The
training hall on the mountain was nearly empty except for Zon Elemfias, the
three children, Ilax, and Haraklez. Torrential spring rains poured down on the
windows, making the whole world outside the hall gray and black.
The snow was still thick but every drop of rain drove the pack further and further down the mountain, turning it into heavy gray slush against the night’s darkness. It was after dinner, after dark, one of the five days out of ten they all had extra classes.
Kyrus sat, meditating, struggling to see the sword in his mind, the solid swing of it. The heft, the feel of the blade becoming part of him. His breathing was slow and careful and he picked up the scabbard lying before him and drew. It was still a ghost sword, a shadow of itself, the metal dust drifting like gems in the space where the blade should be, the only part of the sword that was solid was the end of the tang, no more than a thumb-length from the brass guard.
He carefully slid it home and put it down once more, before snorting his disgust at his own lacks. “Kyrus,” Ilax came gestured him up. “Go run around the hall a dozen times. FAST!”
Light and Dark be damned. I hate running.
“Yes, Zon!” He said snappily, leaped to his feet, the scabbard in his hand, and ran. But when he came to a stop in front of Ilax once more he felt fired up instead of tired, bouncing on his toes.
First position!” Without thinking of it he drew and for a moment, against Ilax’s waiting blade his sword gleamed, ringing, then it vanished as if merely dreamed of.
“Good, you had it there for a moment.” Kyrus stared at him.
“But…” Ilax sheathed his own sword and nodded at the stump in Kyrus’s hand. “You’re thinking it was just a fluke or you only had it for blink, correct?”
“Yes, Zon.” In the hall, or in any class, Ilax was Zon. Kyrus put the sword away and straightened.
“So put that away and go back to the staff with me.”
It was a huge relief. With the wooden staff in his hands, Kyrus could finally feel as though he was less clumsy. Four or five strikes traded with Ilax and he was floating again. The Zon called from the centre of the room “Melee!”
Kyrus grinned and wheeled away from Ilax to engage Melyissen. The little girl’s face was serious but her strikes were solid and effective. Her eyes flickered and Kyrus felt Nomirus coming up behind him, ducked under the blow, spun out of range of both students, ended up facing Haraklez.
He almost froze but blocked the strike for his head, he leaped over the base of her staff, tumbled and brought his stick around, forcing her to jump in turn. She laughed right out loud, brought her heel around and tapped the side of his head with her foot.
The snow was still thick but every drop of rain drove the pack further and further down the mountain, turning it into heavy gray slush against the night’s darkness. It was after dinner, after dark, one of the five days out of ten they all had extra classes.
Kyrus sat, meditating, struggling to see the sword in his mind, the solid swing of it. The heft, the feel of the blade becoming part of him. His breathing was slow and careful and he picked up the scabbard lying before him and drew. It was still a ghost sword, a shadow of itself, the metal dust drifting like gems in the space where the blade should be, the only part of the sword that was solid was the end of the tang, no more than a thumb-length from the brass guard.
He carefully slid it home and put it down once more, before snorting his disgust at his own lacks. “Kyrus,” Ilax came gestured him up. “Go run around the hall a dozen times. FAST!”
Light and Dark be damned. I hate running.
“Yes, Zon!” He said snappily, leaped to his feet, the scabbard in his hand, and ran. But when he came to a stop in front of Ilax once more he felt fired up instead of tired, bouncing on his toes.
First position!” Without thinking of it he drew and for a moment, against Ilax’s waiting blade his sword gleamed, ringing, then it vanished as if merely dreamed of.
“Good, you had it there for a moment.” Kyrus stared at him.
“But…” Ilax sheathed his own sword and nodded at the stump in Kyrus’s hand. “You’re thinking it was just a fluke or you only had it for blink, correct?”
“Yes, Zon.” In the hall, or in any class, Ilax was Zon. Kyrus put the sword away and straightened.
“So put that away and go back to the staff with me.”
It was a huge relief. With the wooden staff in his hands, Kyrus could finally feel as though he was less clumsy. Four or five strikes traded with Ilax and he was floating again. The Zon called from the centre of the room “Melee!”
Kyrus grinned and wheeled away from Ilax to engage Melyissen. The little girl’s face was serious but her strikes were solid and effective. Her eyes flickered and Kyrus felt Nomirus coming up behind him, ducked under the blow, spun out of range of both students, ended up facing Haraklez.
He almost froze but blocked the strike for his head, he leaped over the base of her staff, tumbled and brought his stick around, forcing her to jump in turn. She laughed right out loud, brought her heel around and tapped the side of his head with her foot.
“Shion!”
That was when he realized that Mely was giggling where Nom had poked her in the ribs.
“Good!” Zon Elemfias nodded and smiled at them. “Tomorrow I will have Zon Firusha, from the school to help you with your manifestations. Dismiss.”
Kyrus stood flat and still. I’m a warrior not a ‘mander. I… I… He was terrified. This will get me exposed if I ever go home. They’ll say I’m going against the will of the Light and of the Dark and that I’m courting destruction for the whole city. If I learn this, I’ll never be able to go home again.
That was when he realized that Mely was giggling where Nom had poked her in the ribs.
“Good!” Zon Elemfias nodded and smiled at them. “Tomorrow I will have Zon Firusha, from the school to help you with your manifestations. Dismiss.”
Kyrus stood flat and still. I’m a warrior not a ‘mander. I… I… He was terrified. This will get me exposed if I ever go home. They’ll say I’m going against the will of the Light and of the Dark and that I’m courting destruction for the whole city. If I learn this, I’ll never be able to go home again.
**
He was quiet in the showers, by now not even noticing everyone else getting clean. Ilax watched him and held back to let the others go ahead.
When it was just the two of them, he finally scrubbed the soap out of his hair and said quietly, “It isn’t damnation and destruction, you know.”
“No. I don’t know.” Kyrus turned away from Ilax and threw a towel over his head so he wouldn’t have to look at the surdeniliarch. “The Light and the Dark destroyed all our Dees. No more.”
“You father’s like that, nervous of the talent openly spoken of,” Ilax said. “But I have it on good evidence that most of your best warriors are Cees and Dees. Remember I’ve faced them. It’s not something that can be hidden, really. You’re Immutable himself told me he was a Deemander. He might call it something else, but he has protections on himself that are strong enough to throw off almost every kind of malicious attack. And it’s not the Light and Dark protecting him separately.”
Kyrus pinched his lips together. “You wouldn’t… you couldn’t lie to me… You have no reason to deceive me… I have to believe you.” He turned and hurled his towel into the bin with a lot more force than necessary. “It doesn’t make me feel any better.”
He pulled his blue tunic over his head and stopped, startled, as Ilax flung an arm around his shoulders and hugged him. “You’ll be all right, Kyrus. You’ll do well. You needn’t worry, even if your ‘mandery doesn’t come out like your father’s it is still very strong.”
It was a warm hug, but an innocent one. He… doesn’t want me. He’s just… hugging me to help me feel better. Kyrus wasn’t sure if he was more relieved or disappointed. “Thank you, Ilax. You keep doing that and I’ll have to start calling you Uncle.”
Ilax took him by the shoulders and smiled at him. “Uncle. I like that. I’d like that quite a bit.”
“All right. Uncle Ilax. Um… can I ask you a question?”
“Certainly.”
“Does your honourable daughter always tease boys like she teases me? It’s awful!”
Ilax stared at him a moment, his socks in his hands. Then he threw back his head and laughed very hard. “No. She usually distains them, Ky. She only teases the ones she likes.”
Kyrus hid his face behind the veil of his hands. “Oh, no.”
He was quiet in the showers, by now not even noticing everyone else getting clean. Ilax watched him and held back to let the others go ahead.
When it was just the two of them, he finally scrubbed the soap out of his hair and said quietly, “It isn’t damnation and destruction, you know.”
“No. I don’t know.” Kyrus turned away from Ilax and threw a towel over his head so he wouldn’t have to look at the surdeniliarch. “The Light and the Dark destroyed all our Dees. No more.”
“You father’s like that, nervous of the talent openly spoken of,” Ilax said. “But I have it on good evidence that most of your best warriors are Cees and Dees. Remember I’ve faced them. It’s not something that can be hidden, really. You’re Immutable himself told me he was a Deemander. He might call it something else, but he has protections on himself that are strong enough to throw off almost every kind of malicious attack. And it’s not the Light and Dark protecting him separately.”
Kyrus pinched his lips together. “You wouldn’t… you couldn’t lie to me… You have no reason to deceive me… I have to believe you.” He turned and hurled his towel into the bin with a lot more force than necessary. “It doesn’t make me feel any better.”
He pulled his blue tunic over his head and stopped, startled, as Ilax flung an arm around his shoulders and hugged him. “You’ll be all right, Kyrus. You’ll do well. You needn’t worry, even if your ‘mandery doesn’t come out like your father’s it is still very strong.”
It was a warm hug, but an innocent one. He… doesn’t want me. He’s just… hugging me to help me feel better. Kyrus wasn’t sure if he was more relieved or disappointed. “Thank you, Ilax. You keep doing that and I’ll have to start calling you Uncle.”
Ilax took him by the shoulders and smiled at him. “Uncle. I like that. I’d like that quite a bit.”
“All right. Uncle Ilax. Um… can I ask you a question?”
“Certainly.”
“Does your honourable daughter always tease boys like she teases me? It’s awful!”
Ilax stared at him a moment, his socks in his hands. Then he threw back his head and laughed very hard. “No. She usually distains them, Ky. She only teases the ones she likes.”
Kyrus hid his face behind the veil of his hands. “Oh, no.”
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