Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (30 page)

“Simple is boring,” Shalee protested.

Helga grinned. “Agreed, Child. Your magical foundation will fortify, but it must be formed properly. Eventually, you’ll be able to command power that equals what I’ve displayed. You may even advance to combining words, but magic like that is far beyond your abilities at the moment. For now, let’s focus on simple, practical uses of fire.”

“Tell me more about combining words,” Shalee inquired. “That sounds far more interesting than screwing around with sparks.”

“Oh, Child, Child, Child ... I refuse to answer that question. I should never have said anything. You will focus on the task at hand. Do you understand me?”

Shalee frowned. “You’re bumming me out. Texans can handle anything. You don’t have to be so careful with me.”

Seeing that Helga would not reveal any additional information, Shalee looked at the pile of wood, rolled her eyes, raised her staff and then shouted, “Precious,
nuar!”
A ring of fire appeared around the wood. The heat could be felt, but it was not uncomfortable. There was no smoke, and over a lengthy period of moments, the flames faded.

Shalee enjoyed the benefit of her command, but the strength of the magic caused her body to quake uncontrollably. She was forced to drop Precious and lean against her teacher until the intensity subsided.

“Well done!” Mosley howled. “I’m impressed. You’re the cub that would make any wolf proud. Once you’ve collected yourself, you should see what else you can conjure.”

“Oh, my goodness!” Shalee exhaled once she was able to stand. “Whew! I’m sweating like a hog on a hot summer day. I bet I look like a mess. I’m just loving this magic stuff. I can’t even tell you how much.” She looked at Helga and grinned. “This is definitely not like anything I’ve ever done before.” An aftershock hit. She reached out and placed a hand on Helga’s shoulder until she stopped trembling. “Oh my! I just need to catch my breath.”

Helga rubbed Shalee’s back until she was able to stand upright. “Child, it’s okay to take the moments you need to recover. This has been a wonderful Peak for you. I’m a little jealous. I haven’t felt that way in over 200 seasons.”

Shalee smiled and retrieved Precious off the floor. “Shall we try something else?”

Before Helga could object, Shalee raised her staff, prepared her next thought, and spoke the words of power, “Precious,
nuar!
” The top piece of wood on the pile started to burn, but the ones beneath it were unaffected. The fire burned hot and strong, and it took a considerable amount of power.

The benefit of her success seized control of Shalee’s body as the spell dissipated. It brought her to her knees, and she was forced to place her hands on the floor for balance as the tears of joy flowed. The reward lasted for a much longer series of moments than it did with the previous command. With the sensation continuing to build, Shalee lowered onto her back as her chest heaved to catch her breath.

“Ohhhh, Child, Child, Child ... I’ve never seen anyone command fire on their first Peak. Not only have you commanded it, you isolated it to a specific piece, and you didn’t allow the flame to touch the others. This is the most exciting Peak of my life!

Mosley spoke up. “Perhaps it’s best if she stops.”

Helga nodded. “I completely agree.” She adjusted her gaze back onto her student. “Besides, it’s getting late, Child, and you must be exhausted. I’ve never met a woman blessed enough to shed so many wonderful tears and experience the joy of life as you have.”

Shalee agreed. She was tired, but she did not want to stop now. She peeled herself up off the floor and forced herself to stand upright. “I know I should stop, but I am dying to try just one more thing before we do.” She looked at her teacher and produced an innocent smile. “What are the Elven words for wood and life?”

A deep look of concern appeared on Helga’s face. “Oh no, no, no, Child! It isn’t wise to be toying with uniting words. That isn’t something I would teach you for many, many Peaks. I should not have said anything about it. I apologize for my lapse in judgment.”

“Sweet molasses, Helga. I understand what you’re trying to say, but I’d like to know the words anyhow. I feel like I’m onto something here, and I think I can handle it. You just gotta trust me on this.”

Helga and Mosley looked at each other, shrugged, and then moved a few steps away. Mosley whispered as he reached up with his rear paw to scratch the back of his neck, “This is either going to be a pleasant experience, or a disaster. I’m not sure how you should judge her growth. She’s already able to lead a pack of her own. I think you should allow her to keep going until she marks the boundaries of her magical territories.”

“Agreed,” Helga whispered back. “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all Peak, mutt. I’ll protect us just in case.” The older sorceress waved her hand, and an invisible wall of force encircled them.

Shalee queried, “So, are you going to tell me the words?”

“Torina
is for wood and
coa
is for life, Child. I ask you, again. Think. This isn’t the best idea.”

“Gotcha! I know how you feel. But I want to know my limitations, so let’s see where my line is drawn in the sand.”

“Okay, Child, but I think we can look for this line on some other Peak. You should rest first.”

“I’ll be okay. Don’t you worry about me. I can handle a little failure.”

Helga looked at Mosley. “She is not going to listen until she finds a wall to run into.”

Mosley nodded.

Shalee thought for a moment, and then a smile spread across her face. Remembering something Sam had said when they were in the Temple of the Gods, she uttered, “This should be cool. I know no one has ever seen something like this around these parts.” She lifted her staff and spoke in a forceful tone, “Precious,
torina nuar coa!
”

The remaining pieces of wood jumped off the floor and formed a small being shaped like her favorite childhood character, Elmo, from Sesame Street. The wooden creature had a coat made of an intense fiery fur, and it moved as if it was alive.

As Elmo started to dance, Shalee anticipated the intense reward she would receive for success, but it never came. Something was wrong. Fiery Elmo stopped and turned to look at Shalee. With a sad expression on his face, he exploded, sending a shockwave through the room. The wave hit Shalee so hard her body lifted from the floor and flew through the air like a rag doll thrown by an angry child. She hit one of the load bearing columns at the center of the room. The collision knocked her shoulder out of joint.

Landing on the floor, Shalee’s arm twisted beneath her weight. It snapped and made a loud cracking sound that could be heard in the alley beyond the hole in the wall. Her screams caused the patrons who were standing on the porch of the slaughter house beyond the exploded barrel to turn and look.

Helga’s reaction was instantaneous. She darted out of the room to fetch a healer from the local vestry, shouting over her shoulder, “Mosley, put the child to sleep!”

The wolf breathed on Shalee’s face and sent her into a peaceful sleep.

Sam’s Training Continues

BJ beat on Sam after Mosley disappeared across the field. The wolf had called Sam a “fool” and this bothered Sam. The instructor was delivering hard lessons to multiple areas of Sam’s anatomy, hitting his student on the head on three occasions, his lower back four, upper back twice, chest eight, both arms a combined seventeen, and Sam’s feet had been swept from under him on seven occasions.

BJ extended his hand to pick Sam up off the ground yet again. The novice swordsman had fallen hard this moment. Not only did he fall, but his stave had been taken from him before he landed, adding further insult to his numerous bruises.

The teacher shouted, “I told you to watch your balance when you’re moving in to strike! You’re leaving yourself wide open, and this will get you killed! A weapon won’t be the only tool your opponent will use against you. His hands, his feet, his legs, his elbows, and even his head are all harbingers of death.”

The teacher took a few steps back. “Now get up, mind your balance, and be ready for anything. I swear to the gods, I feel like I’m teaching a child of only five seasons.”

Sam was frustrated, but he was not about to admit it or quit. They kept at it for a while longer, and after a few more trips to the ground, Sam held up his right hand and motioned for BJ to stop.

“Are you yielding?” BJ jeered.

“Hell no,” Sam rebutted. “Just give me a moment.” He limped over to where his sword was lying and picked it up. Sam bent to one knee and whispered to the blade. “I have a name for you.”

Before anything else could be said, the ground started to tremble. The quake lasted for nearly 15 breaths before it stopped. Sam found BJ’s eyes. It was clear his mentor had never been in an earthquake before, and a look of confusion consumed his face.

“You’ve never been in an earthquake, have you?” Sam said as he stood to buckle the belt holding his sword around his waist.

Sam’s weapon was the first to respond. The blade removed itself from its sheath and hovered in front of Sam’s face. Like before, the blade pulsated with a soft-white light as each syllable was uttered. “BJ doesn’t know what you’re referring to, Sam. Perhaps you should follow me so that we can converse.”

Sam did as instructed and waited for the blade to continue. “The people on Grayham have never experienced natural disasters before. The gods have not used them as a way of controlling the worlds’ populations. The worlds don’t have enough beings on them to justify their use. This quake is a result of the Crystal Moon’s inability to govern the worlds.”

“What can be done about it?” Sam queried.

As if irritated by Sam’s question, the blade’s pulse turned red. “You must focus, Sam. You must rise up and become a better man than you are now if you’re to save the worlds. The moments of destruction are looming, and these people will need a champion.”

A period of silence passed as the blade allowed the magnitude of his statement to sink in. When next it spoke, his pulse had returned to white. “You said you’ve chosen a name for me. What is it, Sam?”

Sam’s mind was struggling to accept the sword’s revelation. It was not until after the blade thumped him under his chin that he was able to focus. “Okay, okay. Ummm ... I was going to use the name, Kael. Would this be acceptable to you? It means, Mighty Warrior.”

The sword sighed. “Kael is a strong name, but a leader should be confident in his decisions. I’ve given you permission to train with me. Act like the leader you need to become, and do not seek my approval. Demonstrate your ability to command.” Again, the blade’s pulse turned red. “Until you do, I won’t allow you to fight with me in the arenas. You need to earn my respect, and you must acquire the skills necessary to keep from embarrassing me. I’d rather allow this world to end than be wielded by weakness.”

Sick of being chastised, Sam took control of the sword and then turned to face BJ. He knew he could not divulge the Crystal Moon’s lack of governance over the worlds, so he shouted, “I’ve given my sword a name! It’s Kael! It means, Mighty Warrior!” He lifted the sword and took an offensive stance. “Let’s see how you handle this!” He pointed the tip of the blade at his teacher.

BJ did not respond. Instead, he remained focused on the ground.

Sam thought,
This isn’t good. I need to get his mind off the tremor. I have to work harder.

Sam shouted again to capture BJ’s attention. “Come on! Everything’s alright! I’ve been in places where the ground shook on many occasions. It’s not a big deal. Hey! I said I’ve named my sword. Let’s see how you handle the power of the gods, old man!”

Hearing the words, “old man”, BJ shook his head and walked to his bag. He lowered his wooden stave and picked up his blade. “This sword has seen many seasons of battle, boy. You need to be taught humility.”

BJ wiped the sword’s hilt with a towel and then discarded the rag to the ground. Without a word, he lunged and knocked Kael out of Sam’s hand. A quick swipe followed. The tip of his blade was all it took to cut across Sam’s left thigh, just deep enough to draw blood and require stitches.

“Damn it!” Sam shouted as he looked down at the cut. “What did you do that for? You’re supposed to train me ... not kill me!”

BJ’s voice was firm, “Just because you hold a sword of the gods doesn’t mean you understand how to wield the power it possesses! This isn’t a game, boy! You’ll get yourself killed if you enter the arena unprepared. Your stance is terrible, your balance is always off, your movements are slow, and your ears never listen. A pregnant corgan would be a better student than you.”

BJ gathered his things. “I cannot believe where you’re from they call you a fighter. In all my seasons, I’ve never had a worse student. We should get moving before it gets dark. I’m hungry and need an ale. If Mosley wasn’t paying me a substantial sum of coin, I would terminate my agreement to train you.”

The teacher chucked Sam a roll of cloth. “Put this bandage on your leg. I’ll stitch you up when we get back to the inn. Dusk is approaching, and we have a lengthy walk.”

Sam did not respond. Instead, he started wrapping his leg.

BJ continued to grumble. “You might want to keep a supply of bandages in your pack. I have a special mud the Merchant Angels delivered from the healers on Harvestom. I’ll put it on your stitches, and you’ll heal enough by morning for us to continue. You better learn fast, because if you don’t, you’ll be an ugly man before I’m done with you.”

It took a while to reach the village. The walk was quiet while Sam dealt with the wound to his ego. When they arrived, they went up to the room. When Sam opened the door, he saw Helga standing over Shalee with Mosley lying on the bed next to her.

Sam forgot about the pain in his leg and rushed to Shalee’s side. As he looked her over, he scanned the splints the healers had placed on her arm. Satisfied that she was stable, he looked at Mosley. “What happened to her?”

“I should be asking you the same thing,” Mosley responded as he sniffed the blood-soaked wrap on Sam’s leg. “It appears you’ve learned a few lessons during your Peak of training. I cannot remember the last moment I saw a man with so many bruises. You look as if you’ve been dominated ... and you stink.”