She blinked a few times, and the world came into focus. Talin and Kae both stood over her, their faces lined with concern. They had placed her in one of the small lakes dotting the muddy plains. She looked down at her body. She'd been stripped to her underclothes, revealing the many injuries she had sustained in the battle.
Those injuries had faded, though. Now she had only thin red scratches where once blood had poured from her wounds.
"I think I've done all I can," Talin said. "Let's get you warmed up." He and Kae pulled Rella out of the water. She staggered as they helped her to her feet, but then her balance steadied. Though she still felt weak, she was doing much better than she had during the battle.
"Are the monsters dead?" she asked.
"Yes, we managed to kill them."
"I guess I need to learn how to properly use a sword," Rella said.
Talin nodded. "Might be a useful skill."
Rella hesitated, feeling a sudden tightness in her chest. She knew what she wanted to say, but the words would not come out. Instead, she stared at Talin, feeling foolish.
Finally, she forced the words out. "Can you teach me?"
"I don't claim to be a master swordsman, but I'll do what I can." He glanced back toward the wagons, then spoke to Rella in a gentle voice. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes." She hated that she felt so nervous around him. He hadn't wanted to torture her. Atarin had forced him to do it. But it didn't matter how much Talin helped her. All she could see was the face of the man who'd tortured her.
She had to get past that. It wasn't fair to him.
They climbed back into the wagons. The bodies of the monsters lay nearby. In death, they didn't look as terrifying, but she could still imagine them when they were alive. She'd felt so powerless in that battle. Her Fireweaving had failed her, and she had no real talents apart from that. Many Sunweavers and Fireweavers were the same way, but it still bothered her.
Their eastward journey continued. Rella kept an eye out for monsters, but none threatened them. As they followed the road, signs told them how far they had to go before reaching Sardeka. The numbers were not going down as fast as she would have liked.
When they stopped for the night, Talin would take the time to train Rella. She struggled at first, the blade feeling unwieldy in her hands, but as Talin taught her some of the basic techniques, she started to grow more comfortable.
"Remember this," he told her as they practiced one night. "The sword is your last resort. I can't train you to be great with the sword. We don't have the time for that, and I'm not good enough myself, but you should be getting a better feel for the weapon."
"I am," she said. Her replies to him had all been terse. He hadn't seemed to notice, or if he had, he hadn't mentioned it. She sensed that he didn't want to talk about what had happened between them either. He had to be ashamed of what he'd done.
But maybe they did need to talk about it. Otherwise, every interaction between them would remain tense and awkward.
Whenever she tried to say anything, though, her throat tightened and she couldn't speak. Besides, what was there to say? They knew the truth about everything that had transpired. The only thing that could truly change her feelings toward him was time.
And even that might not work.
"You are a talented Fireweaver," Talin said, disturbing her thoughts. "Most of the time, that will serve you well. I think I've taught you enough that you can at least handle a sword without stabbing yourself." There was a hint of a smile as he spoke this last sentence.
"Thank you," Rella said, feeling the heavy weight of the awkwardness between them.
He nodded, then turned away toward their campsite, where Kae was cooking a small dinner. They'd caught a few small animals with the help of Yellow/Green Fireweaving.
"Kae, how are you doing?" Rella asked, joining Kae by the fire.
"I'm all right."
"No, you're not," Rella said.
"I appreciate your concern, but I don't want to talk about it." Kae glanced at Talin, then back at Rella. "I think you're familiar with that feeling."
"I am," Rella said. So Kae had noticed the tension between Rella and Talin.
He joined them by the fire. "Is the food done yet?"
"Only if you want to catch something from eating it," Kae said.
"I'll wait, then," he said. "At my age, you don't want to take any risks."
Kae smiled, but it looked forced. "You aren't that old."
"I'm fifty years old," Talin said. "Even for a Firelord, that's old. I'm in good shape, but it isn't always so easy to keep up with you two."
"I didn't notice that during our sword practice," Rella said.
"That's only because you're hopeless with a sword."
Rella glared at him. "I thought you said I was getting better."
"Well, compared to where you started, you're a lot better now." Again, there was a hint of a smile in his expression. He was trying to make things lighter between them. She appreciated the effort, but it only made her feel more awkward.
A few minutes later, Kae pronounced their meal ready. They ate in silence, tension hanging heavily around them. After they finished, they settled down for the night. They hadn't encountered any towns recently. Rella longed for the comfort and safety of sleeping in town. They hadn't seen any monsters since their first encounter, but that didn't soothe her nerves.
She didn't sleep well with the thought that monsters might be prowling in the darkness. Standing watch didn't help. When it came time for her turn, she'd just fallen asleep.
Kae jostled her awake. "Are you ready to stand watch?"
Rella sighed deeply. "I barely slept, but I suppose I have to."
"I don't think any of us are sleeping well."
Rella yawned. "I'll do my best."
"I know you will."
Kae made her way into the wagon and Rella stepped onto the rocky ground. She leaned against the wagon, remaining alert for any signs of monsters. Night after night, they'd done this, encountering nothing out of the ordinary. Rella shuddered at the thought of defending them against monsters. Would the result be just as disastrous as the first time?
All night, she caught herself starting to drift off. Why was it that her body wanted to sleep only now that she couldn't do so?
The first sound was faint, almost imperceptible. She tensed, listening for more. A few soft thuds came from the distance, growing closer. Louder. Her heart pounded.
She didn't wake the others, not yet. If the threat came closer, she would have to make a decision. For now, she could wait. The thuds grew closer and closer, but it was a cloudy night, and she could see nothing in the darkness. She cast Yellow, illuminating a small area in front of her. In that light, she peered into the distance, but still she saw nothing.
She took a few deep breaths, stepping toward the sound as it grew louder and closer. Should she wake Talin and Kae? No. This might be nothing. It could be another traveler.
Or it could be bandits. Or a monster.
She let her Yellow casting die. The light would only attract whatever was out there. In the darkness, though, she felt trapped. Her chest tightened, and it didn't matter how many deep breaths she took. She was terrified.
She turned toward the wagon. She had to wake Kae and Talin.
No. This was nothing. She didn't want them to see her as weak and scared.
After a few minutes, the sounds faded into the distance. She leaned back against the wagon, trying to calm her pounding heart. Eventually, she relaxed, and nothing threatened the rest of her watch shift. She stood there until the sun's dim light illuminated the gloomy sky.
The sun had risen, but the clouds were so thick that it remained almost as dark as night. Rella thought it a bad omen, but perhaps she was being foolish. A gloomy sky had no effect on what was going to happen. That was old superstition.
She woke Kae and Talin. They both stirred groggily, looking as though they hadn't enjoyed a good night's sleep.
"How'd your watch go?" Kae asked.
"I heard something in the distance, but it never came all that close."
Talin yawned. "Let's hope it stays that way."
They continued their eastward trek, following the road in the wagon. The air was calm, their surroundings flat and unchanging. The rocky terrain stretched as far as Rella could see, dotted with the occasional evergreen tree. There was little food out here, but they still had some rations Talin had acquired for them, as well as feed for the horses.
Around midday, they encountered another sign, which told them Sardeka was about a day away. Rella felt lighter with this knowledge. She couldn't wait for the chance to rest without fear of monsters. They surely wouldn't invade a city, would they?
The party tried to reach the city before nightfall, but they could only push the horses so hard. That night, they reluctantly settled down for one last night in the wilderness. This time, Rella was exhausted enough that she fell asleep as soon as they finished eating. Still, when Kae woke her for her watch shift, Rella felt like cursing her out.
It was another cloudy night. Rella couldn't see anything more than a few feet beyond her arms. She peered into the darkness, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, but still she felt tense. She prayed she wouldn't have to test her sword skills against another monster.
She didn't get her wish.
The thuds came again, soft at first, but they grew louder with time. Closer. Her entire body became rigid as she stared into the distance, but still she could see nothing.
This time, it didn't seem as if the monster was going to go away. Its steps became consistently louder, the ground trembling softly with each step. She had to wake the others.
As she reached the wagon, the horses took notice of the strange creature prowling in the darkness. They reared up and let out panicked noises.
No, Rella urged silently. It'll hear you.
Kae and Talin grumbled when she roused them from sleep, but they were immediately alert. The ground trembled more violently. Rella's insides turned cold. She peered into the darkness and thought she saw a shadowy creature.
She couldn't make out any details, but it had to be as large as a building. The ground quaked with every step it took. She, Kae, and Talin fell still and silent. Maybe if they remained silent, the monster wouldn't notice them.
But it kept prowling closer, shaking the ground. Rella's hand drifted to her sword, but she doubted it would do any good against a monster this large. The horses continued to make panicked sounds, and then there came a series of loud cracks. They must have pulled free from the wagons, and now they were trotting off into the darkness, terrified.
Rella prayed the monster would follow the noise of the horses. A terrible thought, but she valued her life more than the horses' lives.
It felt as if hours were passing, but in truth, it had been only a few minutes. Rella watched the massive, shadowy creature as it tromped across the rocky ground perhaps fifty feet away. It looked as if it might go past them, but she couldn't be sure. Her heart pounded like a mighty drum, so loud she was sure the monster would hear it.
But the beast didn't seem to notice them. Soon its shadowy form faded into the darkness, and the trembling grew softer. A few hours still remained before dawn, but none of them were going to sleep after what they'd witnessed.
The horses were long gone. The monster was probably pursuing them.
"At least it isn't far to the city," Talin said.
When the sun rose, they searched for the horses but couldn't find them anywhere. After perhaps an hour, they gave up the search and followed the road on foot. Rella kept glancing into the distance, expecting to see the massive monster from the night before.
That afternoon, they crested a hill and looked down into a rocky valley. In the center of that valley was a city even larger than Hyrandel. Enormous stone walls surrounded the city, and guards walked atop those walls, gazing across the rocky terrain.
No one milled about beyond the walls, though there were tents and stables and other signs that people normally were there.
"I don't like this," Rella said.
Kae stared toward the city, her face lined with concern. "Perhaps they're being cautious. They'd want to keep everyone inside to protect them from the monsters."
Rella, Talin, and Kae made their way down the hill, and soon they stood before the stone walls. A massive gate, closed for the moment, was located toward the center of the wall. Two guards stood outside this gate, their expressions wary, their hands close to their weapons.
Talin strode toward them while Kae and Rella hung a few feet back. "Are we allowed inside?" he asked.
One of the guards stepped forward. "It's not safe out here. You need to enter the city."
"Monsters?" Talin asked. "We've encountered a few ourselves."
"Something massive," said the other guard. "It's been seen prowling in this area." He shook his head. "I've never heard of anything like this before."
The guards cranked the gate partially open. Rella, Kae, and Talin ducked through the opening, entering the city. Inside the gate, the city looked much like Rella had expected. People were going about their daily business. The buildings looked clean and well-kept.
"Let's find an inn," Talin said. "I think we all need a chance to rest."
Rella wasn't going to argue with that.
Chapter 24: The Imperial Library
Karik, Atarin, and Vanara stepped into the Imperial Library. Immediately, Karik was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place. There were more books here than he'd ever seen. The Temple of Aralea and the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Fire had small libraries compared to this. Shelves stretched as far as Karik could see.
The smell of paper hung in the air. That smell had always been comforting for Karik. He'd felt like an outsider for most of his childhood, and the library had been his favorite place in the temple. It was the one place he hadn't felt like everyone was judging him.
A woman sat behind a stone desk near the entrance. "Need help finding anything?"
She spoke in Sardeki, but Karik understood her, as that language was one of the many things he'd learned in his time growing up.
"We will find what we need ourselves," Vanara said.
The woman frowned. "Are you sure? This library can be overwhelming."
"Yes, we're sure," Vanara said tersely.
"All right, but if you need any help, please come back and ask for it. And please don't bring any flames near the books and take care not to damage anything."
"We will be careful," Vanara said.
The woman pursed her lips as if she didn't believe that, but didn't say anything.
Karik followed Atarin and Vanara through the labyrinthine library. Hopefully Vanara knew where she was going because Karik had no idea. They made so many turns through the shelves that Karik lost track of their path, but Vanara looked confident.
"Do you know where you're going?" Karik asked.
Vanara kept walking. "I'm familiar with libraries. I know my way around books."
"Have you been here before?" Karik asked.
"No, but I am not allowing that woman to guide me anywhere. A scholar as respected as I does not ask for help in a library. This is my domain."
Karik thought she was being a little foolish, but he didn't say anything. He prayed that she knew what she was doing. A quick glance at Atarin revealed that he felt just as overwhelmed by the size of this place. Normally, he was a leader, but now he was following Vanara, glancing from side to side uncertainly.
At last, Vanara came to a stop. "This is where we should search."
Karik didn't see what made these shelves different from all the others, but he wasn't going to argue. With Vanara's help, he and Atarin selected a few titles from the shelves. They found a nearby sitting area and perused the books they'd selected.
Most of the books were written in Tarilethi, as it was considered the world's primary language. Very few people in the Sardek Empire did
n't speak it and write it.
To Karik's surprise, these books did address the Monks of Duran. He had no idea how Vanara had managed to find them among the thousands and thousands of books in the library. Thumbing through the books, though, he found little of use. The books all repeated the same information describing the monks, most of which they already knew.
Nothing in these books hinted at the location. That was something the monks had kept secret. Karik's frustration mounted as he read book after book, finding nothing useful.
Vanara's frown deepened as they spent hours and hours in the library. When the sun was close to setting, she slammed a book closed and shook her head in disgust.
"Not finding anything?" Atarin asked.
"They have to be hiding the books we need," she said. "These are all useless."
A voice came from behind a nearby shelf. "I can find the right books for you."
Karik peered around the shelf. "How long have you been spying on us?"
"Most of the day," said a young man with light hair. He wore the black robes of a Sardeki scholar. His face was clean-shaven, his expression gentle and welcoming. Still, Karik had suspicions about the man. He didn't like it that the young man had been watching them unnoticed. Atarin was not normally the kind of man who didn't notice something like that.
"And you said you can help us?" Atarin asked, stepping closer to the man, his posture stern and commanding. The young man didn't retreat, didn't look nervous at all. Was he brave, or foolish?
"You're looking for information on the Monks of Duran," said the young man. "I know where you can find that information. It isn't here in the normal part of the library. It is stored in the tunnels that run beneath this place."
Atarin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Can you take us there?"
"I can. But what's in it for me?" The young man's expression was unreadable. "Besides, how do I know I should help you find this information?"
Atarin considered, chewing on his lower lip. "We have money, if that's what you want."
"I care little for money. I have everything I need."
"Are you a Sunweaver or Fireweaver?" Atarin asked.
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