Tyral released a belabored sigh. “You are desperate and in mourning and barely making any sense. Return to your workroom, find a simpler spell and translate it down for us. We will accept such a gift while your heart heals.”
“If you will not give me access to the jades, then I will leave Magehaven immediately.”
“Don’t be so rash to throw things away, Delminor,” Tianna warned.
“I am not rash. I am certain.”
Kerlot shook his head. “You sound like you’re on the brink of insanity to me. Perhaps the Council can offer you more time to grieve.”
“I need the jades, not time.” He stared at them, but they didn’t even turn to confer with each other. “I see. Then I will gather my things.” He turned to go.
Tyral stopped him. “Not yet. You still owe a debt to my son. You will remain until he has grown strong enough to contend with the advanced acolytes.”
“Not without the jades.”
“You are persistent, I will grant you that.”
Delminor rolled his eyes. “I am tired of being told what I am. Either give me access as I require or dismiss me.” The finality of his tone made the members of the Council break into hushed whispers.
The Council requested a day’s time to deliberate the issue and Delminor conceded. He could leave tomorrow if he had to, though he wasn’t sure where he would head next, especially since the list of places he could go to was shrinking.
During the Council’s deliberation, Pyron was summoned to their side and they charged him with a task of his own, which he outright explained to Delminor upon his return.
“You can only visit with the jades if I’m with you. It’s my duty to ensure you don’t try to escape with them. And I’m to kill you if you try.”
“I’m in no mood for humor.”
“I’m not joking. Of course, I said I couldn’t actually kill you, so they changed it to ‘detain’ you. But you wouldn’t steal them, would you, Del?”
“It’s not my plan.”
That wasn’t exactly comforting to Pyron. “They’re in a room at the top of the tower, but they’re not alone. Other masters go there to channel their energies through them. They use them to activate the energy wall around the tower. When they sense disturbances in the energies, they sound the alert.”
“It seems a waste of effort over posting guards.”
Pyron couldn’t argue. “I think it’s their way of trying to understand the jades.”
“But, in short, they will allow me to use the jades?”
“Yes.”
He pondered for a time. “I wonder whose desperation is worse, theirs or mine.”
Chapter 22
Wishes of the
People
Delminor and Pyron ascended to the Crystal Chamber at the top of the tower. Inside was a large, polished crystal, mostly clear with some imperfections inside. Three masters sat with their hands outstretched, one on a chair and two on a bench. Delminor could sense the energies they were sending into the focusing crystal.
As he watched the mages, it gave him pause. He hadn’t thought much about gemstones or their inherent properties. He knew mages used them, but he hadn’t spent any time exploring them himself. And here the mages were solely focused on this one oversized crystal. He made a mental note to explore it further some day.
On a shelf above the giant gemstone were two shards of the Red Jade. They walked over and Delminor found himself disappointed.
“I thought there would be three of them here.”
One of the masters interrupted his spellcasting. “You must be that upstart, Delminor. Standing there before two of the five shards of the great Red Jade, complaining there aren’t more of them. I can’t imagine why the Council granted you this favor.”
Delminor straightened his back and ignored the man, stepping toward the jades themselves. He felt the air jade in his pocket vibrating intensely as he drew near. Likewise, the shards on the shelf hummed audibly.
“What devilry is this?” another mage asked, lowering her hands. “What are you doing that the whole web of energies is disturbed?”
“I haven’t started anything yet. But seeing as how you’re all disconnected at the moment, I am Delminor and I am here to work with the jades myself.”
“And is he your puppy?” the first mage asked, gesturing toward Pyron.
“No. He is my bodyguard and he has orders to slay anyone who interferes with my progress.”
Pyron started to protest, but the other masters laughed and he was insulted. “Go on, try me,” he growled. The anger in his tone subdued the masters.
The woman stood up and stretched. “Oh, let’s leave these two to play. Surely the Council wouldn’t want us getting in the way.” She waved to the other two and they left, but not without laughing at Pyron on the way out. “Bodyguard.”
“Never mind them,” Delminor muttered. He stepped toward the shelf and saw the two jades shaking in what seemed like anticipation. He took one in each hand and closed his eyes. “The jades of earth and water. Perfect,” he said sourly.
“What’s wrong with that? What did you expect them to be?”
“Earth and water?” he repeated. Then his voice became somber. “Me and Donya.”
“Oh.” Pyron didn’t know what to say.
Delminor took the jades and sat on one of the benches. Pyron stepped forward and gazed into the oversized crystal. While he was distracted, Delminor quickly cut a slice into his finger and dripped his blood onto each of the new jades. He felt overwhelmed with the energies as they passed through him and nearly swooned.
The strong pulsating of the jades stopped instantly, now all joined through Delminor. But he found it interesting they had reacted that way at all. Perhaps all the shards resonated with each other and he could use that to find the other two.
“Pyron, here,” Delminor said, handing over the earth jade. “Sit with this a while and see if any inspiration comes to you. I’m going to sit with the water jade.”
He never told Pyron about the blood connection. It felt too important to share and if he had figured it out, then another worthy mage would also. Not that Pyron wasn’t worthy, but he lacked drive. He was a great follower with moments of brilliance, but that was all.
The water jade was constantly wet to the touch and holding it against his tunic made it damp. He laughed aloud. “Imagine that.”
“Imagine what?”
“Sorry. It’s just a funny thought. What if this jade was some sort of dream wish that had been fulfilled by one of the ancient gods?”
“What? You’re talking about the gods now?”
“No, no, listen. Let’s say this tiny village faced drought year after year and they decided they needed divine intervention. They begged and pleaded with their gods and eventually the jade was given to them. This jade, the water jade. It gives off an endless, perpetual stream of water. But only one drop at a time.” He broke off into laughter. “Thus the gods gave them what they asked for, but not in a way that would help them.”
Pyron didn’t know if Delminor was losing his mind or just trying to find something to be happy about. He decided to play along. “Right, and the earth jade. The lands were fallow and couldn’t sustain any crops. The people begged and pleaded for the ground to hold seed. And so they were granted the earth jade, dropping dirt and grime at an impossibly small rate.”
“Ah, good one.”
Bolstered, he continued. “The air jade! Travelers in the desert were stifled in the blinding sun. They needed a cool breeze!”
Delminor chuckled. “They’d be stupid not to ask for water first, though.”
“Good point.”
“I don’t believe in any of the gods nonsense, but you know… These are things people would pray for. That the soil would be fertile, that they’d have warmth on a cold night, that the air would be clean, that their plants would grow, that they’d have fresh water… What else would people pray for, do you think?”
“Money,” Pyron snorted.
That did get a laugh. “Our money is metal. I could see people begging for coppers. But what else?”
Pyron suddenly realized he was asking in earnest and the pressure took the fun away, and the ideas. “I don’t know.”
“No? There’s nothing you’ve wished for?”
His eyes went distant, but Delminor didn’t notice. “A pretty girl, maybe.”
“Yes, the jade of women!” He said it in an incredulous tone and Pyron chortled. “Come on, what else?”
“Well what about you?” he deflected. “What would you wish for?”
His tone sobered. “It should be obvious. A way to heal people.”
Pyron’s mood crashed again. “I’m sorry. Yes, of course.”
Delminor waved off the apology. “If you think about it, these other things are essentials that people would pray for, that people do beg for. And maybe the jades came into being because of that. So…”
“So… what if there’s a jade for healing, you’re saying? Because people would have wanted one?” His skepticism couldn’t be missed.
“Absolutely.”
“Look… Del. What happened is tragic, but it’s like you’re going off a cliff. You can’t wish a jade into existence. They already existed. They’re not new.”
Delminor nodded and sighed. “You’re focused on what’s in front of you, Pyron. Think about it. What if these weren’t the only jades? What if the others just haven’t been found yet?”
Pyron’s eyes darted back and forth as his mouth slowly fell open. “By the energies, what if you’re right?”
“Like Essalia and I were saying, there’s healing magic in our bodies. Why else do we heal from being sick? It’s not just herbs. People get sick and recover all the time without them. Or if we get cut, how does the body fix that? It’s a type of magic and I’d bet anything there’s a jade for it. And if we find it, we’ll learn how to use it.”
“It sounds great and all, Del, but seriously… How?”
“You’ve felt the air jade both outside Magehaven and in. It vibrated more the closer we came to these jades. And I didn’t pull the air jade out with the others here, but these three were all practically jumping to come together. And now they are and they’re content.”
Pyron made the leap. “You want to take these from here and scour the land, don’t you?”
“Would you help me if I asked?”
Pyron walked over to him. “Sure.” And he swung his fist into Delminor’s face and knocked him out cold.
Chapter 23
The Hold
Delminor awoke on a cold stone floor, his mouth gagged, and his feet and hands bound tightly. He couldn’t sense any of the jades and he knew they had all been taken from him, the air jade included.
He should have known better. Pyron had said the Council suspected him capable of thievery. And after what had happened at the Magitorium, where Pyron was expelled simply for knowing Delminor, he wasn’t entirely surprised that Pyron would turn on him now.
But at the same point, how dare he? The purpose was to find a healing jade, some way to allow mages to cast healing spells. A way he could help Donya, whom he knew Pyron loved, too. But no. Instead, Pyron must have been content with the familiarity his father was now showing him and he didn’t want to risk losing it.
He groaned. He could understand Pyron’s view, but he also couldn’t. His mind raced from one side to the other, but it was getting him nowhere.
He didn’t know what the mages here would do to him. He had been tasked by Xervius to explore the air jade, but here he’d had to beg to see the other shards. He doubted they would take kindly to his wanting to leave with them, even if it was just a passing thought.
He also wasn’t sure if any of his work until now would protect him from whatever ultimate punishment they could concoct. Maybe they would smash his fingers so he couldn’t work any more spells. No, then he wouldn’t be able to keep his notes. Ah, they’d cut out his tongue for sure. He didn’t need to speak to do his research. He could write the spells and have some apprentice enact them.
Misery set in as the hours passed silently by. He had no idea where he was inside the tower, but he guessed some lower dungeon underground, because where else would a dungeon be?
He should have left when he’d had the chance. Followed Donya’s lead and fled the tower when times were at their worst. He missed her, but he knew she needed to go. As he came to accept that, the pain in his heart lessened.
The door creaked open and Essalia was sent in with a tankard of water, fortified with nutrients. She slipped his gag aside and slowly poured the drink down his throat.
“What… will happen… to me?” he asked between gulps.
Her eyes were sad, but she did not answer.
When the tankard was empty, she left the room and the door closed, locking him away again.
* * *
The Mage Council took several days to decide Delminor’s fate. None but Essalia had come to the room. She tended to his immediate needs but never spoke, as if she was being watched, which Delminor assumed she was.
At last, four strong mages hoisted him to his feet and brought him to the Council chamber. The four men remained with him to ensure he made no effort to escape.
Tyral boomed over him. “Delminor of Verrithon, you stand before us, an intended thief of our most prized possessions. You claimed the air jade had been handed willing to you by the Overseer of the Magitorium, but word has come from there that their jade was stolen as well.”
Delminor murmured behind his gag but they refused to remove it. Considering the infighting that had been underway there, he wasn’t surprised Xervius had lied about the jade’s true whereabouts.
“We have tolerated you the best we can,” Tyral continued. “You have been provided food and shelter for the past year. Your betrothed received every piece of attention from our healers, as Essalia can attest to. There was no pressure put upon either of you when your child was lost. You were given ample time to recover from the tragedy, at least enough so that you could return to the purpose you agreed to. When you had the nerve to demand access to the jades, we granted it.”
Tyral shook his head disapprovingly. “And on your first foray to the Crystal Chamber, you spoke of running off with not two, but three pieces of the Red Jade. Not only would this constitute theft, it would leave us with none. Beyond that, with your departure, your promise to us would also have been broken. Have you anything to say? And I promise you that if a single spell word comes out of your mouth, you will be killed.”
The gag was lowered. “I see it is a crime to speculate aloud.”
Tyral raged. “Do not presume to tell me you were only fantasizing about leaving the tower with the shards. Had my son agreed, you would have run off straight away, wouldn’t you?”
Delminor lowered his eyes. “There are other jades. I know it. I can use those three to find the others.”
“A useless endeavor,” Tyral answered. It seemed the rest of the Council was leaving the entire interrogation to this man. Not even Kerlot or Tianna spoke. “We know where the fire and nature jades are located.”
“Doubtful.”
“Your mockery does not suit you well here.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s great you know where those jades are. I’m talking about other jades.”
“There are no other jades,” Tyral admonished. “You are grasping for some escape. There are five jades, just as there are five elements of magic. You are a fool to think otherwise.”
“Why five? Why only five? Why those five? Earth, air, water, fire, sure those make sense, right? Why nature? Why isn’t that just a part of the world? Why is it a power in itself? And why isn’t it strong enough to heal people, who are also natural parts of the world itself? Lend me the jades and I will find whatever others are out there.”
Tyral’s face lit with fury. “Lend you the jades?” He shook with rage and spittle flew from his lips as he screamed. “We will not lend you th
e jades, you pedantic child. Your time is at an end. Lend you the jades. Lend you the jades!” Incensed, he turned and grabbed the three shards and hurled them at Delminor.
Perhaps he intended for the jades to crush Delminor’s skull or blind him or cause him some kind of harm. But Delminor was linked to the jades in a way the other mages had yet to discover. They sensed his imminent danger as they impacted him, but they did not harm him.
Though its spells were often weaker because there was no substance behind them, the strength of air magic was that many spells only required the breath as a spell component. The air jade sent words to Delminor’s mind and he sputtered them uncontrollably. “Suicillious reshrovacuos shai.” A tight whirlwind swept around Delminor and pushed the four guards away.
“Jalicorith grienan.” Water and earth shards shared their power, creating a sludge that coated Delminor’s body, allowing him to strain and pull his hands through his bindings. He grabbed the three jades and used the edge of the earth jade to cut the ties around his ankles.
The room was a blur of motion as the masters and the guards rushed Delminor, spells hurtling forward. He didn’t know why he was calm despite it all. Perhaps it was the jades themselves instilling him with peace and prompting him with further inspiration.
Delminor recalled the air-and-earth vortex he had summoned during his Trial. He started the incantation to create it again, but he changed it midway. He incorporated the density spell Pyron had used that day, creating a new effect entirely.
“Fabronie gravila martel breq!” he screamed. The dirt vortex spun closer to him and pressed against his body. The guards, having recovered from the first rush of wind, reached in to knock down the rogue mage, but when their hands touched him, their arms grew incredibly heavy and they were dragged to the floor.
He could hear the shock of the masters as they witnessed the myriad spells issuing from Delminor’s mouth. Water spiraled out of his hands and splattered everywhere. Dirt was next and the two were turned to sludge with the spell he had used to escape his bonds. This downed two mages but only temporarily.
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