by Ben Hale
“A flawless answer,” she said, drawing all eyes to her.
Alydian turned, and her smile evaporated. Elenyr, First Sister on the Eldress Council, stood in the doorway. She didn’t seem to notice Alydian’s sudden fear, and her gaze remained on Commander Othan. He bowed his head and gestured to her.
“First Sister,” he said. “I did not realize you had entered a Requiem.”
“I didn’t,” she said, a smile on her lips. “I do not need a Requiem to enter your memory. I have watched much of your training in the last few weeks.” Her eyes flicked to Alydian before returning to Othan.
“Would you honor us with a lesson?” Captain Barrows asked.
“Alas,” she said. “I cannot stay. I must request the presence of Alethean.”
“An acolyte?” Othan asked, his eyebrows rising. “Why would the high oracle wish to speak to her?”
Although it was clear he made an effort to control his voice, a trace of irritation seeped into his tone. Elenyr did not comment on it, and instead motioned to Alydian, who bowed and strode to her.
“She will return in the morning,” she said. “I’m certain you can manage without her.”
Othan scowled as Alydian faded from view, her vision returning to the interior of the Requiem. Her mouth dry with fear, Alydian exited the training hall to find Devkin in the courtyard, his expression sober. He gestured her to follow and guided her to Elenyr’s private quarters at the top of the Elsheeria tower.
“May I know the reason for my summons?” she asked Devkin while they were in the ascender.
“I’m certain you can guess,” Devkin said. “You are no fool.”
Alydian saw worry in his eyes. Did Elenyr know of Alethean’s identity? Had she divined it with her farsight? Or had she noticed Alydian’s constant absence? She grappled with the questions as they ascended into the Elsheeria tower. Then they exited the ascender and advanced down the hall.
“It will be an honor to meet an oracle,” Alydian said for the benefit of the guards they passed.
Devkin glanced her way as they strode down the hall. “Perhaps one day you will be her guard,” and then his lips twitched with amusement. “Unless you are dismissed and have other duties to attend to.”
They reached the door to Elenyr’s private chambers and Devkin swung it open, allowing her to enter. Alydian knew the room intimately, but hung back. She did not need to feign fear.
Elenyr was sitting at the table in the corner of the room. The afternoon light cascaded upon her through an open window, making her appear beautiful and regal. Her blue dress added to the grace of her appearance, as did the pendent on her throat, which was simple silver shaped into the oracle’s crest. She smiled at their appearance and gestured to the seats at the table.
“Acolyte Alethean,” she said. “Would you care for some cha?”
Weldina approached and served them as they sat. Alethean took a nervous sip and tried to relax, but her tension mounted when Elenyr ordered the guards from the room, including Devkin. When they were gone she turned her gaze upon Alethean.
“Alydian,” she said with a small smile. “Are you enjoying your time as an acolyte?”
Alydian flushed. “How long have you known?”
“I had my suspicions from the beginning,” Elenyr admitted with a smile. “Your choice to be an acolyte is bold, and quite clever. I have taken measures to ensure your endeavor remains a mystery, especially from the council. They would undoubtedly be furious if they knew.”
“Do you disapprove?” Alydian had expected condemnation, but her mother seemed to actually be pleased with her.
Elenyr sidestepped the question. “I especially enjoy your nightly training with Devkin. Your talent has grown significantly, particularly lightning magic. I always found that type challenging, but it appears you have a talent for it.”
She raised her chin. “I nearly died when the Soldier attacked—and I never want to feel that way again. I don’t want to be a coward.”
Elenyr stared at her. “From what I understand, your Verinai acolytes wish to kill you.”
Alydian scowled. “The Verinai—”
“Are the reason you are here,” Elenyr said calmly. “Your guise of a Verinai was well considered, but your behavior is not in line with their practices.”
“I cannot be what I am not,” Alydian said bluntly.
“You could have pretended better,” Elenyr said. “Now your presence has become a gaping rift between the acolytes.”
“The rift was there before I arrived,” Alydian shot back.
“But you have widened it,” Elenyr pointed out.
Alydian cringed at the rebuke. “I don’t understand,” she said, facing her mother. “Are you angry because I did it? Or because of my behavior as an acolyte?”
“You are not the first oracle to secretly train with their magic,” Elenyr said, her eyes sparkling with humor. “But the current climate is tense, and you have heightened that tension.”
“Why did you summon me?” Alydian asked.
“The guildmaster of the Verinai has requested your return to her hall,” Elenyr said, “and Elsin does not make a request without cause.”
“Why?” Alydian asked. “I’ve done nothing to merit a dismissal.”
“She thinks you a rogue Verinai,” Elenyr said, “and has demanded your dismissal. She wants your head.”
“For what?” Alydian demanded. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Being an oracle is more than right or wrong,” Elenyr said quietly. “It’s about understanding and accepting others—even when they are wrong. The principle applies when you are in another’s persona.”
“How can I understand the Verinai when they act with such arrogance?”
Elenyr sighed and passed a hand over her face. “You have always harbored resentment against the Verinai. I hoped that within the guard you would learn to appreciate them, which is why I permitted you to remain among them even when they began to target you.”
“I’m sorry, mother,” Alydian said softly. “I did not mean to incite such conflict.”
“I will not admit it outside this room, but I’m proud of you,” Elenyr said with a smile. “But we face a dilemma. Even if Alethean disappears, Guildmaster Elsin will search until she finds her—and that hunt will lead to Alydian. The rift won’t just be among the Runeguard, it will spread to the kingdoms. We cannot permit that thread to come to pass.”
Alydian hadn’t considered the potential ramifications of the enmity between her patrol and the Verinai. Now that she did, she realized her mother had used her farsight to do what Alydian should have done.
“I’m sorry, mother,” she said. “I should have been more careful.”
Elenyr regarded her with kind eyes. “Your effort to master your magic is admirable,” she said, “but it does not take precedence over your calling as an oracle. The people, the kingdoms, and the guilds look to us for guidance and leadership. They trust us to balance the needs of different individuals and cultures. If an oracle acts out of self-interest, that faith will be broken.”
“I understand,” Alydian said, bowing her head. “But what do I do?”
Elenyr sat back, her eyes sparkling in sudden amusement. “You must die,”
Chapter 21: Summoned
Alydian looked to her in surprise, but her mother’s expression was one of amusement. “You are nearing the third trial,” she said, “where you will journey out of Dawnskeep and face a real threat in Lumineia. With your farsight you should have no problem feigning death and slipping away. Guildmaster Elsin will be appeased, as will the Verinai.”
“And I will no longer train with the Runeguard,” Alydian said.
Elenyr’s expression turned sympathetic. “Daughter, no one but I will know how much you have truly grown in the last few months, but you’ve reached the end of your intrigue. Under the current circumstances, this does seem to be the best thread for your future.”
It was not meant as a rebuke, but A
lydian recognized it as one. Her mother had searched the future on her behalf—an act she should have been doing for herself. Alydian had become so engrossed in her time as an acolyte that she’d forsaken her true calling.
“I will do as you request,” she said.
“Then our business is concluded,” Elenyr said. “You may return to your training.”
“As you order, Mother,” Alydian said, rising to her feet.
Elenyr’s lips twitched with amusement. “After your return to Alydian, please visit me in my chambers. I would like to hear the tales of your last few days from your own lips, especially of lightning magic.”
“Anything else?”
She smiled blithely. “Make sure you humble Holan.”
“Are you encouraging me?” Alydian asked.
Elenyr grinned. “As an oracle I disapprove of your behavior. As a mother, I couldn’t be prouder.”
Buoyed by her mother’s statement, Alydian turned and strode to the door. Before she reached it, Weldina swung it open. The look on her face shattered the levity of the room and drew Elenyr to her feet.
“Captain?” she asked.
“The king of Griffin has been killed,” he said, and her features darkened. “By the Soldier.”
“It cannot be,” Alydian blurted. “He only hunts Verinai.”
“Hold your tongue, acolyte,” the captain snapped. “We just received a lightbird from Master Mineva herself, and sealed by Oracle Ciana.”
“Who else was killed?” Elenyr asked.
“Two score Verinai,” the elf replied. “A handful of others.”
Elenyr went white and sank into her seat. “Guildmaster Elsin will want to hear of this.”
“She is already on her way,” the captain said. “She wished to speak with you immediately.”
“The Soldier has escalated his attacks,” Elenyr said, suddenly appearing weak. “First Alydian, now King Talin. Who will be his next target?”
“Acolyte Alethean,” the captain said. “Return to your patrol. Your presence is no longer necessary.”
“Leave her be, captain,” Elenyr said.
Confusion washed across her face but she inclined her head. “As you order. Guildmaster Elsin wishes to speak to you. And Raine is here already.”
He stepped aside, and Raine strode into the room. “I warned you that the Soldier was a threat. Now the king of Griffin is dead.” Her eyes flicked to Alethean and then passed across her.
“What would you have me do?” Elenyr asked, her voice strained. “Teriah has sought him to no avail. We’ve dispatched patrols throughout Lumineia and they find nothing.”
“Allow the Verinai to dispatch an army after him,” Raine said. “They will not fail.”
“The Verinai?” Alydian asked. “They will leave a swath of devastation behind them. They won’t care who is harmed.” Then she recalled that she was still Verinai and shut her mouth.
“They will find the Soldier,” Raine insisted, her forehead knitting in confusion at an acolyte’s presence.
“But not without causing bloodshed of their own,” Elenyr said. “The acolyte is right. The Verinai will not show restraint.”
“How else do you expect to stop him?” Raine asked. “How many does he have to kill before you will take action? Alydian will hardly leave her quarters because of him, and when I do get to see her she is quiet and fatigued.” She passed a hand over her face.
“Alydian will recover from his attack,” Elenyr said.
“But how many more hide in fear?” Raine asked. “We must act, before it’s too late.”
“Action without wisdom will lead to ruin,” Elenyr said. “We need to consider our next thread carefully, and learn exactly what occurred in Terros.”
“You want to wait?” Raine said, her voice rising. “The people will be clamoring for safety and you want to sit idle? If we do not act swiftly the kingdoms will fall to war.”
“And if we act swiftly, we could cause it,” Elenyr said.
Raine released an explosive breath and retreated to the balcony. In her absence Alydian stepped to her mother, whose face was drawn and white. She placed a hand on her shoulder and knelt.
“High Oracle,” she said, “I do not believe the Soldier would have killed the king. He didn’t even kill the magicless when he attacked Alydian’s caravan, and spared Captain Devkin when he could have killed him.”
“I agree,” Elenyr said. “But my faith in Alydian’s word is not enough. If the people of Griffin believe the Soldier killed their king, they will fall to fear. They will clamor for safety.”
“And the Verinai will provide it?” Alydian asked.
“They are powerful enough to do so,” Elenyr said. “But we must hold them in check.”
“Then summon the council,” Raine urged, returning to join them. “Tell them I will lead the search for the Soldier personally.”
Elenyr’s eyes widened in shock. “Oracles never lead the Runeguard.”
“There has never been one like the Soldier,” Raine said. “Let me find the one that hurt Alydian.”
“You speak with bravery,” Elenyr said. “I will consider your proposal.”
“You have my gratitude,” Raine said.
Elenyr nodded and gestured to the door. “Alethean, you may depart.” Then she added mentally. And return as Alydian.
Alydian nodded and left, making her way to the guest quarters. Selecting a dress from the many in the closet, she pulled it over her shoulders and removed the Alethean necklace. She paused before a mirror and adjusted her hair before hurrying back to her mother’s quarters. The sentries merely nodded to her as she slipped inside.
Raine glanced up at her presence and smiled. They embraced and it looked like Raine wanted to ask more, but instead fell silent and returned to the window. Elenyr’s eyes were shut, indicating she was deep in her farsight. Alydian fought to calm her breathing and heart, and wiped the moisture from her brow.
The door swung open and Weldina appeared. Bowing to Elenyr, she said, “Guildmaster Elsin has arrived.”
“Let her enter,” Elenyr said.
Alydian stood and retreated as an elf entered the room. Tall and beautiful, the woman conveyed an aura of power that was intimidating. Her features were angular and sharp, while her eyes were a darker shade of blue than normal, suggesting human blood in her ancestry. The tattoo of a Verinai marked her neck, and nine symbols of magic graced her shoulder.
Alydian had met her before, but never realized just how much fear she inspired. The woman’s power was legendary and rivaled that of the oracles, with some rumors claiming that she even harbored a tenth magic, a unique that none had yet discovered. She wore an azure dress crafted of interwoven light and threads. The material moved like silk but could bend at her will. Gliding forward, she bowed to Elenyr and smiled.
“Dear friend,” she said, “it is a troubling time that we must endure.”
“Elsin,” Elenyr said. “Please, sit with me.”
Elsin chose Alydian’s former seat, her azure eyes flicking to Raine, and then to Alydian before returning to Elenyr. The way her gaze slid off made Alydian’s lips tighten, but she held her tongue.
“Tell me what you know,” Elenyr said.
“The Soldier stole a guardian while it was on route to Verisith,” she said.
“A what?” Alydian asked.
Elsin looked to her. “A higher order of the sentient spell,” Elsin said. “We have been experimenting with the spell and discovered a method to make them much more powerful—and permanent. We’ve begun selling them as guardians.”
“New spells must be approved by the Eldress Council,” Alydian said.
“It was,” Raine replied. “Teriah observed the crafting personally, and assured the council it was perfectly sound.”
Elenyr caught Alydian’s eye and sent a message with mind magic. Be silent, daughter, that you may learn.
The words were not harsh, merely urgent, and Alydian did as requested. Elsin retur
ned her attention to Elenyr and detailed how the Soldier took the guardian to the castle in Terros, and unleashed it upon the king.
As she described the damage to the castle and the list of dead, Alydian heard what was not said. The guardian killed over forty Verinai—alone. She doubted even an oracle could endure such a battle and live, suggesting that the guardian truly was as powerful as described.
“And how was the guardian slain?” Elenyr asked.
“Mineva risked her life to destroy it,” Elsin said.
“And the Soldier?” Raine asked.
“Escaped,” Elsin said. “He continues to elude us, but this action cannot be tolerated. The people’s fear will lead to instability. Soon villages will arm themselves and defy entry to those they do not know. Merchants will remain home, and trade will suffer. The Soldier must be dealt with.”
“I agree,” Elenyr said. “But how?”
“For now,” Raine said. “Perhaps Oracle Ciana and Mineva can assume control of Griffin. The people will trust an oracle, and Mineva can secure the castle.”
Alydian made to protest but her mother threw her a sharp look and she held her tongue. Then Elenyr shook her head.
“An excellent solution but it is unnecessary. The princess is young, but intelligent and strong of will. Let her lead her people.”
“And the Soldier?” Elsin asked.
Elenyr smiled. “Raine has offered to lead a command to seek him out.”
The statement stunned Elsin, and Alydian fought to keep the smile from her face. It was a blatant refusal to allow the Verinai to intervene, while at the same time breaking senteniums of tradition. The oracles guided from afar, they did not risk their lives so blatantly.
“The Soldier attacked your daughter,” Elsin said slowly. “And it has made her cower in her tower. The next time he may kill an oracle, and losing an entire bloodline would be an unprecedented tragedy.”
“I have faith in Raine,” Elenyr said. “And you. She will take her personal guard, and if you are willing, a command of Verinai as well.”
