The Obsidian Palace (Through the Fire Book 3)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “You didn’t ask why, you just tried to wheedle and get your way,” Ruethwyn told the kitsune, smiling slightly. “I might have cooperated if you’d tried a different approach, but I wasn’t going to just capitulate.”

  “Meanie,” Korima said, looking disappointed.

  “And you’re a scamp,” Ruethwyn replied, feeling herself relaxing a little more. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but things weren’t feeling as bad as before.

  “So, Rue… you were talking about trying to figure out how to let people who don’t have the talent for atavism to use it. Were you serious about that?” Sella asked, picking up a mug and swirling the liquid inside it.

  “Yes, that’s right,” Ruethwyn agreed, nodding slowly. “I’ve come up with a few ideas, but I’m not sure how safe they are, yet.”

  “What do you mean?” Korima asked, her ears perking up again.

  “What does talent for atavism really mean?” Ruethwyn asked, tilting her head and glancing between the two women, pursing her lips. “I’m not sure I ever explicitly said what it is, to be honest.”

  “I don’t think you have. Master Mara mentioned the one lady exploding,” Korima said, shivering.

  Sella nodded in agreement, quickly setting her mug aside. “Then there was the situation with Yalline, where she got mind controlled, but I’m not sure what part of that was due to talent, and what part was her making a massive mistake.”

  “A bit of both, really. Talent with atavism means that you can create a mental barrier between you and the elemental, to regulate its influence on you,” Ruethwyn said, tracing a finger over the markings on her skin. “Without that talent, it’s impossible to use the avatar state safely, at least at the moment. It also means you can keep the elemental from controlling your thoughts or intruding where you don’t want it.”

  “I think this explanation is a bit simplified, from what I can tell,” Eretha commented.

  “Yes, Eretha, I’m keeping the explanation simple. There’s no reason to overcomplicate things at the moment,” Ruethwyn agreed, shrugging. “In essence, due to the lack of that… control, it’s not safe for other people to use atavism unless they trust an elemental implicitly. A couple of weeks ago, I’d have thought that was the end of the matter, but something I learned in Valisair has changed that.”

  “Oh?” Sella inquired, sitting up further. “What do you mean?”

  “While there, I had an… incident. I couldn’t use mana, and as such couldn’t summon an elemental. So in desperation, I instead forced the fire in my blood into the same mental formation as I use for atavism,” Ruethwyn said, speaking carefully. “It wasn’t easy, as elemental energy isn’t as refined and controlled as an elemental is and I still had some… reservations about fire, shall we say? In any case, it worked, and pure elemental fire has no innate intelligence. I believe that such means that another person without the full talent for atavism might be able to use raw elemental energy, or even energy conjured by a spell, to use atavism. It wouldn’t be as effective, since they wouldn’t have the knowledge of the element or spells that an elemental has, but it’s a step forward. And it’s also possible that it’s a step in the direction of figuring out how to create the mental barrier even if you don’t have the talent for atavism.”

  “Ooh! So you think I could create a fire and sort of… absorb it to function as an elemental, and grow more powerful in the process?” Korima asked, sitting up straight, her eyes practically shining with enthusiasm, and Ruethwyn could feel Eretha’s alarm, which was almost as pronounced as the elf’s own.

  “Don’t you dare test it, Korima!” Ruethwyn said sharply, sitting forward in her chair. “I have no idea what sort of effect it might have, and if anything, I intend to carefully test it with something relatively benign, like water or the like.”

  “But—” Korima began, then stopped herself, to Ruethwyn’s surprise, and nodded. “No, you’re right. Something like this is dangerous, and fire might burn me. At least the initial version of atavism isn’t that risky, from what you’ve said.”

  “Unless it turns out that there is some influence, and you were turned into a pyromaniac who wanted to set everything in the area on fire,” Sella said, sitting back and looking thoughtful. “It does have some advantages on the face of it, though. If it can increase your understanding of the element, does that mean you could make a more efficient use of mana when casting the right sort of spells?”

  “It might,” Ruethwyn agreed, thinking back on her own experiences. She usually let the elementals handle the more focused spells, and they were generally more efficient than she was… except when she overruled them and cast the spells herself. “I really don’t know, since I’ve never paid attention to that part with elementals.”

  “That’ll be interesting to test. Mind if we try something small and basic tomorrow? I’m wondering if the stream water would work,” Sella said, nodding at the fountain.

  “Why not?” Ruethwyn agreed with a shrug. After a moment, she paused, then asked. “Um, is it just me, or has Tadrick been talking with that girl for a while?”

  Her friend was standing near a table, talking to a dark-haired kitsune she’d seen near the bathhouse earlier.

  “He has. And Ceda looks like she’s having fun chatting with him, too,” Korima said, snickering under her breath. “She asked me about him earlier while you were gone, Rue.”

  “Oh? Well, that’s good for him, I think,” Ruethwyn said, stretching and taking her mug to drink some more cider. It had more spices in it than she was used to, but she rather liked it.

  “Maybe, maybe not. No way to know now,” Korima said, bounding to her feet and smiling. “That said, I think it’s time to force you to have some fun, Rue.”

  “Hm? What are you talking about?” Ruethwyn asked, looking up at the kitsune skeptically.

  “You’ve been too focused on magic and all of that. I think it’s time for you to have some fun. So come over here and dance with me,” Korima said, nodding toward the area where people were dancing together.

  “I don’t think so. I don’t know how to dance,” Ruethwyn replied. Amusingly, Eretha and Korima spoke almost in tandem.

  “Then there’s no time like the present to learn,” Eretha said. “I’ll even help.”

  “It sounds like it’s time to learn, then,” Korima said, offering a hand and giving Ruethwyn a challenging look. “Or are you scared of dancing with me?”

  “Hardly that, and it looks like Eretha agrees with you,” Ruethwyn replied reluctantly and glanced at Sella. “What do you think?”

  “She has a point, Rue. You’re in a lot better shape, too, and I think you ought to get used to the changes you’ve gone through,” Sella said, a smile lurking on her lips. “Besides, it’d be a shame not to know how to dance.”

  “It’s settled, then!” Korima said brightly. “Come on, get up!”

  “Fine, fine…” Ruethwyn conceded, slowly rising. Just as she was getting to her feet, Korima grabbed her hand and started quickly toward the dancing, all but dragging Ruethwyn as she exclaimed. “Gack!”

  “Save a dance for me!” Sella called after them, and Eretha chuckled.

  Ruethwyn caught her balance eventually, smiling to herself. It wasn’t how she had expected things to go, but it wasn’t bad.

  Chapter 22

  “So, you think we’ll leave what, the day after tomorrow?” Sella asked, lingering near the window as she looked out over the Lightweaver Enclave.

  “That sounds about right. We haven’t had enough time to rest, in my opinion. It’s been… restful here,” Ruethwyn replied, slowly running the brush through her hair.

  The party had been the previous night and had run far later than Ruethwyn would’ve preferred. Even so, she’d enjoyed it even if she had been dragged into dancing for far too long. She would have bowed out sooner if it hadn’t been for a near-parade of children wanting to dance with her as well. No matter how Ruethwyn had protested, at least one young boy was convinced that she wa
s an angel, and eventually Ruethwyn had given up protesting. She didn’t see why he’d think that, since she’d expect him to view angels as kitsune, not an elf or fey.

  “I’m glad you like it! I was hoping you would when you agreed to visit. I think it’s funny, most elven cities feel busier than here, even if human towns are worse,” Korima said, curled up on the sofa. “I just wonder if it’s culture?”

  “Mellesyn was similar,” Ruethwyn said softly, her eyes distant as she spoke. “I think it’s a matter of how little traffic you get, and how close most of the residents are. Bigger cities have more people coming and going, and that makes them… complicated.”

  “That might be true,” Sella agreed, turning to come back over and sit. She smiled as she added, “We’ll get another couple of days of rest, then back to Tyrness to get information.”

  “That’s the plan,” Ruethwyn agreed.

  “Assuming Tadrick can tear himself away,” Korima said, giggling. “Ceda seems to have hit it off with him.”

  “I’m quite certain that it isn’t any of my business,” Sella said firmly, folding her arms. “If it keeps him from moping, I think it’s for the best.”

  “Which is fine with me,” Ruethwyn agreed, considering asking the two of them to reconsider trying to come along with her to the Golden Dominion, but after a moment, she decided not to bother. They wouldn’t go along with it anyway, and she didn’t want to interrupt the peace they’d been enjoying.

  She was going to be in danger soon enough, so she smiled and added, “I think I’m going to go to bed. I hope both of you rest well.”

  “I’ll take that as my cue to go back home,” Korima said with a deep sigh, levering herself up. “I’ll try, and you try too.”

  “Agreed,” Sella said, smiling in amusement as she teased, “Even if I did just sit down.”

  “That isn’t my fault,” Ruethwyn retorted gently, then headed for her bedroom. She hoped she’d sleep well.

  Hekara shifted from one foot to the other impatiently, waiting for Adam to cast his spell. The delay was frustrating, but she knew better than to try to rush him under the circumstances.

  Collax stood beside her, his immense, horned figure reassuring and deadly. With his help, Hekara was sure she could overwhelm the elemental that Ruethwyn had channeled during their last battle. The circumstances had been unfavorable to her at the time, and she’d also underestimated what the young mage had been able to do. That wasn’t going to happen this time, instead Hekara was going to conceal herself and eliminate the young woman in a single blow.

  They were in the forest near the kitsune village, but Adam had stopped them a while before since he’d detected magical wards. He was casting the spell to break them slowly but steadily, and as he did, Hekara looked over the reinforcements he’d brought with him.

  The dozen men and women he’d brought initially were still present, each of them moving with an eerie silence that Hekara could respect. She recognized killers, after all. It was the other eighty cultists that’d surprised her in the end. She hadn’t expected even the cult of Larimos to have so many agents inside Selwyn, or for them to use them on killing a single young woman, even if she’d foiled their plans once. Her hellhounds were a relatively minor contribution by comparison, though Collax and Hekara herself were powerful enough to tilt the scales of power back at least somewhat.

  “Why are so many of you here? Isn’t this a little much to kill a single girl, or group of youngsters?” Hekara asked Adam’s second-in-command, a beautiful, fragile-looking young elf with a short sword and bow.

  “For them? Oh, they’re certainly worth killing, but not worth all of this. No, if we’re to attack these… kitsune, there’s a far better purpose,” the elven woman replied, her smile absolutely delighted as she looked back at Hekara. “They’re little more than animals in my eyes, and I wish to turn them back into beasts. We’ll infect them with our Revered Lady’s touch and twist them into Her agents in this land. It will be glorious.”

  “I see,” Hekara murmured, nodding slowly. It explained why they were willing to commit so many people, at the least. She wasn’t a direct ally of Larimos, whose corruption twisted the bodies and minds of mortals, but Hekara knew a fair amount about the demon queen and was on good terms with her domain. The demon queen was simply too powerful for Hekara to offend, even if she thought what they were talking about was a waste. The mana of one hundredth of the kitsune would be enough to rapidly increase the power of a dozen or more elementals to at least fifth rank, or a more powerful elemental to reach sixth or seventh rank in only a handful of years. Unfortunately, that wasn’t her decision.

  Collax shifted restlessly, his eyes fixed on the scene in front of him, and Hekara reached over to pat him on the shoulder, trying to keep herself relaxed. Her lieutenant wasn’t the most patient of creatures, and the waiting had been a chore for him. Fortunately, the waiting was about done.

  A flash of light flickered through the woods in front of Adam as he finished his spell, and he quickly spoke. “The barrier is down. They will have noticed, so we need to strike quickly, before they can fully organize themselves. Forward, for the Lady of Twisted Flesh!”

  There was a low roar of approval from his soldiers, and Hekara smiled as they rushed forward, along with the elf who she’d been talking to. She paused long enough for them to get ahead of her, then spoke. “Collax, let them take the brunt initially and try to spot the brats who stopped us before. Don’t reveal yourself to them until I strike at Ruethwyn, is that clear?”

  “Yes, Lady,” Collax said, his voice a deep rumble. “What if I’m attacked?”

  “Then defend yourself,” Hekara said, then nodded. “Let’s go. We have mortals to kill.”

  Her hellhounds bayed as they began to move forward, the illusions concealing their nature vanishing as they moved, and Collax snorted as he followed them. Hekara, on the other hand, murmured a spell to wrap herself in concealing shadows, then took to the sky, looking toward the town that was coming alive.

  Chapter 23

  Ruethwyn woke suddenly at the sound of a bell ringing. She hadn’t been sleeping deeply lately to begin with, so it wasn’t as bad as if she’d come out of a deep slumber, but it was confusing either way. She tried to kick the blankets off, but they were tangled around her body, delaying her for several seconds.

  “What in the hells?” Ruethwyn muttered, finally getting out of the bed and looking at the window. She could see lights through the gaps around the shutters, but the light wasn’t from the sun. She was just trying to figure out what to do when she heard the front door open and Tadrick yelled.

  “Sella, Rue! Get up and ready, raiders are coming!” the young man exclaimed, his feet pounding on the floor as he raced down the hall, likely toward his room.

  “What?” Sella demanded. “How—”

  “No time for details! They broke the wards, we’ve got a few minutes to prepare, that’s it,” Tadrick interrupted. “So get the hell ready, we have no clue what’s coming.”

  “Alright,” Ruethwyn called in return, her sense of shock fading as she spun around and almost tore open the wardrobe, thanking the heavens that she’d properly arranged her things for their visit.

  She quickly removed her enchanted dress and slipped it on, as well as a pair of boots. A tiny part of her wished she had enchanted boots, but she hadn’t had time for that. Or the need, really. Her wand sheath went on next, then her combat belt with another two wands and the loops and pouches to hold the other devices she’d made, not that she had any of them on it at the moment. Then she put on her enchanted jewelry and headed for the door.

  “Luminous, I could use your help,” Ruethwyn murmured, deciding on a different spirit than normal. While she was most used to Zaria, fire was a far more intimidating element to most raiders, from what she’d heard.

  Glittering symbols of golden light ignited along her skin, and Ruethwyn felt the elemental slip into her, radiating a glorious heat and light. At the same time
, she felt Luminous’s thoughts, and the iron will combined with a sense of benevolence made her shiver. The elemental paused for a moment, then spoke in her mind. “A truly unusual sensation, Ruethwyn Sylaris. Not entirely unpleasant, but not entirely pleasant, either. You appear to have called for me in an emergency, so what is the matter?”

  “I’m not sure,” Ruethwyn replied, stepping out into the main room. She didn’t see the others, so she headed for the door. “I’m in a kitsune enclave, and I’m told the wards were broken and that raiders are incoming, but that’s it.”

  “I see. Raiders do not deserve mercy, not when they attack communities which have done nothing,” Luminous replied, a sense of anger replacing much of the benevolence. “I wish to learn more but will wait. You do not need distractions at present.”

  “Thank you,” Ruethwyn said, smiling nervously.

  The town was in chaos when she exited the house, or at least that was her initial impression. A moment later, Ruethwyn corrected herself, though, because while it looked chaotic, it was anything but that.

  Kitsune were moving everywhere, but as she watched, she saw the pattern to things. Children and the younger kitsune were moving at a brisk pace toward the Spirit Forest, many of them rubbing the sleep from their eyes. The others had put on armor, most of them wearing simple leather, and had weapons that ranged from bows to axes, daggers, and a few swords here and there. Men and women alike were gathering in the town square, and Ruethwyn saw Sir Pendas there with a handful of other kitsune, the knight wearing a breastplate that was painted black, and with a helmet under one arm. How he’d gotten armored so quickly was beyond her, but she wasn’t going to argue.

  Ruethwyn quickly started toward the square, and as she moved, she saw a couple other kitsune she recognized. She couldn’t remember the name of the man who trained doras, but he was there, testing a bowstring on a heavy bow, and Cerid was nearby, speaking softly with a group of more lightly armored kitsune. She even saw Zumis, the burly kitsune who’d been a guard when the Starlight Troupe came to Tyrness.