He didn't know how to respond to Kadin's last statement. All he could do was try to comfort him.

  Deril sat at Kadin's side and wrapped an arm around him. "You don't want to die. You're just going through a difficult time. Change is one of the hardest parts of life, and you've been through a lot of change lately. It's all right if you feel doubts."

  Kadin continued to avoid Deril's gaze. "I don't have any doubts. I never should have let you break me out of prison. I should have died."

  "Faina would have died, then."

  Kadin wiped away a tear. "I-I didn't think of that."

  "I can't even begin to understand what you've been through, but I will always be here to help you through it. That's what good brothers do."

  "Can you take me to see Faina?"

  Deril hesitated. "I'm not sure that would be the wisest course of action."

  "That's a no, then?"

  "There's no law preventing you from seeing her," Deril said. "Just your duties." He held up a hand to silence Kadin's response. "I know that you feel as if you'll never master the Sunlord's weave. But think of it this way. You've made it farther than I ever can. This feeling of failure you're living with, I've felt the same way my entire life."

  Kadin's tears had stopped falling. "I guess I didn't think of that either."

  "By your age, Kadin, most Sunlords have already been practicing for years. You've had a few weeks. You can't expect yourself to be perfect. It will come with time."

  "You're right," Kadin said, sounding as if he were still trying to convince himself. "Thank you."

  "I'll be around here if you need me."

  Kadin nodded, and then Deril turned away. It would be a tough road for Kadin, who hadn't mentioned everything that was troubling him. Deril could see it in his brother's eyes, though. Kadin still felt the sting of guilt over what he'd done to his master and his father.

  Deril wasn't sure such burdens could ever be shed.

  Once he left Kadin behind, Deril felt once again the sting of loss. He expected to see Tiran standing outside the Sun Chamber, greeting him with a smile. Instead, there was a Sun Guard he didn't recognize. He nodded to the man, who returned the greeting.

  There was no friendship in that response. Only duty.

  Deril turned his thoughts to his father's request. Though Deril still hated the thought of joining the Sunweaver Council, he had to do it. He couldn't operate in secret among the members of the Sunweaver Council. It would be better if he joined them openly.

  He made his way out of the temple and to the massive stone gate, where he asked the Sun Guards to prepare a carriage for him. The carriage arrived shortly, and he climbed into it alone. It took him into the city, then through the streets, until he eventually reached the location of the Brotherhood. Sondir was a member of the Sunweaver Council. He could sponsor Deril.

  Any Sunweaver could join the Sunweaver Council as long as they had a sponsor who was already on the Council. As the Sunlord, Deril's father had never joined the council. Besides, family connections couldn't count as a sponsor.

  The Brotherhood's sentries allowed Deril to enter. Inside, he was greeted by a different sight from what he'd expected. All signs of the battle had been erased, but the Brotherhood had clearly suffered losses. Only a few people were spread about the large chamber.

  Deril made his way to Sondir's office and knocked on the stone door. After a few seconds, Sondir asked him to come in.

  Deril stepped inside, his stomach fluttering. Once he asked Sondir to sponsor him, there would be no turning back, but he had to do this. It was the only choice if he wanted to change the world for the better. Perhaps that was an impossible task, but rescuing his father had once seemed impossible as well.

  "Good afternoon, Deril," Sondir said. "What brings you by?"

  "I would like to join the Sunweaver Council."

  "Your father's idea, I suppose."

  "How'd you know?"

  "I know you well enough to see that you hate politics," Sondir said. "I suppose you have an ulterior motive."

  "I do," Deril said. He revealed the contents of the conversation he'd shared with Captain Hanir. Sondir listened attentively, without interrupting.

  When Deril finished, Sondir said, "So you want to see if High Councilor Jarek will give his key to you. That's asking a lot. I know the man. He's not the type to trust easily."

  "But surely he can see the need. We have to stop the Turned. When this plague reaches Hyrandel, it will create chaos unlike anything we've ever seen."

  "Jarek thinks we can handle that chaos. After all, only a small number of the Lightless are Turning. All we have to do is kill those Lightless. We don't have to worry about stopping whatever caused it, at least in his mind. The Sun Guard is already killing them all across the country. They're being thrown in mass graves and then burned."

  Deril had a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Kadin's sister could already be dead. Deril prayed that wasn't the case, for he feared it could break whatever confidence Kadin had left. The look in his eyes when he'd said he wanted to die . . .

  "Then how do you propose I get the key from him?" Deril asked.

  "I wish I had an answer for you."

  "But you will sponsor me?"

  "Yes, I can do that much."

  Chapter 15: An Unusual Priest

  "I have a mission for you," Sondir said.

  Faina sat across from him, her stomach churning. So far, she'd felt like a useless addition to the Brotherhood. She'd remained apart from the others, hesitant to feel she had anything in common with them. Her parents had hated the Brotherhood. She had to remind herself that her parents had been members of Halarik's Chosen.

  She wasn't like them. She could make her own decisions.

>   She could be useful to the Brotherhood.

  "What do you want me to do?" she asked, trying to calm her anxiety.

  "I need you to break into the Vault."

  "The Vault? I don't know what you mean."

  Sondir leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "Deep beneath the Temple of Aralea, there is a place known as the Vault. It contains all kinds of writings the Church has forbidden. Among these writings, we might find information on the Lost Weaves."

  "The Lost Weaves?"

  "They're our best chance at stopping this plague of the Turned."

  Faina shifted in the stone chair. "But how can you know that? If these weaves have been lost, then how can we know anything about them?"

  "A few scattered bits of information remain. We know what some of the Weaves do. The question is why we can't do them anymore."

  "Why are you asking me?"

  "You have many skills from your days on the streets," Sondir said. "You'll need them to recover the keys and enter the vault."

  "The keys?"

  "The vault requires three keys," Sondir said. "One of them is with the High Priest, one of them is with the High Councilor, and the third is a complete mystery."

  Something about this bothered her, but she couldn't determine what. "If we have no idea where the third is, how can we ever hope to find it?"

  "I don't have an answer. Perhaps we'll know once we acquire the first two."

  "And I'm guessing they won't willingly give them up?"

  "No," Sondir said. "The Church's hold is too strong. Giving up those keys would be a betrayal against the Church. The Church would execute them."

  Faina leaned forward. "The Church is hiding something, then."

  "I believe you are correct. The question is: what are they hiding?"

  "If I join the Church, I can find out." Faina surprised herself with her own determination.

  "Are you sure about that?" Sondir asked. "You are a Fireweaver. If they find out what you are, they will execute you without hesitation."

  "At least I won't feel useless. I have to do something."