Chapter 30
Yue took a few hesitant steps towards her and when she did not immediately vanish from his sight, his strides quickened. Azarielle, for her part, backpedalled. Her lips moved, forming the words that would summon a barrier between herself and Yue.
But nothing happened.
And then, Yue was upon her. His fingers wrapped around her wrists and he pulled her towards him. So startled was she by this unexpected failure that she didn’t even have the presence of mind to resist. Then, she found herself pressed tightly against his chest and his arms firmly locked around her waist.
She felt silk against her cheek and his slim but muscled body beneath that. His body heat wrapped around her and the rapid beating of his heart pulsed along her skin. It was not a dream!
That thought was enough to shake her from her stupor. Azarielle reached up with her fingers and struck at a nerve to numb his neck. Yue jerked back while reaching up to grab hold of her hand at the same time. At the same time, the young mage threw her knee up, aiming for his weak area.
Yue moved out of the way with almost elven fluidness. He twisted her hand behind her back and forced her to ground, pinning her other arm around her with his arm. Azarielle felt his breath along the nape of her neck. His lips brushed against the earlobe.
“That was not becoming a lady,” his words caressed her skin, making her shiver despite herself. “Striking at a man’s weakness - Such a dishonorable and immodest attack, did you learn it from Lan?”
“Actually, it was Hong who taught me,” Azarielle replied. “We girls have to have a few tricks up our sleeves to protect ourselves, Prince Yue.”
Yue sighed softly, “It has been a long time since I have heard you call my name, Ree. I have wanted to see you.”
“Sorry, can’t say I’ve got the same sentiment. It’s been quite nice not having to worry about your assassins and dragons coming after me.”
“I was not able to protect you then – I am sorry. I would not wish any harm to come upon you.”
“If that’s true then you should let me go before the Luminous Consort comes,” Azarielle replied.
She felt him stiffen, “Her Highness has always resided in the Palace of Gathering Clouds.”
“And she has slept in a number of beds…”
“Do not speak ill of the Luminous Consort!” Yue spun her around to face him, pinning both of her arms to her hand and roughly tilting her chin up so that she could see his coldly blazing amber eyes.
And then, as if realizing what he was doing, Yue quickly released let go of her chin, “Forgive me Ree – you should not speak such crude words against an imperial consort.”
“Who you choose to do unspeakable things with is of no concern to me – your First Lady be concerned, but well, this being Rising Sun, she wouldn’t get much a say in it either. I must say, it was quite wise on my part to leave this place – my young and sometimes stupid then-self actually had foresight.”
“When have you learned such coyness?” the corner of Yue’s lips curved up ever so slightly. “You know well that I would not have given that title to anyone else. If it is your wish, I would release the concubines or give them to you as servants.”
“If it’s my wish, would you release me?” Azarielle asked. “You are holding me kind of hard and my delicate ribs are going to end up bruised. Besides, it’s unbecoming for a man to touch an unwed woman. Didn’t your grandmother teach you better?”
Yue shook his head, “I will not. Even if it is a dream I would choose to never wake and I would not let you go…”
In this place, all that matters are your will power, and faith…
Red’s words echoed through her thoughts suddenly. He had been rambling on about dream walking but she had been too astounded by the nightmarish vision he was showing her – that of the Bleeding Rot Plague’s onset – to pay too much attention. What had he meant?
And then, she remembered something she had read in Elucielle’s journal – the Archmage had used the elven term for the world of dreams – she had it called it this place “As You Will”.
“It is just a dream, Yue. I am far, far away from the Rising Kingdom, in a place that was long thought to have been destroyed,” she said to him as she began forming the image of Shifting Star Spire. “I left this place five years ago because I would not have survived.”
“I am not as I was before. I will protect you…”
“The Luminous Consort worships the Seven Ancestors. That is what they are known in the Rising Sun. But in many other places, they were known as the Abyssal Ones. They were messengers of the one who created this world – the Eternal Father – who fell from Zion.”
“Ree, let us not speak of such things…”
“You are not surprised by anything I am saying. You are not saying ‘Sacrilegious!’ like what the Dowager Empress might have said,” Azarielle looked at the golden eyes that stared so intently into hers. “That’s because you know this, isn’t it? You know that the Luminous Consort serves one of the seven Abyssal Ones because she is your mistress also – the one called Luxuria!”
She pulled away from him then as his power rolled over her. It was heady and earthy as it had always been – but she could feel the terrible taint of debauchery and lust – humming beneath the surface. She had not noticed it, or rather, she had not paid attention to it because of the shock she experienced in seeing him. But she could feel it now as she had that day she had stumbled upon his and the Luminous Consort’s unholy union.
Yue’s eyes widened when Azarielle broke free of his grasp, “Ree!”
“For an undefeated warlord, you’ve made some pretty bad choices,” Azarielle shook her head. “Sleeping with your father’s wife, even if you are not related is pretty bad in any kingdom. Sleeping with an emperor’s wife is even worse – especially if said emperor rather likes lopping of people’s heads and makes no exceptions for his sons. But this – submitting to an Abyssal One as her servant… that beats all of them. You do know what souls’ death is right - that’s complete and utter destruction.”
Yue came toward her but a wall of power blazed to life between them. Azarielle stood on the other side looking at him with sadness that belied her flippant tone.
“You do not know the power that has been given me – that will be given us,” Yue replied. Not even my father could stand against it. This empire, this whole world will kneel belong to us.”
“Is that what she promised you – power? You weren’t so obsessed with sitting on the throne as the rest of your brothers.”
“And I do not care for it now, not if I can have what I truly desire – you, my wife, returned to my side.”
Thoughts are as spoken words here…
Red had told her that, but he had not been entirely accurate in his description. Yue’ thoughts, his desires, danced before her eyes.
He did want to have her at his side; that was not a lie. But he also wanted the Luminous Consort at his side – two wives, two empresses. One a creature of the silken night who breathed desire and set his body ablaze with a single glance; the other a sun, burning so brightly and hotly that he believed he would turn to ash if he touched her – and yet he still yearned for her. That was how he saw them as…
Azarielle shook her head and began forming in her mind the devastated landscape of the Forsaken Lands. It was ironic that she’d rather be in a place ravaged by a terrible plague than this beautifully coiffed garden.
“I have never been you wife, and I am no longer Ree Yoanne,” she said to him. “My name is Azarielle and I am a follower of the Uncrowned King. It is his power that flows in my veins and it is his will that I follow, however imperfectly. He is the way to life.”
The world around her began shifting – the bright flowers in the garden melting together and the colors bleeding into one another. Yue’s eyes widened in alarm as he stared at the crumbling world around him.
“Ree, what are you doing? Do not leave!”
He came towards her then, shattering the wall that separated them with sheer will power.
“Yue, Ree couldn’t stand beside you because you’ve already given away that place to her,” Azarielle smiled sadly at him. “If you stand against the Uncrowned King than Azarielle cannot stand with you.”
“Ree!”
The House of Red Sun vanished in a swirl of colors.
* * *
Azarielle woke with a start, leaping to her feet and immediately hitting her head against something hard. She heard a startled yelp as she saw Tomlin stumble backward and clutching at his nose. His surly apprentice, Dezeiriel, was some steps away and looking alternately alarmed and angry.
“Sorry about that, Lord Mage,” Azarielle offered in way of apology when she spotted Tomlin sporting a bloodied lip that he dabbed at with a ragged handkerchief. “You startled me.”
Tomlin laughed despite his wound, “I did indeed. We have never anyone from the Outside, let alone a sister mage, and I wished to speak with you. I called your name and you did not answer… if you do not mind me asking, were you dream walking?”
Azarielle considered whether to answer him truthfully and finally replied with, “I don’t know if I would quite call it walking. I’ve more or less stumbled into it each and every time.”
“It is a rare gift,” Tomlin gestured at Dezeiriel. “I am not able to do such a thing but Dezeiriel is a skilled dream walker. Perhaps he can help you…”
“Master!” the young elf turned to his teacher. “I wish to have nothing to do with this…outsider!” The young elf spoke in ancient high elven and though it sounded a little awkward to Azarielle’s ears, she still understood.
“I should probably remind you that I speak the language,” she chimed in. “My master is one, after all, and he refused to really speak in anything other than high elven. I rather thought I should share this with you so that for future reference, if you wish to say something I wouldn’t understand, you’d pick a different language.”
Dezeiriel glared at her and spat a staccato word in her direction.
“That I actually didn’t understood, but I imagine it wasn’t really that pleasant.”
Tomlin sighed, “Dezeiriel, please. If what our sister mage and her companions say is true than we have not the luxury of internal strife. If we do not stand together, we will fall.”
“Teacher, I do not know why it is you believe them. They could easily be agents of the Abyssal Ones sent to deceive us!”
“You know that is not true,” Tomlin shook his head. “They have amongst them a healer and a paladin of the Ancient One – such holy powers are not something servants of the Abyssal One can mimic.”
Dezeiriel scowled but said nothing more.
Tomlin turned back to Azarielle, “I am curious of your friends’ powers for it is a legend come to life for us. But more than that, I wish to know of your power. If will forgive me for speaking boldly, you are Awakening.”
Azarielle blinked at him, “I am not particularly familiar with the term.”
“You are coming into your power – it is a turbulent and dangerous process for those who have been gifted with particularly strong powers,” Tomlin explained with the kind of patience Azariel could never have. “And yours, young sister, is of a particularly dangerous nature. If you cannot control it…”
“Then you are going to feed me to the ghouls?” Azarielle finished for him. “That’s rather horrible, but given the circumstances, I suppose it’s fair.”
Tomlin shook his head and laughed mirthfully, “No, I would not dream of such a thing – I came to offer my services. There are records of what has proved to be useful for others who have underwent what you are going through and I hoped to provide a little guidance, if I may be so bold?”
“That would be good – much appreciate it.”
“Then, if you would come with me, we’ve not the time to idle.”
Chapter 31
The Grand Audience Hall was located at the very top of Shifting Start Spire. It was covered by a domed ceiling made of blue crystal. Pin pricks of mage lights flickered across it, mimicking the stars in the heavens.
Twelve seats made of a thick, smoky crystal, ringed the room, and as the companions waited in the center of the room, robed men and women strode through the large double doors. Tomlin and Dezeriel came in last, the former taking a seat in the center of the room while the latter went to stand next to him.
“I would have asked why you, Lord Mage, have called a meeting at such an unholy hour of night, except I see the reasons standing in front of me as if they have stepped from the pages of a book. A paladin and a healer of the Ancient One – such as we have not seen here for thousands of years!”
The man who spoke had skin like black silk and a booming voice that didn’t seem to match his wiry frame. Startlingly blue eyes that belied his great age regarded the companions with delighted curiosity.
Tomlin smiled, “I would not have dared to disturb your rest over trivial matters, Councilor Fonayan, though I fear I may be the bearer of terrible tidings.”
“You have allowed into our city a mage with very destructive powers on the cusp of Awakening, Lord Mage, for which I hope you have a good reason,” another voice interjected. The speaker was an elven man with white-gold hair and an icy demeanor.
“Shifting Star was, above all else, once an academy for our younger brothers and sisters, Councilor Ebiel. Our sister has traveled from faraway land and deserve, in the very least, simple hospitality from us.”
The elf’s lips curved ever so slightly, “Shifting Star has not been an academy for over a thousand years. It is our duty to protect the people of this city though. What aid do we owe a mage from the outside world that has forgotten us?”
A wave of murmurs passed over those seated around the room. Tomlin shook his head, “Brother and sister Councilors, this is not the time to hold grudge over what has or has not been done. Our guests have traveled through great danger to bring us their news.”
Luthien, who had stood impatiently throughout this exchange, took the initiative to speak, “Councilors of the City of Shifting Star, greetings. My name is Luthien Delynd, and I am a prince of the Achienda Empire and a knight of the Order of Elad.”
“Some time ago, I was tasked to investigate the death of the Archmage Bartel Todure and the theft of an arcane artifact. My companions and I have pursued the thieves, servants of the Abyssal One Acedia, across the ocean and through the Forsa… these devastated lands.”
Another ripple of murmurs shifted through the room. The elf, Councilor Ebel arched an eyebrow, “And what artifact is this that you speak of?”
“The Keystaff that was once guarded by Elucielle Gwenevar,” Azarielle replied.
Councilor Ebiel’s eyes widened before narrowing to angry slits, “You make some ominous claims, little mage-ling.”
Azarielle shrugged and traced a symbol in the air, “See for yourself, Councilor Ebiel.” The air in front of her shimmered and the Staff of Everstar appeared in her hand.
“By the Anceint One!” it was Counsilor Fonayan who gasped out loud. “But how are you able to hold it? In fact, how could the Staff of Everstar have been taken from an archmage?”
“The one who took the staff was Theredoniel Gwenevar. If you are trying to determine if I am holding the real staff - Lady Elucielle never imagined that one of House would ever serve an Abyssal One. She made it so that the staff could have its power unleashed by another Gwenevar in times of great need, which was why Theredoniel could touch and use it.”
“Then why is it that you could use the staff, little sister?” the councilor asked with a wry smile. “You do not look like a Gwenevar to my eye.”
Azarielle nodded, “To be honest, Councilor, I haven’t got a clue. It was quite a surprise to me too when my fingers weren’t singed off by touching the staff. I suppose it might be because my teacher is a Gwenevar and the staff recognizes the power in the gifts he has given me. That or because I am Gwenevar, not by blood, but well… because my teacher, Azariel Gwenevar made me his heir.”
“Nonsense!” it was an elven woman who spoke up this time. “Why would a lord of the Gwenevar household make a human his heir.
Turning to face the woman, Azarielle was surprised to see an echo of Elucielle in her features, “Are you a Gwenevar?”
The elf woman lifted her chin, “I am Zinielle Gwenevar.”
“Lady Zinielle,” Azarielle nodded her head. “My teacher, Azariel, probably has his reasons – plain laziness might be one of them since it would mean that he’d have to find and train another apprentices. And while I completely understand the objections his Azturian House, I find it surprising coming from you. Sitting with you are human councilors – or do you think that they are your inferiors?”
The elf woman’s face flushed red, reminding Azarielle very much of Councilor Ilyriel’s. She did decide not to share that additional information since Ilyriel had not taken kindly to her observations.
It was Councilor Ebeniel who spoke next, rising to his feet, “Let me see the staff, you who claim to be an heir of a Gwenevar lord.”
Azarielle regarded him for a while and then shrugged again, “It’s your fingers.”
“Azarielle, you cannot just randomly hand the staff over to anyone!” Luthien admonished. “No offense to you, Councilor, but I have seen this staff unleash the Avatar of Acedia.”
“If that is true that we are in dire straits indeed,” Ebeniel replied coolly. “But first I would see for myself whether this is truly the legendary Staff of the Everstar.”
“Don’t worry Luthien. If he’s a good guy, he’ll only get his fingers burned. If he’s a bad guy, well, there is a reason why your creepy crawly brother never tried to touch the thing.”
Ebeniel held his hand over the staff without actually touching the shaft. Very suddenly, he reached up and grabbed Azarielle chin, roughly tilting her face so that their eyes met. Azarielle’s golden eyes widened in surprise as she felt a whisper of cool power rush through her body.
Unbidden, memories flashed through her mind.
Azariel telling her that he would consider a mage if she could scratch his skin even once and then mercilessly pummeling her into the ground over and over; Azariel going off on a tangent about the Ruling Houses of Aztur; Azariel standing before his shocked siblings and announcing that she would be his sole heir and bestowing upon her the name “Azarielle”
Then, other images bubbled up from deeper inside. Meeting Yue for the first time in the garden when she had not known of the Dowager Empress’ intentions to betroth them; Walking with him through the gardens with him in the evenings; Seeing the Luminous Consort straddling his body and…
It was Councilor Ebeniel’s turn to be surprised when a wall suddenly slid into place in the young woman’s eyes. The strange yellow-gold eyes narrowed and that was all the warning he received when he felt a powerful mental force thunder through his mind in retaliation. Gasping, he clutched his head and reeled back.
“How dare you attack a Councilor!”
Zinielle rose to her feet her green eyes flashing dangerously as she took a menacing step forward and held out her hand towards the companions. Her power rushed through the room like a winter stream and her lips began moving.
But even as she called upon her powers to repudiate the rude human mage, she felt the tip of a very sharp blade press against the tip of her throat.
A soft, elven voice said, “I would not do that if I were you, mage.”
Tomlin rose to his seat, “Please, put away your blade good sir. And Councilor Zinielle, it is not necessary. No harm has befallen our brother.”
Councilor Ebeniel shook his head for a moment, “That was rather harsh.”
“It’s an invasion of privacy. The Arcane Council has rules about that now,” Azarielle replied cheerily. “If you try that again, I will scramble your brain.”
“Azarielle,” Luthien hissed.
Ofeera had been watching the escalation in silence, wringing her hands with worry. Watching the meaningless squabbling, she thought of Theredoniel’s transformation and for Lucien…
“Please! Please you must listen to us!” she spoke up suddenly.
Words tumbled from her lips before she even had a chance to think. She told them of what she had seen, of the horrors that haunted the Forsaken Lands. Afterward, the council convened to discuss.
“We do not have long to prepare!”
* * * * *
True to his word, Tomlin had given her access to the library inside the Shifting Star Tower and discussed with her at length regarding the process of Awakening.
“The Awakening process can be very dangerous for the mage and anyone around her,” Tomlin explained after pouring over the text. “It is also the time when a mage becomes more susceptible to be tempted into service of the Abyssal Ones. Having his/her powers unleashed for the first time is a euphoric experience and the mage is likely to pursue…”
As Azarielle listened to Tomlin speak, she thought of the time when she had battled Lucien and unleashed the fiery power inside of her. It had indeed been a euphoric feeling, so much so that she had lost sense of everything other than the feel of it flowing through her body.
“Is there any way to stop the process?”
Tomlin shook his head, “For a time, but eventually, it will happen. Mages who have the potential to Awaken have great power, and it does not go unnoticed. Sooner or later, he/she will be drawn into a situation where he/she will be forced to Awaken.”
“Sister, I must ask you – did you almost Awaken?”
Seeing no reason to lie, Azarielle replied, “I don’t really know whether it was a vision or something else. I thought I burned down the Sentinel Forest but no harm came to it.”
Tomlin let his breath out in a huff, “The Sentinel Forest… so it truly still stands? And all of its inhabitants are immune to the effects of the Fog?”
Azarielle nodded, “It is within a five-day walk from here. Has no one here ever tried to go?”
“It has only been the last fifty years or so that the Fog has not covered this place. It is… remarkable. But tell me something, it is not just Lady Elucielle’s power that is protecting the Everstar Spire is it? From time to time, I have sensed... something.”
“The Spire is being protected,” Azarielle replied. “I do not wish to lie to you but I can’t exactly say anything else either. It’s for your own good as well.”
* * *
After Tomlin left, Azarielle continued pouring over the ancient texts, seeking out more information regarding the Awakening. She couldn’t really recall when she drifted off to sleep again.
* * *
She found herself floating above a mass of seething, writhing power. Tongues of flames curled up from within that endless mass and reached up towards her. Voices howled in her ears, urging her to fall and be embraced by that terrifying power.
“Tempting, isn’t it?”
Red was floating beside her, his strange eyes staring into the whirling madness beneath them.
“Theredoniel became the Avatar.”
“Yes indeed, I am very much aware of you and your companions’ failings,” Red shook his head. “It was a rather one-sided battle. Fortunately for you, your foolish little Gwenevar friend has not obtained the full powers of the Avatar, yet.”
“The last seal, Shifting Star?”
He Red nodded, “If Shifting Star falls, the Avatar of Acedia will once again walk this world.”
“If I Awaken, will I be able to stop him?”
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