“That does… make sense. A phoenix dragon? You’re right that I’ve never heard of your kind before,” Ruethwyn said, taking a deep breath, then bowed deeply as she continued. “My name is Ruethwyn Sylaris, and I was aided by the fair folk of the Frostglades in being reborn after being injured by the cursed flames of the dragon Resvarygrath.”
“You were not aided by the fair folk. What was done to you is not within their power to grant,” the dragon replied simply, causing Ruethwyn’s voice to catch in her throat, but the dragon simply continued. “You may call me… Luminous. Why have you summoned me, Ruethwyn Sylaris?”
“Thank you, Luminous. As to that, I am the practitioner of a rare form of magic called atavism. It allows me to make contracts with elementals and summon them into my mind, to allow me to glean knowledge of the elementals to grow more powerful in magic. It also allows them to wield their magic through me, and to attain a more… perfect fusion as well,” Ruethwyn explained carefully. “I was summoning a fire elemental because more powerful elementals allow me to advance more swiftly. I do not know how powerful you are, but I suspect that you’re beyond that which my body can contain. You have my deepest apologies for disturbing you.”
“Ah, I see. Such magic is new to me,” Luminous replied, pausing for a long moment as the dragon studied Ruethwyn. Eventually, she spoke again. “You are, however, incorrect. Perhaps if I were of another element your body could not survive me, but the fire flowing through your body is of the same strength as my own powers. It has not turned you to ashes, thus you would be able to contain my essence.”
“I… well, that is interesting. The question is whether you’d be willing to entertain a contract. I know many elementals dislike being summoned, especially since there’s no way to know when I’d need to do so,” Ruethwyn said, both taken aback and hopeful at the same time. It would’ve been quite easy for Luminous to simply request to be dismissed, yet she hadn’t. “There’s also the matter of an equitable payment for such. Normally I give a large amount of mana to elementals, in addition to the amount they receive when they’re summoned.”
“There is no need for that,” Luminous said dismissively, and Ruethwyn heard someone hiss in surprise behind her. She was a little surprised that they could hear the dragon’s voice, but she was more surprised by the response, and she blinked owlishly at the dragon for a moment.
“Um, no need for what?” Ruethwyn asked, trying to figure out what the dragon was saying, whether it was that she wasn’t interested in the contract, the payment, or something else.
“Payment, of course. While mana might be useful, it is hardly the most important thing to my kind,” Luminous replied, half-stretching her wings until they hit the edges of the circle, sending rippling patterns of fire through the barrier around her. “No, we grow more powerful by purifying our essence via fire. Simply residing within you will refine my essence, and that is a payment far more attractive than any amount of mana. Summoning does not bother me, for I am not like other elementals. You speak truth to me, thus far, so I am interested. However, I require one thing of you before considering this contract further.”
“Ah, what might that be?” Ruethwyn asked, slightly reeling. She’d never heard of an elemental wanting something like that for a contract. On the other hand, Sinera had never possessed an elemental affinity like Ruethwyn obviously had, and since atavism was all but unique, it wasn’t as though there’d been a chance for it to be revealed.
“I can sense truth. Tell me forthrightly how you intend to treat me, and for what you intend to utilize my powers,” Luminous demanded.
“Oh. I can do that,” Ruethwyn said, considering for a long moment. Then she looked at the dragon and spoke. “I intend to treat you with respect and honor. As it takes a great deal of mana to maintain the presence of an elemental within me, I tend to summon them only sparingly, but I do so when I’m able, and attempt to treat them as friends and companions. For powers… my current goal is to rescue those who Resvarygrath abducted from my village, then, should I survive, I intend to learn more about magic. Once I’ve graduated from the academy, my dream is to explore the world and see the incredible sights I’ve heard about since I was young.”
“I see. But how would you use my powers?” Luminous stressed, her eyes glowing more intensely.
“Um, for my defense and to protect my friends? And to defend against unprovoked attacks, most likely,” Ruethwyn admitted, frowning. “I wish I could tell you how I’d react in every situation, but I don’t know. I don’t want to be a tyrant, though, or to rule. I just want to learn and explore.”
“Very well, that is enough for me to make part of a decision. Now I will ask your witnesses, what do you think of Ruethwyn?” Luminous asked, raising her head to look past Ruethwyn, somewhat to the young woman’s shock.
“What? You want our opinions?” Master Mara asked, looking honestly taken aback.
“Who else? Those who are trusted enough to witness a summoning likely know the summoner to some extent. I may not be old among my kind, but I’ve listened to my elders and learned to listen and judge for myself. I wish to know what you think of Ruethwyn before coming to a decision,” Luminous answered calmly.
“I’m afraid that I don’t know Ruethwyn well, Luminous. I’m simply in charge of this tower and the safety of it and the academy,” Sorle said, inclining her head slightly as she added, “I can say that she seems like an interesting, skilled young mage. I’m curious to see how she does, though I’m somewhat skeptical about her goal of rescuing others from Resvarygrath. He’s an immensely powerful mage, as well as being an elder dragon.”
Tadrick cleared his throat, shifting from foot to foot, then spoke reluctantly. “I… don’t know Rue as well as I probably should. She’s been a reliable friend, and she’s given me honest advice that I don’t think I could’ve gotten from anyone else. She also didn’t give me false hope once, and I think she’d act as she’s said she will. Oh, and she’s pretty decisive and brave, in my opinion.”
“I don’t think it’s proper for me to speak on this subject, as Ruethwyn was one of my students this past year,” Master Mara said, folding his arms behind himself and giving Luminous an icy glare. “What I can tell you is that she has potential, and I’m proud of what she’s achieved so far. Make of that what you will, but I will not say more.”
For a moment, there wasn’t anything more, but then Korima cleared her throat and looked at the dragon, raising her chin and grinning. “If she succeeds, she’s going to be a legend. I believe in her, though, so if you want to give up on a potential legend, go ahead.”
“Err, that’s a little… overboard, isn’t it?” Ruethwyn said, cringing slightly.
“Of course not!” the kitsune retorted, grinning more. “After all, I’m going to be writing down the story and spreading it everywhere! So of course you’ll become a legend.”
Ruethwyn winced, putting a hand over her eyes and sighing heavily. She heard that soft hiss again, and the mental laughter of the dragon. But at last, it was Sella’s turn, and Ruethwyn looked at her friend, who looked pensive.
“Inspiration,” Sella said at last, her voice calm as could be. “Ruethwyn is… inspiration for me, because I couldn’t do what she has done. She gives me reason to improve myself.”
Ruethwyn blinked, then looked at Luminous. The dragon’s face was hard to read, and she took several moments, then nodded slowly.
“I have heard your words. While perhaps minor falsehoods may have been buried in some words, they were just that, minor,” Luminous said, then looked to Ruethwyn. “I will agree to your contract, Ruethwyn Sylaris. So long as you live, and act with honor to my standards, I will answer your call.”
“I… well, thank you, Luminous,” Ruethwyn said, surprised despite herself. The way the elemental had acted, she felt like she’d been judged rather heavily. It wasn’t what she was used to, not with elementals.
“You are welcome. Now, enter, so that I may grant you the knowledge of
my summoning name,” the dragon directed.
Ruethwyn hesitated again. No matter that she’d overcome her absolute fear of flames and dragons, stepping over the circle of flames into a tiny space with a dragon caused her just a bit of worry. She forced it down, swallowed, then jumped across the circles.
It was like jumping into a wall of heat, and Ruethwyn gasped in surprise, blinking for a moment as she looked up at Luminous. She might not be big for a dragon, but she was still large enough to be intimidating. Ruethwyn hesitated for a moment, then Luminous lowered her head, reaching out slowly with her snout as she approached Ruethwyn’s head. Ruethwyn felt another twinge of fear.
As the tip of Luminous’s nose brushed Ruethwyn’s forehead, she felt knowledge slip into her mind. It wasn’t a true name, but it was different than the name she was calling Luminous by. It was a name which crackled with fire and life. Ruethwyn blinked, then looked up as the dragon pulled away.
“Thank you,” Ruethwyn said simply, taking a deep breath. “You are… far more than I hoped to encounter today.”
“Of course I am,” the dragon replied, without a hint of humility to her voice. “Now I will go. Call me soon, as I look forward to the experience.”
With that, the dragon vanished, and Ruethwyn let out a breath of relief as the fires died as well. Belatedly she let go of the fire she’d been controlling with atavism. She really wanted to cool off.
But when she looked at the others, she knew that would have to wait. It looked like they had questions.
Chapter 13
“The fire you possess must be much more potent than I’d anticipated, Miss Ruethwyn,” Sorle said, examining Ruethwyn closely. “When you chose to use it to summon an elemental, I believed you might call forth a relatively common second or third rank elemental. Not one of the most mysterious, rare fire elementals written of.”
“You aren’t the only one who’s surprised, Grandmaster,” Ruethwyn replied, shrugging helplessly. “I was expecting perhaps a fourth rank elemental at best. I’ve never even heard of phoenix dragons before, and I did quite a bit of studying elementals.”
“Nor have I. I suspect they’re likely mostly unknown outside the realm of specialists in the sphere of fire,” Master Mara added, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Sorle. “Is that correct?”
“Mostly, yes. Phoenix dragons are reputed to be agile, intelligent, and largely good creatures, and they’re said to possess the fires of rebirth, for whatever that means,” Sorle said, and Ruethwyn’s breath caught in her throat as the woman shrugged. “I’ve long believed that it means they can be reborn from their own ashes, much as a phoenix can. It would explain where their name came from, at least. I never dreamed that I’d see one in person, or that you might even manage to seal a contract with one, even if it is on the young side.”
“I think that explains how I was able to summon Luminous, though,” Ruethwyn murmured, her thoughts racing.
“Oh?” Sorle asked. Ruethwyn opened her mouth to reply, but Korima spoke first.
“Oh, of course! You were reborn, at least sort of, less than two weeks ago, and you have dragon fire imbued into you! If they’re known for fires of rebirth, that means that you had two major elements of what the elemental is!” Korima exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I wouldn’t have thought of it before, but now that the pieces are in place, it’s obvious.”
“That… seems quite likely,” Sella agreed, to nods from the others.
Ruethwyn smiled wryly, looking at Korima in amusement as she nodded. “Yes, that was my supposition as well. To be perfectly honest, I’m somewhat startled by how everything went. I’ve never had an elemental I’ve summoned ask those nearby questions in quite such a… direct manner. Some had conversations with Sinera, but they already knew her. They’re usually much more to the point and focused on me.”
“Regardless, that doesn’t change the fact you’ve acquired a contract with an enormously rare elemental,” Master Mara said, smiling slightly. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the nature of it allows you to learn healing magic. That would fit with the rebirth aspect.”
“That would be useful,” Tadrick murmured, finally breaking his own near-silence. After a few moments, he smiled and asked, “So, now what?”
“Now, I thank Master Mara and Grandmaster Sorle profusely for their help, and I get out of their way,” Ruethwyn replied, giving a deep curtsey to the two teachers. “I was considering trying to do more research while I was here, but the crowd in the library has dissuaded me of that impulse for the time being. Instead, I intend to see about sending a message to Sir Whisperblade and maybe spend some time in the inn. I’m not looking forward to explaining my appearance again, but what happens, happens.”
“You’re most welcome, Ruethwyn,” Master Mara said, glancing at Sorle and adding, “It was most educational. However, I must remind you that you agreed to write down what you knew about that drawing spell for us.”
“Oh, right!” Ruethwyn said, flushing suddenly. The summoning had driven all thought of that from her head, and she quickly nodded. “My apologies, the shock of meeting Luminous caused me to forget entirely about that. I’ll do that while at the inn and deliver it on the morrow.”
“Excellent. In that case, I’ll offer to send a message to Sir Whisperblade myself, and to explain your situation. That should help you get past the initial stages of surprise and skepticism, I think,” Master Mara said, smiling slightly.
“I’ll have to get a copy from you, Emrick,” Sorle said and nodded to Ruethwyn. “It was a pleasure to watch you work, Miss Ruethwyn. I do hope you return in the fall… I think it would be interesting to see what you can achieve in the sphere of fire.”
“I’m not sure what I’m going to specialize in, if anything,” Ruethwyn replied, nodding in appreciation as she smiled. “Thank you for the offer, Master Mara; that would be immensely helpful. We’re staying at the Sleeping Sun inn right now.”
“Excellent. I’ll see about contacting him shortly,” Master Mara said, and looked at the group of students before adding, somewhat dryly. “I expect all of you to return in the fall for classes. I’m not going to hear any excuses, and you all know how I feel about tardiness.”
A chorus of laughter filled the room, including from Sorle. A moment later, Sella spoke, as the young woman’s mood seemed to brighten. “Of course, Master Mara. I like being a student, after all.”
Ruethwyn sat back and stretched, then winced as her back popped in at least two places. It was rather uncomfortable for a moment, but then it passed and she felt better.
She was back in the inn room, and Sella had chosen to stay in the room with her, while Korima had gone out shopping for a few souvenirs to take back to her relatives with Tadrick. It was nice and quiet, especially since Sella was looking over the notes on the spell that she’d written for Master Mara, with the sheets of paper regularly rustling against one another.
“This looks pretty good to me,” Sella said at that moment, almost as though Ruethwyn’s thought had prompted her words. The other woman was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed. “I mean, I understand how it works just reading through it twice, so Master Mara should be able to work it out even faster. I don’t have the knowledge of the air sphere I’d need to pull it off, I don’t think, but I’m close.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Ruethwyn turned in her chair to smile at her friend. “Oh, good. I was a bit afraid that it wouldn’t come across well. One of the things I’ve learned is that just because I understand how to use certain spells doesn’t mean I know how to explain them well.”
“True enough. This looks good, though,” Sella agreed, unfolding her legs so she could scoot off the bed and hand the sheaf of pages back to Ruethwyn. Ruethwyn took them and set them down in a neat pile for the time being.
For a few moments, the room was quiet, then Sella spoke again, her voice soft. “I think I’m going to break things off with Tad.”
“I had been wondering if it
was coming to that,” Ruethwyn said, hesitating, then finished putting away a couple of her books. Turning to look at Sella, Ruethwyn frowned at her and asked, “Mind if I ask why? He’s been trying to make up for his mistakes, I know that much. He asked me what he did wrong back in Waterstone, so he could try to correct things.”
“I know. One of the maids overheard and told me,” Sella said, smiling slightly. “She told me a bit about your conversation, and how you told him you weren’t interested.”
“Ah, I… hadn’t realized. I did notice one of the maids was interested in me, but I tried to avoid that potential entanglement,” Ruethwyn said, flushing slightly.
“I heard about that, too. I think Bella was disappointed, but it’s probably for the best. She’s a fair bit older than either of us, and I don’t think she’d like traveling,” Sella agreed.
For a long moment, the room was quiet, and Ruethwyn felt herself flushing. She hadn’t realized that Sella had known about that, and it certainly made things awkward. She wasn’t certain what to say, since she didn’t want to push Sella.
“I know he’s been trying. But once things started souring… well, things are hard,” Sella said at last, letting out a sigh. “For everything he does to make up for his attitude, then he does something else to destroy my mood. While you were gone, I was so worried… and so as a distraction, he decided to try to show off by fighting Essryl. I could tell he was trying to impress me, and it was disappointing. He’d already impressed me with the redcaps, for crying out loud! He didn’t need to fight an incredibly powerful dark elf while we weren’t even certain if you’d live.”
“He could have just been trying to distract himself,” Ruethwyn ventured, a little worried about Sella’s morose mood. “I wasn’t there, but I could see that. He’s always so active, so just sitting around would likely be unpleasant for him.”
The Obsidian Palace (Through the Fire Book 3) Page 12
