Chronicles Of Aronshae (3 Book Omnibus)

by J. K. Barber

  Captain Veldrun worked flint and tinder on a prepared torch, while General Frey held it for him. It blazed to life and he handed it to Branden, who took a deep breath and stepped onto the board spanning the distance between the stage and the pyre. The blacksmith crossed solemnly and knelt at Mala’s side, drawing back the white burial shroud to look upon her face one last time. The therianthrope woman’s face was white and her lips slightly blue. Her eyes were closed. Katya and Sasha locked elbows to comfort each other, and Jared put his arm around Sasha’s shoulders. Johnson bowed his head as if in prayer. Branden whispered to Mala, his words only for her.

  “I know we never really got along too well, but you were always a good friend to Dara and you returned my girls to me. Thank you. Rest in peace, my friend. Please tell my wife that I love her, and I hope to see her again in our next lives.” Branden replaced the shroud and stood back as he lit various spots of the tinder on which her body rested. He retreated across the board and handed the torch to Captain Veldrun, as another King’s Guard retracted the plank from the pyre and onto the stage. The blacksmith returned to his place by his daughters, opposite Jared, and put his arm around Katya.

  King Morgan continued, “King’s Guard Ironwright, what boon would you ask of me for your valorous defeat of the Ice Queen’s captain?”

  Branden looked to his girls, his brows furrowed in thought. He cleared his throat, “I’d request of Your Majesty one year’s leave from my duties as a King’s Guard, so that I might spend some time with my daughters and witness the birth of my grandchild. During that year, I would remain here in charge of the garrison of men you spoke of leaving in Snowhaven to oversee the rebuilding of Snowhaven, ensuring its defense while it is still weakened.”

  The King raised an eyebrow at the mention of a grandchild but nodded, “Granted. In one year’s time you must return to your duties in Aeirsga. Until then you may remain here.” The crowd cheered.

  “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Branden bowed formally, a smile on his lips.

  “Now for further introductions and honors,” the King said after the roar of applause died down, “I would like to introduce Sasha Ironwright, Swordswoman of the Snowhaven Warrior School, and Katya Ironwright, Sorceress of the Snowhaven’s Sorcerer School. These sisters are also battle partners. Next to them, I present Jared, Master Scout and Woodsman, and Aaron Johnson, Veteran Soldier of Illyander. These four accompanied Mistress Mala into enemy territory, infiltrated the Ice Palace, and reduced it to rubble. They are the sole survivors of that mission. Please, everyone, give them a round of applause for their valiant victory.” The air exploded with clapping and shouts of exhilaration. It took several minutes for King Morgan to quiet them again. He nodded to Tomas who accompanied the monarch as he moved to stand in front of Sasha.

  “Sasha Ironwright, I bestow upon you the title of Master. Henceforth, you shall be known as Mistress Sasha Ironwright, Master of the Snowhaven Warrior School,” the King intoned. He drew his plain sword from its scabbard. A surprised Sasha sank to one knee. King Morgan placed his weapon gently on her plate shoulder. “Rise and be recognized.” The crowd cheered. Morgan motioned for Tomas to speak.

  “Katya Ironwright, by the power invested in me as Administrator of the Snowhaven Sorcerer School, I bestow upon you the title of Master. Henceforth, you shall be known as Mistress Katya Ironwright, Master of Snowhaven’s Sorcerer School,” Tomas spoke and lifted his own mantle from his shoulders, placing it over Katya’s head. She bowed deeply to the Administrator. “Rise and be recognized.” Clapping and cheers resounded. Under the din of noise, he whispered to Katya, “Meet me at the Sorcerer Tower’s door at sundown please.” Katya regarded him with mild confusion but nodded. Tomas fell away, back to his original spot on the stage. Veldrun stepped forward holding two golden disks, bearing the Kingdom’s Crest on a blue silk cord.

  “Jared and Johnson, please step forward,” King Morgan asked. They obliged his request, taking a single step. “I award both of you my highest honor, Protector of Illyander. Only those that rise above their comrades in bravery and valor receive such an award. It is a symbol of respect, and should you ever need assistance, show this token to any member of my army and they will know its meaning. Aid will be granted to the best of their ability.” The woodsman and soldier bent their necks forward to receive the accolades. King Morgan ceremoniously placed each medallion over their heads in turn and then pivoted to raise his hands to the crowd. The multitude raised their voices in high spirits as they applauded the two men. “Congratulations gentlemen,” he said and motioned that they could step back.

  Addressing the crowd as a whole, the King continued, “Thank you all for your hard work. Your blood and sweat, and those who have fallen on this very field will not be forgotten. Now, please bow your heads as Brother Talas leads us in prayer.”

  Katya and Sasha’s heads popped up at mention of Talas’ name. The man himself exited the throng of people and ascended the stairs to the stage. He wore a white shirt under his usual mail. Belted at his hip was his hammer over a green tabard with brown leaf embroidery that marked him as a Priest of the Great Mother. He grinned at the twins joyfully with bright eyes, as if promising them they would catch up later, and then bowed his head.

  “Great Mother,” he prayed, one hand on his hammer and the other open-palmed over his heart, “We give thanks for the many blessings we have been given. The harvest is plentiful and our Kingdom is now safe again. We give thanks for the souls we are about to release into your care. We ask that you honor them for their great sacrifice as they gave their lives for our freedom. Take them into your womb and warm them with your love to be born again anew. Take also the souls of our enemies, misguided and turned to evil. Bless them with your wisdom and may they know darkness no longer. We are ever your devoted, Mother of All. Blessed Be.”

  The gathering repeated his last two words. The King’s Guards drew bows and Veldrun walked down the line lighting the bound arrow tips. When all were ready, the Captain signaled at the end of the row. Fiery projectiles flew through the air and met their marks with precision. Flames leapt from the pyres, eagerly consuming the fallen.

  The sun set over the ravaged mountain town, its last gleaming rays disappearing behind the western mountain peaks. Katya stood at the foot of the Sorcerer Tower, a place in which she had spent a remarkable amount of time as she learned how to harness and wield magic. Chyla and Niko accompanied her, perched on her shoulders as usual.

  The magic word of entry had been changed it seemed and the sorceress frowned at the smooth wall that hadn’t even cracked open the tiniest bit upon her speaking the word of admission. She raised her hand to knock when the door was opened by the small hand of a child. Tomas waved her inside. She complied and he closed the door behind her.

  “Ancient One!” Chyla exclaimed, turning into her Nhyme form and bowing gracefully as she fluttered her delicate wings to stay aloft. Niko changed as well and copied her display. “I wanted so much to say hi on the stage earlier but that would have revealed us,” she said merrily, her eyes aglow.

  “It is so good to see you again, Ancient One,” Niko said, reproducing the female Nhyme’s greeting.

  “Hello, Chyla and Niko. Mistress Katya,” he said nodding to each. “Thank you for coming. I had hoped you would bring our little friends. There wasn’t much time to convey to you my wishes at the King’s eulogy.”

  “Oh, oh I want to help,” Niko said, landing on Katya’s shoulder and hopping up and down. Tomas chuckled, which came out more of a giggle from his child body.

  “I hope you can, brave Niko,” the Administrator replied, still smiling. “Please, follow me to the laboratory.”

  Katya nodded and followed the sandy-haired youth to the lab door, twenty paces away. As they entered, at least one of the Administrator’s motives for asking them to come was instantly clear. The sorceress’ stomached lurched, but she had experienced this reaction before and braced herself for the oppressive aura of the corrupted crystal. T
he air was thick with the stench of rot. The room itself was dark save for the tower crystal radiating an ominous black with tendrils of smoky purple snaking along its surface. Tomas turned his purple eyes to Katya, fixing her with his disquieting gaze. He briefly looked her up and down. Her skin crawled. It was like she was naked, all her secrets and thoughts laid bare before him.

  “Interesting, I believe I see you more clearly now, Mistress Katya,” he said, setting her on the defensive.

  “I am not sure what you mean,” the sorceress replied, not knowing how much she could trust him. “You, also, I see differently, Administrator,” Katya countered, treading on what could be dangerous ground. “I have placed your eyes amongst our dragon allies that lent us aid this past week.” She felt her body tighten as she unconsciously drew energy to her. She felt herself afraid of his response.

  Tomas simply nodded. “You see me clearly, young one. Since we are being so… honest,” he said smiling mischievously, “I see the Mother of Aronshae in your very life force. She dances there like light reflected in a dewdrop, plain and yet breathtaking. Your twin shares this attribute. I knew something was different about you and your sister the moment I met Sasha in my office this past spring. The Great Mother has chosen you as her champion. The fact that you are twins simply made that choice apply to both of you.” The Administrator fell quiet, regarding her with a more gentle curiosity; his previous enveloping stare was gone. He appeared to be just a normal child again except for the purple eyes.

  Katya’s heart beat quickly and she nervously wrung her hands. Niko and Chyla patted her with their dainty hands.

  “It is alright, Big Beast,” Niko chortled. “The Ancient One means us no harm. He’s been a friend to the Nhyme for centuries.”

  “Niko is right, of course. I am a friend.” Tomas said, as he walked to the wall and lit a torch set into a wrought iron sconce with flint and tinder he produced from one of his robe pockets. He traversed the room, lighting the rest of the torches with the first. As he did so, the contents of the room were revealed. Skulls and bones littered the floor. Still rotting flesh was being devoured by maggots on the lab tables. Rats skittered away from the light, as the shadows fell away from the room. The crystal base looked hollow and cold with its gaping holes. The potions the Masters had worked so hard to create were gone from their racks, but other than a smashed stool, the rest of the room was undamaged. Katya tried to wait patiently for him to finish, but her curiosity got the better of her.

  “How is it that Sirus and the others can’t take human form like you, Administrator?” she asked.

  “They will learn in time. Like all their abilities, it will have to be discovered, if they were to take the form of a human now they wouldn’t be more than newborn babes,” he replied, smirking as he watched her regard him and then mull over how old he must be. She knew that he was at least as old as Elder Razorik, who was over six hundred years old. Before she could ask though, Tomas switched the topic back to the matters at hand.

  “I have asked you here for two reasons, Mistress Katya. The first being I have been unsuccessful in discovering how to counter the Ice Queen’s taint on the crystal here. Sirus told me you were able to do so on the one in the Frozen March. We’ll get to that though. The second reason for my asking you here is because I wanted to request that you take over for me, temporarily.” Katya’s mouth dropped open. Tomas smiled. “I am not asking you to be Administrator. Magus Lucian will be taking over for me in that regard, but I need someone here in Snowhaven to teach the novices. Only five Masters remain, which include you, Magus Lucian, two in Aeirsga, and one that is living in Orsa. There are a only handful of graduates and novices that survived the reclamation of Snowhaven.”

  Katya stared dully at the floor, “All those lives, people I grew up with…” a tear slid down her cheek. Chyla took the tear in her tiny hand.

  “Katya, those who were lost in battle are like this tear.” The Nhyme woman spoke softly, “Their souls are fluid. It doesn’t matter how water is contained, the substance is still there. A body is just a vessel to the soul. Miss your peers but do not mourn them long. They live on in your memory and are reborn anew.”

  Tomas’ face lit with warmth, “Now you see, Mistress Katya, why I respect the Nhyme so much. Their wisdom, not to mention their limitless cheer, is a wonder to me; that such a small being can harness such understanding of life. It is also how the Nhyme learned to heal,” he said. The Administrator reached out and took Katya’s hand, patting it sympathetically. “The matter at hand though… I will no longer be able to teach the humans of this world. The dragons are returning. Our young have hatched and we will be leaving. I need you to take over for me here in Snowhaven… at least until Magus Lucian can move the Sorcerer School to Aeirsga.”

  “I know you, too, will be leaving,” he said. “My old student, Salamasca, who you know as the Ice Queen,” he was saying as Katya’s head popped up at mention of the Empress of Ice’s origin. “Yes, she was my student. It is my guess that the Great Mother made you her champion specifically to battle the Ice Queen to maintain balance in the light and dark of this world.” Tomas paused a moment to let what he said sink in for Katya. “Salamasca is an example of what not to teach your novices. She took her magic to a dark place for sinister purposes. Her greed… well I won’t get into all that. Half a dozen novices survived. They have been sent word to resume their studies here in the morning. I must return to my young ones.”

  “Administrator, I respect your decision and will fulfill your request to the best of my ability, but I was just today made a Master,” Katya said, her face a cloudy mask of mixed emotions.

  “Mistress Katya, your magical talent and abilities far exceed most of the oldest Masters,” Tomas stated. Katya looked at him quizzically, but she realized he was right. She had learned to heal, a field of magic the Masters as a whole had only begun to comprehend with their healing potions. The child grinned as he watched the sorceress put all the pieces together in her head and contemplate her new responsibilities.

  “The lesson plans… the cleaning,” Katya said, looking around at the disgusting state of the lab.

  “I am sure you will work it all out. My office is also yours. My books and notes will be returned in time. I left them with the Nhyme in Blodwood for safekeeping while Salamasca lived here,” Tomas added.

  “Speaking of Blodwood, Ancient One,” Niko injected, his hand raised like a student with a question.

  Tomas smiled and nodded, “Yes, Niko, what is it?”

  “Before your great leaving and all, would you mind taking me and Chyla home?” the Nhyme man asked.

  “I’d be happy too,” Tomas nodded. “We can leave right after we remove Salamasca’s stain from the crystal if you like, but I bet you’d like to say goodbye to the rest of your friends first.” Katya’s attention returned to the black crystal next to them.

  Niko looked to Chyla and she said, “Yes, please. We’d like to say goodbye to Sasha and all of them first before we go if that is alright.”

  “Of course. The dragonlings will be fine unattended for a little longer,” Tomas replied. He followed Katya’s gaze to the crystal. “Can you fix it?” he asked the Master Sorceress. “I am at a complete loss as to how to go about it.”

  “Yes, we can,” Katya said, glancing to the Nhyme. Chyla and Niko nodded and flew to the base of the crystals, already holding hands. Chyla held her hand out for Katya to take. The sorceress accepted it, offering one of her fingers for the winged woman to hold.

  “May I participate?” Tomas asked, “I’d only be present to observe.”

  Receiving a nod from Chyla, Katya beckoned to Tomas to take her hand. His excitement was clear and he complied, sitting down beside her. The four of them began to draw power from the earth and air, slowly at first but then increasing to a more steady flow.

  As they focused their efforts together drawing energy, Katya explained, “You see, I had it all wrong at first. Niko and Jared recognized the crystal
as a living element and that it is diseased. We must cure the crystal.”

  The Administrator sighed, “Oh, I should have known. I was a ship far off course it seems. I understand now.” Katya, Chyla, and Niko gasped as Tomas added his energy to their own. It was as if the sorceress was suddenly drowning. The sheer amount of energy Tomas was able to pull upon was staggering. The well of his power was enormous. The Nhyme and human sorceress had to backpedal in order to balance out the spell. Too much power could just as easily shatter the crystal instead of healing it.