Fortress Of Fire (Book 4) (15 page)

Could they have used elemental power as well? It seemed unlikely, but not impossible. Tan had seen too much in the time since he’d learned to shape to think anything was really impossible.

Tan hurried over to Amia. She stared at the clearing, her eyes wide. He sensed the fatigue she felt through their shaped bond.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “What you did…”

Tan sighed. “I know. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t do anything else.”

“What was that shaping?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I bound the elements together and used the sword.”

“That wasn’t spirit.”

“No. I added spirit to the shaping.”

Amia stared at the sword a moment before turning to him. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in a tight embrace. “Thank you.”

“Why?”

“For not hesitating any longer. I know you thought you might be able to save them. I felt your hesitation. But there wasn’t anything you could do.”

Tan looked over her shoulder. Could he have done anything differently?

Not and save those he cared about. Asboel lived. Amia was safe. Wasn’t that all that mattered?

Yet he still didn’t understand what had happened here.

T
an sat
next to Amia sat along the Incendin shore. Cianna crouched nearby. Warm wind gusted around them, flickering off his face, mixing the scent of salt with the hot sea breeze. Ashi swirled within the breeze, Tan was certain of it now. Honl was there, a translucent figure that practically hung in the air, no longer afraid to show his presence.

Asboel rested on the rocks overlooking the water. His deep golden eyes stared out to the sea. Tan wondered what he saw. He didn’t try reaching through their connection to borrow the image. The draasin was still tired and wounded. Whatever shaping had struck him at the end had taken more out of him than he admitted, but Tan could tell he would be fine. In time, he would heal. But for now, Asboel needed to rest.

Amia slept next to him. The shapings she’d been forced to use had taken too much out of her. Tan felt exhausted, too, but his strength returned more quickly. Did he borrow from the elementals, letting him regain his strength more quickly?

“What did you find in Incendin?” he asked Cianna. The other kingdoms’ shapers were camped farther down the shore; they refused to remain too close to the draasin. How long would they feel that way around him? Would he ever change that?

She sat cross-legged behind them and flickered fire on and off her palm.

“Nothing. Theondar sent us scouting. He was worried about the Doma shapers. We were to rescue those we could.”

Tan pushed away the image of the dead shapers. “They didn’t want rescuing.”

Cianna’s face scrunched in a troubled frown. “No. And they were more skilled than what I expected for shapers trained in Incendin. Theondar will need to know.”

“Not all were trained in Incendin,” Tan said. “Some went to Ethea to learn before they were captured.”

Cianna frowned and cupped a ball of flame in her hand. Tan saw the way she shaped it, how she pulled it from within her and held the shaping just above the surface of her hand. Now that he understood fire shaping better, he thought he might be able to replicate this one. A fireball might have uses.

How much would he be able to learn if he had the time? Would he ever have the time to simply study shaping, or would he forever be chasing ever-greater threats around the kingdoms?

“Can you get rid of that?” he asked, pointing toward the shaped garden. Now that they were far enough away, Tan suspected the intent of the garden. It trapped and amplified power, but only for the shapers who created it. Perfect for capturing one of the draasin.

With a snap of her wrist, she sent a burst of flame back toward the patch of green. Fire erupted along the dry grasses, quickly alighting and glowing with a steady reddish light. It blazed across the garden quickly, confined to the garden without spreading outside the borders of what the shapers had created.

Asboel twisted his head to stare at the flames eating through the remains of the garden. He tipped his head to Cianna.
Tell her that was skillfully done.

Tell her yourself,
Tan said.

Asboel snorted steam at him.

Tan turned to Cianna. “The draasin would like you to know he thinks your shaping skillfully done.”

A wide smile split her face. “Tell him thanks.”

Tan shook his head slightly. “I think he understands you fine.”

“Really?”

Asboel studied her.
This one is interesting.

Haven’t you met a fire shaper before?

None that haven’t tried to kill me.

Those were all from Incendin. They work with Twisted Fire.

Not all.

Tan looked out over the sea. Now that he had Asboel back to safety, the draasin needed to know what he’d learned. Tan just wasn’t sure how he would react. As weakened as he was, would Asboel be able to do anything? Knowing the draasin, he wouldn’t rest until he managed to save the hatchlings—only Tan suspected that they were in the Fire Fortress. There would be too much shaping power to attack there.

Tell me
, Asboel commanded.

Tan sighed and looked up at the draasin. Asboel stared back, his enormous eyes practically swallowing Tan. Steam came from his nose but didn’t burn Tan. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it didn’t burn Cianna either. She sat, for all intents looking unperturbed by the billows of hot air coming from the draasin’s nose.

The hatchlings. They live.

That is not possible. I saw them.

You saw them weakened. They were taken.

Tan sent an image of Fur through to Asboel. The draasin roared softly.

How is it you know this?

Ashi.

Asboel’s tail lashed from side to side.
So. You have bound another.

Not bound, I don’t think.

Do you know its name?

Tan nodded and Asboel snorted again.

Then you are bound. I did not think you could bind another, not without losing our bond.

Maybe because it had been weakened?
Tan asked.

Perhaps. I should not be surprised it is ashi, though.
Asboel unfurled his wings and flapped once. Hot air drifted out from beneath his wings, buffeting around him. Translucent swirls moved within the wind and what seemed like faces appeared. Tan had always assumed it to be ara.
They are drawn to draasin. Once, they were stronger. In this time, it is another.

Honl swirled around Asboel, swaying in front of his wings, working against the flapping of wind.

Asboel seemed to study Honl.
There could be power to this one. You may need to coax it, but it is there.

I keep learning how little I know of the elementals,
Tan said.
When I think I begin to understand, that’s when something else shows me how little I know.
And if what Asboel said was true, that meant ara hadn’t always been a greater elemental. Had it once been ashi? It was another question he didn’t have the time to answer.

Something like a laugh came from Asboel.
There are many powerful elementals.

Even with fire?

None like the draasin, but fire can still be powerful in other ways. Even saa burns.

Our ancient scholars claimed there are greater and lesser elementals.

Your ancient scholars were fools.

They could speak to the elementals.

And what did that teach them? Only what the elementals chose to share,
Asboel said.

Tan hesitated, choosing his next question carefully.
Why do you share with me?

We are bonded, Maelen.

Tan could sense that there was more to it than that, but he chose not to press.
What of the hatchlings?

I will find them. If they live, they will return to me.

You will destroy Fur this time?

Asboel tipped his head and fixed Tan with those great eyes.
You would rather I not? You think he can be restored?

Tan closed his eyes. He no longer knew whether it was possible to redeem something so far gone.
I was restored,
he said.

Your motives were different. You did not simply seek power.

Tan still wasn’t convinced that was the only reason for the lisincend. There had to be something more to risk death from the transformation.
Where is Enya?

She has gone from here. I sent her away after we attacked Twisted Fire. That is how they captured me.

I don’t understand.

She attempted to withdraw too much fire. I stopped her before she destroyed herself. Much like you, she sought to do it for reasons other than power. Now she must heal.

Like you.

Asboel flicked his tail to the side.
Like me.

How did you stop her?

I had to take it from her. It weakened us both. That is how they managed to capture me.

If it weakened her, where did she go?

When they came for me, I sent her away. She has suffered too much. She desires vengeance from Twisted Fire. I have promised it to her in time.

Where is she now? Can you sense her?

If I choose. Fire bonds us.

As it does you and I?

Asboel tipped his head and stared at Tan.
Fire does not bind us. The Mother binds us.

And now, after what Tan had done to save Asboel, did spirit bind them?
Where is she?
Tan asked again.

Near these lands, but not. Do not worry, Maelen.

What will you do?
Tan feared Asboel’s next attack on the lisincend. What would happen to him if he attempted to attack before he was fully healed?

Recover. Then I will find the hatchlings. Twisted Fire must not be allowed to bond them.

Could they?

Asboel turned and stared toward Incendin. Through their connection, Tan saw the Fire Fortress burning brightly.
It is possible.

I could help,
Tan offered.

Asboel seemed to hesitate
. Twisted Fire cannot harm us.

Tan shook his head, pushing back the frustration he felt.
We’ve seen that it can. And if Twisted Fire has grown more powerful—

That was not Twisted Fire. Twisted Fire will feel the power of a draasin attack in full.

Tan shivered. Part of him wished he could see it.
You will wait until you recover?

This time, I will wait. All will be needed. You may hunt with me.

Asboel slowly stood. He stretched his wings, and a surge of power filled the air with steam. He had recovered quickly, but he was still not as powerful as he would be in a few days. Tan sensed that time was needed. Would Asboel really wait?

With a steady flapping of his wings, Asboel took to the air.

Hunt well, friend.

A spurt of flame erupted from his nose.
Always, Maelen.

As Asboel disappeared, moving quickly north—toward Nara, Tan realized—he looked over to Cianna. He had a few days at most before Asboel was well enough to attack. He would use that time to do what Roine asked, but then he would return to help Asboel. In the meantime, he needed someone to keep watch for him.

“You were planning on scouting Incendin for Doma shapers?”

She nodded slowly. “Why do I have the feeling I won’t like what you have to say?”

“I want you to watch the Fire Fortress. I’m afraid that the draasin will attack it soon. They might need help.”

“You can be stupid sometimes. Why should I believe the draasin would care about the fortress?”

“Because the draasin had two eggs. Hatchlings. And the lisincend destroyed them. At least, we thought they had destroyed them. It turns out Fur might have them.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Fur has them?”

“From what I can tell.”

She turned and looked toward the north. “You know that all fire shapers serve along the border. I saw Fur once. It was years ago, and the lisincend seemed to simply test the border. But he killed one of our shapers who made the mistake of crossing.” She turned back to him, hard determination in her eyes. “I will help the draasin.”

“And the others? Will they help?”

She smiled. “We have not yet freed the Doma shapers.”

Tan laughed softly. Amia stirred next to him.

“What of you?” Cianna asked.

“Theondar asked me to find allies. The draasin are safe for now, but they need healing. If Incendin is powerful enough to do this, we need more help than even Roine realizes.”

A shadow passed over Cianna’s face and made her look drawn, tense. “Before you summoned, we were tracking a shaper. I thought it a Doma shaper, but that could not be. Not with what we saw where the draasin was injured.”

“What happened?”

“That’s just it. We lost them. It was a wind shaper. They took to the air, moving east over the sea.”

“Zephra?” Tan asked, but that seemed unlikely. Were Zephra involved, she would have aided the kingdoms’ shapers. And Zephra was to go to Doma, not across the sea.

“Not Zephra. She has a summoning rune were she to need to find us. This was different.”

Tan stared out over the water. Roine might be right that they needed help, but Incendin continued with whatever made the fires burn brighter on the fortress. If it involved the creation of additional lisincend, they would truly be challenged, especially now that he saw what their shapers were capable of doing. They needed more than help, and they needed to stop the lisincend for good. They could use the draasin for help for part of that, but only after Asboel recovered and even then, he would be distracted by the desire to find the hatchlings. They needed additional allies.

“Where do you think they went?”

Cianna shook her head. “I don’t know. There’s not much across the sea. Zulas. Xsa Isles.” She shrugged. “I’m no sailor, so I can’t help.”

Tan thought of the maps he’d seen. Could they find help they needed there?
Can you take me, Honl?

The wind elemental seemed to consider the answer for a moment, flittering around Tan and Amia.
It will be dangerous.

From what Tan had learned, Honl thought everything was dangerous.
We will only be gone a day or two, then we’ll return to help fire.

That seemed to appease the elemental.
I will help.

Tan leaned back, staring at the waves splashing against the shore. This close to Doma, he wished he could find Elle. Likely she was well, living in one of the seaside villages, communing with the udilm. Were there more time, he’d find her and visit, but that was a luxury he didn’t have.

A deep braying from the north startled him. It had been months since he’d heard the calls of the Incendin hounds. They weren’t close, just far enough that he didn’t think they needed to worry, but it meant they couldn’t simply sit and wait. They would have to move soon.

The sense of Asboel was distant. How long before he recovered fully? How long before the draasin attacked the lisincend again?

If nothing else, after seeing what Incendin had done to the draasin, Tan knew Asboel needed more help than he realized. And he would be there for him.