Aether's Apprentices

by Daniel Schinhofen

  She grabbed him, pulling him to his feet and hugging him tightly. “It did. You… are growing… into your soul.” She sniffled, happy, but worried.

  Holding her just as tightly, he kissed the top of her head. “I am. Darkness will be happy. I wonder… I’m just an initiate now. If I can just barely touch your magic enough to trigger the ring, how long will it be before I can do all the things Darkness told me of?”

  “We need to keep this as close to ourselves as we can,” Yukiko whispered. “Even this should be impossible.”

  “Unless the ring was enchanted to allow anyone to use it,” Gregory said. “Then, it could be explained.”

  Yukiko relaxed in his arms. “Yes, there is that. Okay, we can make that work for us. We should still keep it as secret as we can for now, though. A trump card is always good. Take the ring. If you’re seen with it, it’ll be easier to sell the story.”

  Gregory nodded slowly. “We need to go bathe for dinner.”

  “Yes,” Yukiko whispered as she looked up at him, her chin on his chest. “Maybe a quick kiss?”

  Smile touching his lips, Gregory murmured, “As my heart wishes.”

  ~*~*~

  Bath and dinner slipped by for them and, when it was time for bed, they instead went to find Dia. The others had come with them, curious how things were going to go. Dia had gone out to smoke after dinner and looked at them in surprise when they all came outside.

  “How can I help you?”

  “Since we’re initiates now,” Jenn said, “we wanted to try polishing our aether channels by holding aether. We thought it would be best to do it with supervision.”

  “And we came to watch,” Ling said. “Since they’re ahead of us, we can gain knowledge by watching.”

  “The same for us,” Nessa added.

  “I see. We should get Bishop for this. She’s more inclined to the body side of the Peaceful Fist,” Dia said.

  “I had followed them, curious as to why the entire group was not going to bed,” Bishop said from behind them. “I now know why.”

  The novices stepped aside for Bishop to exit the clan hall. She took a seat beside Dia and motioned Gregory and his wives to the bench across from them against the railing. Once they were seated, Bishop nodded.

  “It’s very simple— cycle your aether, then stop it in place. I suggest a small part to start with, like a single foot. It will be painful and you will not enjoy it, but as long as you don’t feel like your channel is fracturing, you can continue to hold it. If you feel something is wrong, let it go at once and tell me,” Bishop told them.

  “The idea of cycling aether is one you need to work on before this stage,” Dia explained to the others. “You have to have good control of your cycle before you ever attempt this, and you should never attempt this before the initiate tier, at the very earliest. Most wouldn’t do this until adept or magus, but if one is advanced enough in the body and spirit path together, it can be done earlier.”

  Gregory glanced at Yukiko and Jenn, then nodded as he cycled his aether to his left foot. He stopped the cycle and gritted his teeth. His foot burned, and the aether felt like a fire inside of his body. Exhaling roughly, he didn’t feel anything wrong with his channels, so he held the flame. “Krogg’s—!” He bit off the curse and exhaled again.

  Yukiko was pale as she held her aether in place. “This is like dunking my foot in flame… but it doesn’t feel wrong... just painful.”

  “Not as bad as last time,” Jenn gritted. “Not pleasant at all, but not as bad.”

  Bishop watched them all impassively. “Let it go and cycle back through that spot.”

  All of them let go of the aether and let it cycle. When it came back around, their feet tingled like a sleeping muscle waking up. Gregory explained the sensation, and the other two agreed with him.

  “You can do this on your own now,” Bishop smiled. “If you had damaged your channel, you would have screamed when you cycled back through that spot. Each time you hold the aether in the same spot in the future, it will hurt less and less until it stops hurting altogether. That is why it hurt less for you, Jenn.”

  Jenn nodded. “I see. How often should we try this?”

  “Once a day is enough, especially at your tier,” Dia said.

  “Dia is right. Start with your feet, then work up from there. I’d say work through your whole body once, then go back to the feet again. It’ll be less agony for you, in the long run, that way.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Gregory said. “Our thanks.”

  All three bowed where they sat as they thanked Dia and Bishop.

  “Now, you normally go to sleep at this time,” Dia said with a smile. “I suggest sticking to that routine.” She fixed her gaze on the others. “Do not, under any circumstances, attempt this until you reach initiate. Understood?”

  They all agreed, and then Dia turned to look at Clover and Ling specifically. “You two should wait until mid-initiate rank, since you started on the Peaceful Fist later.”

  “Yes, Dia,” the pair said together.

  They all thanked Dia and Bishop again before they went inside.

  ~*~*~

  They didn’t go to sleep right away, instead all funneling into Gregory’s suite.

  “How was it?” Daciana asked as soon as they were seated.

  “The aether burned like fire inside us,” Yukiko explained. “It reminded me of…” She trailed off, touching her face where she’d been badly burned before.

  Clover and Ling winced— they’d seen that fight and thought she would lose her eye because of it. The novices had heard about it, but hadn’t seen it.

  “Yes, it felt like a molten rod of metal inside my foot,” Gregory said. “The cycle after it was unpleasant, but soothing after the fire.”

  “It isn’t as bad the second time, but it’s still bad,” Jenn added. “I’m not looking forward to working that same pain through our whole body, but we can do it.”

  “And we will,” Gregory said. “We have to.”

  “To be as strong as we can,” Yukiko nodded.

  “It’ll be a while before we get to try,” Clover said.

  “At least you can start resonance training,” Victoria sighed. “I’m a little jealous, but I don’t hold it against you.”

  Ling held out her hand across the table to Victoria. “We wish we were as advanced as you will be next year. We understand the jealousy and don’t hold it against you any more than you do us.”

  Victoria smiled and took Ling’s hand, then giggled, her face turning pink.

  “What?” Clover asked.

  Nessa started to laugh as she figured it out.

  Daciana blinked, then barked a laugh. “She isn’t your cat, Vicky.”

  Ling blinked slowly. “Her cat?”

  Victoria looked at the table, embarrassed. “I had a tawny shorthair at home. She used to curl up with me at night. She would pat my hand when she thought it was time for bed.”

  Ling looked down at their hands, then snorted and laughed. Squeezing Victoria’s hand, she shook her head. “Well, it is time for bed, but maybe not together.”

  “Not without me...” Clover muttered softly.

  Ling’s face blazed, as did Clover’s when she realized what she’d said had been audible. Ling snatched her hand back and began to try forming words, and Clover covered her face with her hands, moaning in embarrassment.

  The novices were all red in the face, looking away from the two.

  “We don’t mind,” Jenn said softly. “There’s nothing wrong with loving each other. Yukiko and I love each other. If you worry about how we might view it, we’re not disgusted or upset.”

  “We’re happy that you have someone to love,” Yukiko added.

  “Umm,” Nessa said slowly. “Since Clover and Ling have already admitted it…”

  Daciana covered her face. “Oh….” She moaned.

  Victoria snickered. “It was my hand Ling was holding.”

  Ling swallowed, looking a
t her with worried eyes before Victoria continued, “Nessa, Daciana, and I… are like you two.”

  Clover’s hands came away from her face in record time. “Really?”

  Nessa was flushed, but she nodded. “The tournament... Daciana wouldn’t calm down, and well… things happened. Since then, we’ve… experimented. We saw Jenn and Yuki and thought it would be okay if we tried things.”

  Gregory swallowed hard. His face was burning as he sat there, thinking about how he shouldn’t be there and that he needed to shift, but didn’t want to get their attention, either.

  “Oh, good. It wasn’t just us.” Clover looked happy, then leaned over and hugged Nessa. “Thank you.”

  Nessa was still blushing, but she hugged Clover back. “You’re welcome?”

  “Well, that was unexpected,” Yukiko smiled at them all, “but promising. If you can already admit your feelings for others, it bodes well for later.”

  That got them all looking at Gregory, who blinked under the combined gazes, his face burning hotter and hotter. “I’m fine with it,” he croaked out.

  Daciana sniffed the air. Her eyes went wide and she began to laugh. “Yes, yes he is.”

  “What?” Jenn asked.

  “She can smell emotions at times, if they’re strong enough,” Nessa said.

  Gregory’s cheeks burned hotter and he covered his face. “Oh, gods.”

  “He likes the idea of us together?” Clover asked.

  “Yes,” Daciana grinned. “Good. If the alpha approves, then it’s good.”

  Ling stared at Gregory with a smile. “Yes... the pride leader approving of all his mates is very good.”

  “Calm yourselves,” Yukiko said with a giggle. “Greg, go ahead. We’ll see them out.”

  Gregory nodded as he fled the sitting area of their suite. Leaning against the door, he exhaled as the images of his friends entangled with each other kept filling his head. He admitted to himself that he was absolutely okay with those images, and more. The scenes changed to include Yuki, Jenn, and himself; in different sets with his friends; or, in one case, all of them.

  “Later... much, much later… but yeah, I can’t say no to what my desires are,” Gregory murmured.

  Eight pairs of eyes watched him go, a few looking lower than his face. When the door shut behind him, Yukiko addressed the group, “Ladies, he’s worried about hurting us and each of you. To answer your question, yes, he does like all of you and we’ve talked about it. Daciana is right— he was probably very interested. We will hold to what we’ve agreed on, though. Right?”

  They all agreed quickly, not wanting to risk being excluded later.

  “Then we should go to bed,” Jenn said, standing up. “Yuki and I need to comfort him.” She had a knowing smile as she stared down at the others.

  A couple of wistful sighs escaped a few, but they all stood and wished everyone a good night before they left the room.

  Yukiko followed them to the door, locking it behind them before turning to Jenn. “That was faster than I expected. I thought Ness, Daciana, and Vicky might, but I wasn’t sure about Ling and Clover.”

  “It makes me happy,” Jenn said as she began untying her obi. “The fact they’re fine with it from each group, too? It bodes well.”

  “Agreed. Let’s go help our heart. I’m sure he is having a hard time. I know someone who can help ease his troubles.”

  Jenn smiled happily when Yukiko put a hand on her back, guiding her toward the bedroom. “As my dear one wishes.”

  Chapter Forty-five

  Their routine held over the next month, with class and training taking up the majority of their time. Clover and Ling spent any extra time they had trying to find resonance. Gregory, Jenn, and Yukiko practiced holding their aether, enduring the pain to work on their channels. The novices poured themselves into Empire’s Gambit, intent on matching their friends next year. Roshana studied hard and continued to meditate with the Peaceful Fist. She mentioned that her channels seem to be widening little by little, and thanked them for showing her a better way to train.

  When the game of Empire’s Gambit ended, Paul informed them that they would be off for the week and, the following week, they would be leaving for the tournament with Buldoun.

  When they told the others, the novices had been happy, but sad— it meant that this might be their last week together for years. Gregory felt much the same, and was sure the others were in a similar state. That colored the entire evening for them. Even Dia telling them that they would have the day off from training with the novices barely raised their spirits.

  ~*~*~

  Gregory rolled over, but found the bed empty beside him. Blinking, he was confused for a moment, then smiled. “Another rank, my heart?”

  “Of course,” Darkness replied.

  “That’s good. It means I grow closer to you.”

  “Yes,” Darkness sighed happily.

  “How have you been?”

  “Busy, dear one. I am working hard to help you, and you have been working hard to accept your former wives. I was very happy that we have all connected. Even some of the outliers are being drawn in. The threads of the future are nearly certain on them now.”

  “Roshana?”

  “Among the number,” Darkness giggled. “One or two you have no clue about, and I am keeping it a secret.”

  Gregory chuckled. “I won’t ask, then. I’ll just wait and accept what my heart would have of me.”

  A soft happy sound came from Darkness. “My core grows warm when you say those things about me... Love... it fills me.”

  “Are we on the right path for them?” Gregory asked, his mind flicking through his friends and Roshana.

  “It is almost certain. A few things could cause minor setbacks or disasters, but things are good right now. Even my outliers are closing the uncertainty.”

  “Good. Yuki and Jenn are fine with it all, right?”

  “I love how much you worry for them, as you do for me and your friends,” Darkness told him. “Yes, they truly are fine with it, now and in the future. Maybe a little eager for it, in fact. Both for different reasons, considering their desires.”

  “Okay,” Gregory exhaled, letting go of some of his worry.

  “There is a lot that will happen today, dearest. Most of it is good, so do not worry. You might panic a little, but rest assured that Yuki and Jenn will be fine with it.”

  The worry came back. “No hints?”

  “None,” Darkness giggled.

  “Okay.”

  “But there is also some bad news coming today, too,” Darkness said solemnly. “We cannot change it. Just be prepared and know that it is what is.”

  Gregory thought for a long moment, then swallowed. “Lightshield?”

  “He will be here and is not doing well. He has anywhere from a month to two years left, depending on what happens.”

  Gregory sat up and rubbed his face. “Okay. Can we do anything to make it the latter?”

  “Not without repercussions that I do not agree with.”

  Darkness’ voice had been adamant, so Gregory nodded slowly. “I understand, my heart.”

  “Sorry, dear one, but you are worth the world,” Darkness whispered. “Saying no to you runs counter to my very being, but I have to at times.”

  “It’s okay. When you tell me no, I know that I have to listen. Thank you.”

  “Your channels are coming along nicely,” Darkness said, clearly changing the subject.

  “Yeah, we’ve been happy about that. Why haven’t Clover and Ling found resonance yet?” Gregory asked.

  “They will soon. I did not hinder nor aid them. The struggle had to be real for them.”

  “Will it be for the others?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.”

  Darkness sighed. “It is almost time, my love. Please continue to think of me, both with our wives and without. Every time you do, I feel that love, and it makes me smile.”

  “I will, my dear Dark
ness. Now try to stop me,” Gregory said, pushing aether through his entire body and lunging for her.

  He strained, but Darkness’ power clamped down on him roughly, stopping him cold. “I only stop you because, if you touch me now, it would be bad,” she told him, her voice fading as his consciousness started to fade. “But in time, you will reach me and make me yours.”