* * *
Malera’s anger abated. She dismissed the studs and sent her maidservant for a clean caftan. The time had come to discover and punish the stone seeker and the traitor. As the maid combed and braided her hair, Malera laughed softly. Since her arrival in Rosti, she had never left the temple. Now she would. She would lead a party on a triple quest. As well as the pair she sought, she intended to find the ancient temple and a blue fyrestone. With one in her possession, no one could defeat her.
With the details of her plan firmly set, she left her suite and summoned the captain of the guards. “Select six of your best men. Arrange for coursers and supplies. The party will consist of myself, three priestesses, two acolytes, four servants, and two studs. Have the studs fitted with silver wrist chains.”
He bowed. “All will be as you wish. When do you plan to leave?”
“Before this ten-day ends. There are matters to settle here first.” She left him and went to choose the other members of the party. For the priestesses, she chose those most likely to cause trouble during her absence. Not that they could stand against her when she returned, but she preferred to have them under her thumb.
Five days passed before all was in order. As the party left Rosti by the West Gate, Malera studied the barren waste. Once this land had been fertile fields and orchards. The destruction had been necessary to ensure the temple in Rosti ruled the land. Soon, she would look on the second waste, the one her predecessor had created to demonstrate her power over the flames.
Two days later, they reached the far side of the grove. The guard captain approached. “Do we camp here, or continue into the waste? A party this large will attract a horde of lopestas.”
“The priestesses have the power to protect the party from the creatures, but we have traveled long hours each day. Let us wait until morning.” She studied the rest of the party. Her gaze focused on the studs. The one whose hair gleamed like polished copper drew her attention. She’d been too long without release. He would do. She felt the juices gather and her need to be pleasured grew.
The guards and servants pitched the tents and set about preparing a meal. Malera entered her tent and removed her caftan. A maidservant brought a basin of scented water. Malera sponged herself. She sent the servant for wine, food, and the stud.
When the young man entered, Malera walked around him. She unfastened his tunic at the shoulders and watched it flow to the floor. “Remove your breeches.” When he did, she frowned. “Make yourself desire me.” Her eyes focused on his flaccid rod. The silver chains jingled as he stimulated himself. Malera retreated to her bed of pillows. “You may approach.”
She ran her hand over his legs and squeezed his sack. “You will not discharge your essence until I command. Come and pleasure me. My breasts and nether lips need the touch of your hands, your tongue, and your mouth.”
He caressed her breasts and suckled her nipples. Malera felt her fire rise. When he brought his mouth to her nether region, she reached for her flail. As her excitement grew, she lashed his back. Finally, she climaxed. “Stroke yourself, and bathe me in your essence.”
“No,” he said.
She felt too sated to punish him. “Were we in Rosti, I would take your life. Think on this for the rest of the journey. When we return to the temple, you will die.”
He pulled on his breeches. “The day the slavers took me from my land, I ceased to live. Were you in my home, the fyredragons would char your flesh from your bones.”
She laughed. “No such creature exists except in folk tales. Be gone before I end your life here and now.”
He grabbed his tunic and ran.
Malera filled her wine cup. She drained the vessel and poured more. How dare he speak of mythological creatures as though they were real? How dare he threaten her? He would die. So would Ari, the stone seeker. She drank until she fell into a drunken stupor.
The next morning, Malera woke well past dawn. Her head throbbed. She used her fyrestone to burn away the remnants of the wine. When she emerged from the tent, she learned she hadn’t been the only member of the party to indulge. Two of the three priestesses were ill and their yellow stones hadn’t the power to cure them. Though Malera could leave the women behind, she didn’t want to continue the journey without them and their stones.
“We’ll remain another day,” she told the guard captain.
“What should we do about the stud?” He indicated the young man Malera had used. “We caught him trying to run away.”
Malera laughed. “You should have let him feed the lopestas. He’ll come with us. When we leave, tie him to his mount. On our return to Rosti, he’ll wish the night creatures had ended his miserable life.” She returned to her tent to await the arrival of a maidservant.
At sunset, she checked the priestesses who had ailed to make sure they could travel in the morning. She heard shouts from the guards and stepped outside.
“Men come. Crossing the waste.”
Malera saw three figures racing toward the grove. The guards unsheathed their swords. Malera cupped her fyrestone.
“Halt,” the guards shouted.
The men’s abrupt obedience caused them to collide. “Please,” one shouted. “The lopestas are emerging.”
“Approach slowly. Drop your packs.” The captain signaled two men to guard Malera.
The oldest of the arrivals bowed. “Priestess, we honor you.” He pulled his sun hat off and revealed lank, grizzled hair.
His companions also bowed. The youngest grinned. “We are on the way to Rosti with a fine hoard of fyrestones.”
Malera eyed them. With their scruffy clothes and unshaven faces, they resembled most of the stone seekers who brought their finds to the temple. Yet, she believed these men were thieves, but if they had stones, she would deal — on her terms.
“Let me see what you have.” She gestured to a servant. “Bring a cloth.” Once the cloth had been spread, Malera waved the three men forward. “Show me the stones.”
The balding man poured crystals from four pouches. “All prime stones, plus this one.” He held a copper chain with a scarlet crystal suspended in a copper cage.
Malera frowned. She’d never seen such a stone. “Where did you find this?”
“Took it off a thief who tried to rob us.”
When Malera touched the caged fyrestone, Ari’s and Ria’s face flashed into her thoughts. She looked up. “You lie.” She formed a sheet of fire and conjured Ari’s face. “Is this the man?”
“Yes.” The three spoke in unison.
“Where did you encounter him?”
The oldest of the men pointed north. “Maybe five or six days ago.”
“Was he alive when you left?”
The bald man shrugged. “He fought. He had a head wound.”
“Did you find this person with him?” Malera imposed Ria’s face on the sheet of flames.
“He was alone,” the youngest said.
Malera smiled. So Ria had left Ari. Malera stroked the caged stone. The fyrestone would aid her search and the pair would pay for their actions against her.
* * *
Ari sat at the fire and stared at the scarlet crystal Ria had given him. She held her own stone in her hand and looked into the depths. Ari touched her arm. “What do you think is hidden behind that pile of rubble against the cliff?”
She looked up. Her eyes glowed with excitement. “The ancient temple where I can master my skills and learn more about the way the fyrestones should be used.”
“Why do you think that?”
“The map that fell into the fire showed a flame I believe represented the temple. When I traced a line from Gydon, it ended near here.”
“What if we find nothing but a giant lode?” He turned his crystal and watched the way the sunlight glinted on the surface.
Her brow wrinkled. “Then I’ll keep the stones and find men and women who can learn to use fyrestones. You’re proof men can use the crystals.”
“I can use th
is one, but not with your proficiency.”
“You can learn. Remember what the old woman in Gydon said? Men and women, some of them commoners, stood on the tiers and used the stones.”
Ari closed his eyes. “Will Malera allow another circle to form?”
“We’ll work in secret until all are skilled, and then challenge her. She must be faced and her control destroyed.”
“By you?” Did Ria plan to replace the chief priestess and seize the power for herself?
Ria leaned toward him. “By me and you. We can establish a new order. One where priestesses and priests work together.”
“Why would I want to change my life to be sequestered in the temple?” Her startled expression made him smile.
“You have an affinity for the fyrestones. Your mother was a priestess and your father used the stones. What about Jorg and Bil? Were they attuned to the crystals the way you are?”
Ari shrugged. “Once I thought I saw Jorg use a stone. Never Bil.” He frowned. “I don’t think either man was from one of the hamlets, or from the nomads. Sometimes they used words I’d never heard.”
Ria straightened. “On the map, there were other lands. Did you find a crystal among Jorg’s belongings after he died?”
Ari shook his head. “Maybe the remnants of a white, but it seemed too large.”
“When Malera and I fought, the fyrestones became cinders, but not the whites.”
Ari frowned. Had Jorg been a refugee from another land? He rose and drew Ria to her feet. “Let us see where the fyrestones lead.”
As they walked through the orchard, his thoughts churned. Each time he found an answer, more questions arose. Would he ever have all the answers?
The scarlet stones led them to the massive pile of rocks on the other side of the stream. The towering cliffs showed ragged tears where the face had collapsed. As Ari approached, his stone continued to warm. He studied the rubble. If the crystals lay behind the heap, a laborious task lay ahead.
Ria’s features twisted into a scowl. “I guess we have to move all of this.” She reached for one of the rocks.
He grabbed her arm. “Don’t unless you want to bury us beneath the mass.”
She looked up. “Do you think this was deliberately placed to hide fyrestones?”
He paced around the heap. “’Tis possible.”
“Can we find another way to reach the crystals?”
He examined the granite walls on either side of the rubble. “Impossible. We need to move the rocks.”
“How?”
“From the top down.”
“Then lift me to your shoulders. I’ll see if there’s a place where we can begin.”
“Just be careful not to start a slide.”
She nodded and pulled off her boots. “I’ll go slow.”
Ari stooped so she could sit on his shoulders. He straightened, and then braced himself while she stood. “Here goes.”
As soon as her weight left his shoulders, he stepped back to watch her progress. Once her foot slipped. His breath caught and he held back a yell. A small rock rolled down the ragged heap. Ria paused, then planted her feet against the rocks and continued.
Ari’s hands clenched. What would he do if she fell? She had used a fyrestone to heal him, but he lacked the knowledge for using a crystal to heal injuries. He opened his eyes. Ria had reached the top.
She rose. “There’s a ledge. Come up and we can start removing the rocks.”
“On my way.” Ari moved around the pile and found a place to climb. He set his boots beside Ria’s and made his way toward her. Occasionally, one of the rocks shifted and he was forced to pause. Finally, he reached the ledge. He ran his hands over the surface. The tool marks meant the granite had been worked. Above the ledge, he saw where the rocks had fallen from the cliff. He frowned. What was the purpose of the ledge?
Ria moved to his side. She reached for some of the rocks and pushed them down the pile. Ari joined her. One of the burros brayed. Ari rose and scanned the glen. The burros raced across the grassy meadow. One of the spotted jaguas chased the burden beast.
Ari pulled the scarlet stone from his pocked and called fire. A long tongue of flame shot toward the feline. The jagua screamed and fled up the rocks beside the waterfall. Ari sank to his knees. He feared he would lose consciousness and tumbled to the ground. He felt Ria’s hands on his shoulders. “What did I do?”
“Used your fyrestone a bit forcefully.”
He frowned. “I’ve called fire many times before, but the flame has never been so large. Why now?”
“Maybe there was no need before.”
He closed his eyes. “Should I feel drained?”
“When I was learning control, I often overdid and exhausted my energy. You need to be taught how to control the flame.”
He drew in a deep breath. “All right, I’ll learn.”
“Are you strong enough to crawl down? You need food and sleep to restore what you’ve depleted.”
“I think so.” He slid to the edge of the ledge. “Don’t start down until I’m on the ground.” He swung over the edge and began the descent. Before they removed more rocks, they needed climbing ropes. Did he still have the spikes he and Jorg had used several times in their search for fyrestones?
Chapter Nine
Malera sat in front of her tent and studied the men who had stolen the stones from Ari. She fingered the copper chain. He lived. If he hadn’t, the stone would have died. She ran her finger over the scarlet and frowned. She sensed other images when she touched the stone. A man who resembled the stone seeker and a woman she recognized from the scenes of confrontation Larina had shown her. Both had used this crystal. They were dead, yet the stone remained active. How was that possible? Did the copper chain play a part? She couldn’t imagine how.
Did the fyrestone’s state matter? Before long, Ari would be her prisoner, and Ria would be dead.
She signaled the guard to bring the thieves to her. When they knelt, she smiled. “This is my decision. One of you will lead me to the place where you left the stone seeker after you stole the crystals.”
The balding man glared. “We aren’t no thieves.”
She laughed. “I know the owner of this necklace. He is a stone seeker. A most successful one.”
The oldest of the men looked up. “What about our coins for the stones? Do you have them with you?”
“Of course not,” Malera said.
“If I’m the one selected to go with you, what’s to keep my partners from disappearing with my share?”
The youngest thief snorted. “Don’t push me into going with her so I end up with nothing. I know how the pair of you work.”
Malera raised her scarlet crystal. “Cease the arguments. I’ll choose the escort. A message will be sent to the temple. The priestess who cares for the stones will pay the two who arrive with the fyrestones forty-five silvers each. The guide will have his share when we return to Rosti.”
The balding man shook his head. “What about bargaining? We haven’t set a price. I say thirty gold for each.”
Malera laughed. “You’ll take what I offer or have nothing. Be happy with your stolen gains. Where but the temple can you sell the stones?”
The oldest grabbed her arm. “She thinks to cheat us.” He gestured to his partners. “Find the stones.” He pulled Malera toward her tent.
Malera jerked free. “You dare touch me when you haven’t been given leave? I am the chief priestess and I will be obeyed.” She drew fire and flamed her captor. “See what happens to those who try to harm me.”
His clothing blazed and his screams filled the air. The youngest thief ran. Malera whirled and struck the bald man. She sent lashes to drive him and the youngest into the waste. As soon as the fires died, she motioned to the guard captain. “Toss the remains into the waste to feed the lopestas.”
One of the priestesses approached. “How will you find the stone seeker?”
Malera indicated the caged scarlet. “Thi
s was his and will lead the way.”
“What about this ancient temple?”
“If we are meant to find the place, we will. Have the servants prepare to depart tomorrow morning. We’ve dallied long enough, but right now, I need to rest.” She entered her tent and lay on her pillows. She needed to regain the strength she’d expended during the encounter with the thieves.
* * *
For five days Ari and Ria spent the mornings taking turns dangling from ropes and removing the rocky debris. The afternoons where spent exploring the glen and washing in the stream. After the evening meal, Ria taught Ari how to control and use the flames. With ease, he progressed from the yellow to the orange.
On the morning of the sixth day, Ria stared at what remained of the blockage. There appeared to be a solid sheet of granite behind the rocks. Her stone pulsed with the nearness of other crystals, but how could they be reached? She turned to Ari. “What now?”
He climbed over the two large boulders and ran his hand over the wall. “Feel here. There’s a narrow crack. There must be a way to gain access.”
“We’ll need to move these boulders. They’re enormous.”
“Won’t be as difficult as you think.” He whistled for Ber and Bera, and then tugged the ropes and hooks free.
“Can the burros really move the rocks?”
“At least one.”
A short time later, he had the ropes fastened and the spikes sunk into the granite. He grabbed Ber’s rope and Ria took Bera’s. “Be ready to cut the ropes when I yell.”
They urged the burros forward. The boulder inched from the wall and across the flat area until it reached the edge of the slope leading to the stream. “Cut.”
Ria sliced through Bera’s rope. Once free, the burro squealed and bolted through the stream to the other side. The boulder slid down the slope and came to rest against rocks that had been removed from the blockage.
Ria turned and ran to the granite wall. She pushed against the surface. Nothing happened. When she ran her hands over the smooth surface, she felt cups carved into the rock. Which crystals, she wondered? She tried three whites with no success. Next, she tried two yellows. Since she didn’t have a third, she used an orange. The wall moved inward with a grinding noise. A gush of foul air hit her face. As the noxious odor covered her, she coughed. Her head spun and she slid to the ground
Temple of Fyre (Island of Fyre) Page 13
