Regarding your request for information from the borderlands, I will of course comply. Father would have expected as much. But don’t leave me down here too long, Brother. I often think Asteroth wants the Rugens to invade so he can sate his hunger for their blood. His every action seems designed to provoke them. I hope you can help defray the tension, as both sides ready themselves for war.
The Rugens regularly send scouts across the border to observe us. No doubt they suspect us of prodding their border as well. Asteroth imprisons or kills any Rugens that wander into our lands, sometimes ransoming the wealthy ones back to their Rugen lords, other times executing them within view of the nearest Rugen town. He is a dangerous man.
Most recently we caught a few Rugen scouts near Merl, south of the lord minister’s seat at Cantrileme. Oddly, the scouts had come from Austveeden. Though they initially claimed to be traveling to Rugenhav, the last surviving one admitted they were going to Eglamour. Her name is Etzel. She holds up well under the cruel tools of Asteroth’s jailors, so far refusing to provide details. Her fortitude suggests she is more than a mere scout.
That is all the news for now, Brother. Pass my greetings to Bardil and do not forget about me, ward to one of the most violent men among the Avaleaus.
Rowan Valient
Rethsrond
“Typical Rowan bitterness,” Arthan said, handing the letter to Serdot and Bardil. He gave them a moment to read.
“His comments about Lord Asteroth match what I’ve heard from my sources,” Serdot said. “He provokes the Rugens as much as they provoke us.”
“And I’m guessing there won’t be an opportunity to talk with Asteroth at the Lord Ministers Council,” Bardil said.
Serdot shook his head. “Asteroth and Erath won’t be coming for the council. Guarding the southern border is their priority. They’ve always left courtly matters to Erech, so long as they get their monies and soldiers. Another reason to keep Rowan down there as long as he can stand it.”
“Yes, for now,” Arthan said. “But our brother is not one of your agents, Serdot. I’m glad to keep him with Asteroth until the risk to him outweighs the value of the information he sends. Not a day longer.”
“Of course, my lord.”
“Thank you for Rowan’s letter. Was there anything else?”
Serdot nodded. “I don’t have all the details yet, but there is something amiss about one of Brugarn’s guards, a man by the name of Garion. He’s one of the king’s Crownblades under Sir Hamelin. Garion joined the guard only about a year ago. I saw him sneaking outside Brugarn’s quarters. When I confronted him he simply walked away.”
“Unusual for a guard who would have good reason to be there.”
“Exactly.”
“Did you ask Hamlin about Garion?” Bardil asked.
“I prefer to do my own investigating, until I have something worth saying.”
“Get it quickly, Serdot,” Arthan said. “No one knows much about the recent assassinations other than that alchemy and ancient heathen masks were used. If Brugarn is next, we need to know.”
41. RODEL
Thorendor Castle, Wallevet Ministry
Flowertide, 3034
The library at the heart of Thorendor was the largest Rodel had ever seen. Three long, open floors with balconies and shelves crammed with books, folded parchments, scrolls, and massive atlases spread out across tables. Every free patch of wall was covered in maps and old tapestries, bronze busts of wild-looking men looked out from the ends of the shelves, and rolling ladders were scattered around the room. Arasemis’s table was at the head of the hall and had pillars of books blockading all but one path to it.
Arasemis guided the students to the table nearest his and gestured for them to sit. “Rodel, you asked about the arcanae. You just experienced one of them when you observed the others’ fighting techniques and wall running. Fetzer, you experienced another firsthand when you were blinded but still able to fight, and fight well. But everyone experienced all three types of ancient arts without realizing it. Marlan, tell them about the first.”
“Aerina arcana is the knowledge of oneself in the where and when,” Marlan said. “It comprises general movements, such as running or swimming, as well as special methods of fighting and evasion.”
“All of aerina is rooted in the acrobatics of the ancient natives of Pemonia, particularly the Gallerlanders,” Arasemis rejoined. “The Brintilian colonists were surprised to find natives who could run up into the trees. Their unique skills contributed to the convenient and preposterous belief that the natives were children of Memelos, according to old colonial records and the Candlestone histories.
“For us, aerina is a family of disciplines that weaponizes your body, especially when you have no other means to defend yourself or complete your task. Even the best trained, most experienced knights are ignorant of what their bodies can do, how far they can push themselves.”
“Why didn’t the colonists adopt these natives’ tactics?” Rodel asked.
“Two reasons: they thought the natives were inferior, and they didn’t need to,” Arasemis said. “The Frontier Corps had horses and steel, both of which the natives lacked. Most importantly, the colonists were united, whereas the Gallerlanders were fractured from the start. So no amount of acrobatics could adequately defend their realm.”
“Just like training this morning,” Marlan said. “When we took our own approach to the red purse, we failed. When we cooperated, we succeeded.”
Rodel listened intently, but this concept was nothing new to him. The Wosmoks executed their missions as a cooperative unit skilled in fighting with no weapons if necessary. And it was essential for any squad of soldiers, whether on the battlefield or in the shadows. But he kept his thoughts to himself.
“Then why was Marlan sent alone to execute Lord Raymond?” Fetzer asked. “And Garion, whatever he is doing in Eglamour?”
“Some tasks do not require a cooperative unit,” Arasemis answered. “A single assassin is usually harder to detect. As for Marlan and Garion, both have mastered not only aerina arcana but nearly chemina arcana as well. Juhl and Bertwil have made great strides in chemina, too. But aerina must be mastered before chemina can be mastered.”
“What about the fighting styles of the Ovelians in the east?” Rodel asked. “They must have mastered this aerina.”
Arasemis nodded. “Yes. But, unfortunately for them, they ignore anything having to do with chemina, beyond burning incense.”
“Too many wives,” Bertwil said with a smile.
“Perhaps,” Arasemis said. “Now consider the western kingdoms of Pemonia: Donovan, Rugenhav, and Austveeden, and the Old World Almerians as well. All are deeply traditional in their fighting styles. Cavalry still rules the battlefield, and spies still sneak into cities. None of them has taken any real steps to master aerina, although the various schools of swordcraft—including Crusaders, Broadblades, and Temple Knights—certainly fall under the aerina family of disciplines. But they stop there, ignorant of how chemina and machina can be applied to their swordcraft.”
“Tell us about machina arcana,” Fetzer said.
“Patience,” Arasemis said. “First, let us speak of chemina, the second of the arcanae.” Arasemis walked to the nearest hearth and took a glass flask from the mantel. He set it on the students’ table, then retrieved a few bottles from his table. “Marlan, narrate as I work.”
“Master Arasemis is pouring a tincture of miasma into the flask. Now he is adding bear fat and vole gems.”
“Vole gems?” Fetzer scoffed.
“Just a nickname,” Marlan said. “Also known as children’s jewels. They are tiny crystals that grow under milkweed. Salt and sap are woven together among its root tendrils.”
Arasemis picked up the flask, swirled it around, and tipped it carefully. A few drops fell to the table. Smoke arose as little holes burned in the wood.
“This solution is simply called wood a
cid,” Marlan continued. “It eats through most woods, but the vapors are harmless and—”
“Stop there,” Arasemis said. “Your hand, please, Fetzer.” Fetzer refused to give it, so Arasemis turned to Rodel. “What about your hand?”
Rodel remembered the liquid Arasemis had used to burn through his shackles after he survived the river. He extended his hand slowly. Arasemis poured the contents of the flask into his hand. It fell through his fingers and splashed to the table, searing into the wood while leaving his hand unharmed. Rodel smiled as Fetzer pouted.
“And the solution will not harm the skin,” Marlan said. “It is activated only by wood. Should you place your hand below the table to catch the drops, you’ll be burned.”
Arasemis nodded. “Very good, Marlan and Rodel. Fetzer, you are right to be cautious, and there is no shame in it. Chemina arcanae is often unforgiving of mistakes, and sometimes lethal. Had I substituted the tincture of miasma for wireworm juice, the solution would have eventually vaporized from the flask. Without a stopper in it we’d all asphyxiate.
“Rodel here gave his hand because he has seen the power of a similar solution called rust vex that defeated his chains without harming him. This works because the rust vex goes after even the tiniest specks of rust on and inside iron-bearing metals. We call such things tool alchemy, pioneered by the ancient Raffen natives. As you’ll learn, there are many branches of chemina.”
“So the natives of Pemonia were the only users of chemina?” Rodel asked.
“No, and don’t confuse chemina with alchemy. Chemina is one of the three overarching arcanae. Alchemy is one of two divisions of chemina, the other being metallurgy. Each of the arcanae has two divisions like that. To answer your question, the ancient Almerics developed many branches of alchemy and metallurgy completely independent of the original Pemonians. For example, medicinal alchemy, candle alchemy, alloys, and beast lore. The Arukans were the most skilled at chemina among the Old World peoples.”
“What branch of alchemy did I sample during the training?” Fetzer asked.
Arasemis looked at Marlan. “Explain it.”
“A watered-down version of an ancient furywine recipe from the Hral natives,” Marlan said. “According to the earliest Candlestone records, the original version was made with the blood of adders from the Black Forest, among other things. Hral warriors used furywine to achieve a battle frenzy that sometimes killed them. Half of the ingredients are still a mystery, so we supplement with risper nut oil in the laboratory beneath the great hall.”
Arasemis nodded. “Good. Now that you’ve all seen some examples of chemina, you’re ready to learn what it’s really about. Consider the growth of plants. Does everything in a tree first exist in its original seed? Fetzer?”
“Of course not.”
“Go on.”
“It needs water…”
“Right. The seed draws what it needs from the soil, sunlight, and water. We cannot see the transfer of this material, only its result: the growth of a tree. And Rodel, what happens when the tree falls and dies?”
“It decays.”
“And returns to the soil,” Arasemis said, “its material dispersed and repurposed for the next tree or plant, and so on. It is the same for all living things—and the nonliving as well. Mountains reduce to sand, sand recalcifies and is pushed back up toward the sky by the quakes of the earth. We see these transformations, the breaking down and building up, as natural conversions.
“Similarly, the crafting of a powder that burns when touched by water, as the ancient Raffen did, seems unnatural—even wicked—to most. But that view reflects an ignorance that led alchemy to eventually be shunned. These things only seem unnatural to those who don’t understand all of chemina as naturally as they do the mighty tree from the humble seed.
“Experimentation by generations of alchemists and metallurgists, sometimes including fatal trial and error, has revealed these hidden conversions that surround us in nature. Discoveries are always waiting to be made because the choice of ingredients and combinations of mixtures are limitless, bounded only by our curiosity and willingness to take risks. All of it can be harnessed for those with an open mind.”
“You mentioned metallurgists,” Rodel said. “Why are alloys considered chemina? Blacksmithing is an ancient art but hardly a secret.”
Arasemis nodded. “Metallurgists mix metals to form alloys, just as an alchemist would mix powders or liquids. Again, metallurgy and alchemy comprise the two branches of chemina. As for blacksmithing, it is not considered pure chemina but rather a blend of chemina and aerina. You’re right: anyone with a strong back and an eye for detail can learn blacksmithing. But when the original members of the Order of the Candlestone defined and organized the schools of arcanae, they grouped and enhanced existing skills. Remember that the Order was formed by a diverse set of people from across the world. They found great utility in merging their diverse skills to combat the colonists.”
“Wait a moment,” Fetzer said. “The Order created the arcanae? I thought the skills were older…”
“It was almost eight hundred years ago…” Marlan said.
“So the founders of the Order merely trained each other and gave it a name like arcanae?” Fetzer asked. “It didn’t help them prevent the colonization of Pemonia.”
“Watch your tone, newcomer,” Bertwil said.
Arasemis held up his hand to calm Bertwil, then visibly summoned his patience. “Fetzer, you’ve done well proving yourself at Gottfried’s castle and in our training hall, but you are still a novice. The arcanae is both a system of learning and a body of knowledge unlike anything on earth. Although the founders of Candlestone did oppose the colonization of Pemonia, I don’t think they believed they would stop it. A joining of the Old and New Worlds was prophesied before a restoration and ultimate peace could be attained. I don’t think you’re ready to understand all of that yet, but that is—”
“I’m not interested in prophesies and peace,” Fetzer said. “I thought we were here to overthrow kings.”
“We are,” Arasemis sighed, “but killing kings is a means to an end. You know nothing about the prophecy, and you’ve merely scratched the surface of arcanae. Those skills are the bedrock of how Candlestone can succeed in not only overthrowing tyrants, but in restoring balance on earth.”
Rodel could see that Fetzer was becoming more agitated. He put himself between him and Arasemis. “I can understand Fetzer’s frustration. This is a lot of new information for us as newcomers.” Rodel turned to Fetzer. “We’ll do our best to grasp the master’s teachings, recalling our oath to the Order.”
Fetzer glared at him, but Arasemis was appreciative.
“You were explaining that blacksmithing was a blend of chemina and aerina,” Rodel said.
Arasemis nodded. “Yes, the Almerians were masters at making alloys such as steel, but they did not fully exploit the wide range of materials and plants to give their metal weaponry unique properties. So they never mastered chemina. They were also masters of the swordcraft division of aerina, but they did not absorb native skills like running up trees and walls. So they never mastered aerina either.
“Thus, the bloodlines of the Almerics never advanced far into machina arcana. They learned the simple mechanics behind things like pendulums, rudders, and sails. And they built devices like windmills, cranes, crossbows, and ships. But they never touched the theoretical branches of machina.”
“Like the moving floor in the training hall?” Fetzer asked.
“That floor is a mere toy compared to what should be possible within machina arcana,” Arasemis corrected. “If any kingdom or people were able to master aerina and chemina, they could potentially go far into machina. Notice I did not say individuals, because the great workings of machina require much cooperation to be mastered. I believe this has been done before, to varying degrees, by the ancient Rahlampian natives and their Agnesci forebears. To the point, and all history
aside, the Agnesci may have discovered the secrets of building ships of the air.”
“Impossible,” Rodel said.
“Not if you master all three arcanae. Chemina can create the lifting airs you’d need. And one of the best examples of machina was the Rahlampians’ landships, capable of sailing across almost anything besides mountains. They invented them long before the Calbrians.
“I believe airships are possible, but hard evidence that they were ever built is lacking. Even Rildning, the knight who led the natives against the colonists, did not believe airships existed. But he lived in times of momentous change. Despite his role as the seed of Candlestone, he could not have known all the natives’ secrets.”
“Kings would bow to us if we built airships,” Fetzer said.
“It is a distant goal, young Fetzer. I mastered aerina and chemina long ago but still have much to learn about machina despite many years of study and experimentation.”
“What about the Calbrians?” Rodel asked. “Might they be close to lifting their wheeled landships into the sky?”
“The Calbrians have a knack for building things. Most have some Rahlampian blood in them. But their work is misguided and unbalanced because they’ve not mastered aerina and chemina first. So their ships will not fly. I aim to teach you the arcane in the proper order with the ultimate goal of combining them. Perhaps airships are one embodiment of this, but I suspect we’ll discover many ways we can use the ancient, blended knowledge to affect the downfall of kings and restore the balance of creation.”
All the students nodded solemnly, even Fetzer. Rodel caught Juhl’s gaze. He gave her a small smile, but it was all still a bit opaque to him.
“You mentioned mixing alloys with plants,” Fetzer said. “It that why Bertwil’s sword flashed yellow when we attacked Gottfried?”
“Bertwil, tell him about your sword,” Arasemis said.
“It’s an alchemical process that treats the blade, as tempering toughens the steel. The yellow tint comes from chalice vine flower, which leaves an unseen, poisonous residue in wounds. A scratch can rot a limb, and a good cut is certain to kill.”
Lords of Deception Page 20
