Ravs Are Rarely Wrong: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol III Page 23

  “Oh,” said Dulcie.

  Lucy could tell she was somewhat disappointed.

  “Just because you can see something, doesn’t mean you can’t try to sense it,” said Lucy. “You know it’s there. Reach out to it. See what you feel. Perhaps, you can search for storms farther away that you can’t see. Reading what is coming in the weather could be a useful skill.”

  Dulcie nodded and closed her eyes.

  “I can feel it!” she exclaimed looking happy. “It’s easy.”

  “Tell me about it. What can you sense?” said Justin.

  “There is a lot of rain in the clouds. It’s moving fast. It will be here before dinner. It’s a strong storm, lots of thunder and lightning.”

  “Is there hail?” asked Justin, concerned about the crops. You needed food to feed an army.

  “I don’t sense any.”

  “Lucy, can you check?”

  Lucy nodded and extended her senses towards the storm. It was a mass of swirling elements. She could feel herself become one with the storm. She rode around and through it. She couldn’t see or feel any hail. There was a lot of thunder and lightning. She could feel the clouds were heavy with rain. Her senses were tossed back and forth, buffeted by the wind and the roll of the clouds. It took effort to pull herself back together and return. She opened her eyes. Justin was looking at her with concern.

  “I agree with Dulcie’s analysis of the storm,” Lucy concurred, “But, I’m not sure I would consider sensing storms easy. It was hard work and it wanted to draw me in.”

  “Oh, I didn’t feel that,” said Dulcie looking frustrated and sad.

  “I’m glad you didn’t. I don’t know if you would have been able to pull yourself away. Perhaps we found something you’re better at than I am,” replied Lucy.

  “How can I be better if you can sense more?”

  “It might not be about the amount of talent so much as having different talents. You could quickly and easily sense what was coming in the storm and when it will arrive. That’s far more useful than my ability to sense what those clouds feel like. Also, it’s far less dangerous. Maybe you are a weather mage,” suggested Lucy.

  “I thought mages were mostly the same with different amounts of ability.”

  “That’s part of it, but some mages have different areas of ability, too,” said Lucy, while Justin looked thoughtful. “Maya uses her voice for magic and reads intentions and subtleties in other people’s voices. I prefer mental spells, but can do all three, including hand movements. I’m not as good at telling if someone is lying. I can do other things Maya can’t. Justin has many talents, but his ability to heal almost everything is one of his greatest strengths. Maya can heal with potions, but those take time. Certain things come easier to different people. A weather mage could be very useful.”

  Dulcie looked comforted by this. It also explained why some magic seemed simple while other spells were so hard.

  “I think she might be more than that,” added Justin. “How did Maya discover you had ability?”

  “She said she could sense something about me and asked me to light the fire using a special word. I did it. It was easy. I didn’t have to think about it or try really hard like I do with some things,” explained Dulcie.

  “Elemental mage?” asked Lucy.

  “I think so,” nodded Justin.

  “What?” asked Dulcie.

  “Perhaps you have a talent for working with the elements. Fire, water, air, and earth. The spells you try having nothing to do with the elements are the ones harder to learn.”

  “I don’t know if that’s comforting or not,” said Dulcie.

  “It should be,” Justin assured her. “If elements are your strength, we can modify our lessons to use what comes naturally to you.”

  “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “When Lucy makes a shield, she somehow projects protection out of herself. This is hard for you. Now, think about the air around you. Can you harden the air about two feet in front of yourself like a shield?”

  Dulcie focused on the air in front of her. Lucy could see her concentrating. Then, Dulcie reached forward and laid her hand flat on a hard surface. She smiled.

  “Yes, I can. That was much easier than trying to copy Lucy. Throw something at it.”

  The knives Justin had retrieved earlier appeared in his hands again.

  “I meant a pillow!” Dulcie looked alarmed.

  Justin shrugged and threw the first knife. Dulcie held her arms out towards her shield. She looked terrified, but determined. The first knife stuck in the shield like a knife stuck in a block of wood. Dulcie frowned. Lucy could sense her hardening the shield. The next knife bounced off it and clanged to the floor, followed by the others. The noise they would have made drowned out by the thunder of the approaching storm.

  “Well done,” congratulated Justin. “How did that feel?”

  “Satisfying,” replied Dulcie with a smile. “What’s next?”

  “Pick up a knife,” instructed Justin.

  In her eagerness to continue, Dulcie hadn’t paid attention. She reached for a knife and slammed her head into her own shield. She glared at Justin and put her hand on her head.

  “Lesson two: If you make shields out of air, remember to turn the air back into normal air when you aren’t using them.”

  “How can I keep shields up all the time?”

  “We started with the idea of a shield because it seemed the easiest. With practice, you should be able to create armor out of air and wear it everywhere,” suggested Justin.

  “Wow,” said Dulcie, looking pleased, impressed, and pleasantly surprised.

  “Now, when we train you, we need to think in terms of elements. Instead of having you extend your hearing, we’ll have you use the air to bring sounds to your ears,” said Justin. “It’s a different way of thinking, but hopefully, more effective for you.”

  Dulcie grinned at Justin. The approaching storm arrived with a crash of thunder that shook the castle. They looked out the window as rain cascaded down. Maya walked briskly into the room and closed the shutters.

  “I like a good storm as much as you do, but I don’t feel the need to watch it while it ruins my carpets. Are we making progress in here?” Maya asked.

  “They think I might be an elemental mage,” Dulcie told her with a smile.

  “Of course, the fire,” Maya mumbled almost to herself. “It makes sense. I’m glad you figured it out. I could sense she has a lot of power, but I haven’t been able to tap into it consistently. Now, hopefully things will be easier? She’ll learn faster?”

  “I think so. If we explain concepts properly, she’ll be a lot less frustrated, too,” said Justin.

  Maya gave Dulcie a one armed hug and smiled. There was a knock on the door; Sam opened it letting in the girl with the serving tray. Justin scanned the food for poison. He nodded it was safe, and they all began to eat. After all her hard work, Dulcie had quite an appetite. She spread a thick amount of kaliberry jam over some fresh bread and bit off a mouthful.

  “How did it go with the ministers?” asked Justin.

  “About how you’d expect,” replied Maya with a shrug. “Lucy put on a show. Some trust her, some are afraid of her, some believe what is coming, some don’t want to believe what’s coming is coming. There was a lot of arguing with few decisions made. It was important to plant the information and let them react. In time, I think more will agree. In a way, it doesn’t matter. Joss is King. He’s already put things in motion. I think a convoy arrives tomorrow from Salmatina. We’ve already established communications with the Elves and Dwarves. Things would be easier if the ministers were on board, but things aren’t impossible if they are not.”

  Chapter 32

  Justin lay in bed while Lucy paced around the room.

  “Restless?” he asked.

  “I think it’s the storm,” replied Lucy.

  The tempest that broke earlier still raged outside. Rain pelted the shutters, thu
nder shook the castle, lightning lit the cracks in the shutters, and the wind gusted.

  “It doesn’t bother me or anything like that, but I feel too awake to sleep,” said Lucy, taking another lap around the room. “There’s an energy in the storm that keys me up.”

  “Well, you aren’t going to fall asleep walking around the room,” reasoned Justin. “Come lay down.”

  Lucy didn’t feel like sleeping, but she sat down in bed anyways. She sighed.

  “What else is keeping your mind awake?”

  “Everything. I feel like there is so much to do. I’m not even sure what all can be done. Will any of it make a difference? I feel like we spend days in a frenzy of urgent activity trying to learn something or find out something. Then we spend days waiting. It’s a difficult pace to adjust to. Also, there is so much I don’t know. No matter what we do, we still might all be slaughtered by an army comprised of nightmare creatures. It seems very unreal and too real all at the same time.” Lucy sighed again.

  “Most things come down to doing your best and hoping it all works out,” said Justin. He wrapped his arms around her. “Someone once told me ‘Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end’.”

  “You believe that?” laughed Lucy.

  “It’s a comforting statement to tell myself, whether I believe it or not.”

  Lucy did lie down and tried to relax, but it was a long time before she fell asleep. She wondered if Ishalla would call her soon and teach her another useful skill or answer a few questions. She thought about that for a few minutes. She wasn’t sure she could reach Ishalla, but there was someone she might be able to contact. He’d even told her where he’d be. With everything going on, he couldn’t be physically sitting there waiting for her, could he? Could she reach him in her dreams? It was worth a try. Dangerous, perhaps, but worth a try.

  Lucy closed her eyes and tried to relax. It was easier than she thought it would be. He must have left a path for her mind to follow if she tried. She could sense him before she could see him. She opened her eyes, her dream eyes. The common room of the inn Wisp had led them to was empty except for the Rav. He was sitting at a table with his feet up on an adjacent chair, blue eyes glinting as he stared at the fire flickering in the hearth. His long fingers were folded in front of him. He must have sensed her as well because he slowly smiled before turning his head in her direction. His intensity stretched across the room towards her.

  “Come to play with a cobra?”

  “I don’t play with cobras. I had some questions I thought you might be willing to answer,” replied Lucy nonchalantly as she took a seat across the table from him.

  “I might. Answers cost.”

  “Everything costs,” shrugged Lucy. “What are you charging?”

  “What are you offering?”

  “Information for information.”

  “What do you know that I don’t know?” the Rav asked smiling crookedly.

  “I’d wager there are one or two things. Most of them wouldn’t interest you, I’m sure. Last time we met, you asked what I was doing in Lerramorre. I will tell you. My questions involve what I’ve been doing so I’m hoping you’ll be willing to answer them. If not, I don’t think I’ve lost anything in the exchange.”

  “Continue,” he motioned with his hand invitingly.

  Lucy noticed he hadn’t committed to anything. It didn’t really matter. The only reason she hadn’t told him before was because she was annoyed he was in her head and was trying to annoy him in return. Besides, the less she bantered, and the quicker she came to say what she had to say and left, the safer she’d be. She had a feeling that she’d walked into a lion’s den. She was hoping to get free before she got eaten.

  “I can look into water and see things,” began Lucy. His blue eyes narrowed in interest, but he remained silent so she continued. “When I look at individuals a certain way, I can see black and red lines or threads leading to them. I can carefully untie them. I haven’t tried one too tangled yet. It seems to free people, at least temporarily, from whatever nefarious influences are working on them. I’m wondering if I should do anything with the loose ends. Should I leave them? Should I tie them to each other? Will it trip up someone on the other end or make them more powerful? I don’t want to tie them to something like a chair or a wall. Will it weaken the construction of any objects I attach them to? I want the dark stuff gone, not hanging around looking for someone else to latch onto. Should I follow the ends back?”

  “I would recommend not tying the strings together or to anything else. However, I think we work differently than you. Can you show me what you do?” he seemed genuinely intrigued rather than threatening.

  “I don’t trust you.”

  “Of course not. You entered my head this time. A very dangerous thing to do,” he smiled that slow smile again. “Fortunately for you, what you’ve said interests me. You show me how you do what you do, I’ll answer your questions if I can, and then, I’ll let you leave.”

  Lucy still didn’t trust him. On the other hand, what harm could it do? Hopefully, she would learn something useful. Otherwise, she was probably going to have to fight him to get out of here, and that didn’t sound like fun either. Lucy motioned, and a cauldron appeared, filled with water. She motioned again, and an image took shape. It was the same room they were in, but in real time, not dream time. It was late enough that it wasn’t full, but there were still plenty of customers. Lucy studied them. She picked a man in the corner and focused the picture on him. She pointed to the thick, dark cord attached to his head.

  “See that?” she asked.

  He nodded, “I’d be surprised you can see it if I didn’t already know you were talented. Show me what you do with it.”

  Lucy concentrated and he watched. Slowly, the cord unattached from the man and slid to the floor.

  “I call it untying. Ishalla said the backlash from severing the cord could hurt the man and alert whoever was at the other end.”

  The Rav nodded in agreement.

  “My question is: what do I do with the end?”

  “You’ve been leaving them loose?

  Lucy nodded.

  “That is the best thing for a beginner to do. Have you followed any back to the source?”

  “No. That seemed risky and I thought I’d better ask someone first.”

  “Would you like to follow one back? With me? I can show you the best way to do it.”

  Lucy wanted to ask if it was safe. What a stupid question, she thought. Of course it wasn’t safe. Neither was it safe to be here in the first place, much less linger. How much stupidity did she want to participate in in one night? He smiled at her mockingly, as though he could sense her thoughts. Perhaps he could. She was in his dream. Did that make a difference? Perhaps he was just proficient at reading people.

  “Does it matter that we are in your dream? When and how we follow it?” Lucy asked.

  “Not really. If you listen to my instructions and trace it back, you might be safer than normal because you are in my head. That gives you another layer of protection. Between that and the water barrier of the cauldron, you might get out of this alive. Ready?”

  ‘No,’ thought Lucy, but she nodded anyway.

  “Put your mind on the end of the thread and follow it back. Carefully.”

  Lucy did and followed it as it twisted and turned. She couldn’t sense her surroundings anymore, only the thread. It grew thicker and entwined with other cords. There were strands branching off in different directions. Lucy wondered about those other cords.

  “Can I cut those?” Lucy asked.

  “Give it a try.”

  Lucy tried. She visualized pinching them off. She watched them break free and disintegrate. That was new. She expected the threads to stay there as they always had before. She had never seen one disintegrate.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “You cut off the Shadow influence at the source. It shouldn’t hurt whoever or wh
atever is on the other end. This is the way Ravs manipulate the strings. You find a specific person and try to help them. We find a main thread and break off everyone attached thus helping everyone affected by the single strand. It’s the easiest way to unravel whole plots.”

  “Should I be doing this?”

  “You can. I’d be careful though. I’d work along the strand if I were you, but I’d be careful about getting too close to the source by yourself.”

  “How will I know when I’m too close?”

  “That’s what I’m here for this time, but I’m guessing you’ll feel it.”

  Lucy continued up the strand, cutting off every side strand she found. The cord thickened as she went. The strands protruding from it were bigger as well and harder to cut. She began to feel a maleficence radiating from the cord.

  “Careful now,” the Rav interrupted her thoughts. “Stop cutting. You’re close enough he might sense you. He’ll track down anyone who can cut so close to the source. Continue to follow it with your senses. If you feel something sensing you, break off immediately.”

  Lucy mentally shivered, but kept following the cord. Up ahead, she could feel pure evil emanating from an area of swirling darkness. She didn’t want to get any closer. She knew enough to know that the center of this cord was nowhere she wanted to be and nothing she wanted to mess with. She pulled back, fast and hard, returning her mind to her body. She found herself in the common room across the table from the smirking Rav.

  “Obviously, that’s something you don’t want to mess with. However, sometimes the cords will lead you back to something you can destroy or neutralize.”

  “So, follow back what I can and cut branching strands. If I don’t follow them, you still want me to leave them loose?”

  “Yes, please. Now that I know what you are doing, I can find the loose threads and manipulate them.”

  “Thank you for the information,” said Lucy rising from the table.