Legon Restoration (22 page)

The army wasn't pushing ahead right now; it was all but stopped, giving time for troops to secure the country side and to build up supply routes before they pushed for Salez. Salez, Sara wondered how she would feel being back in the city. She had no doubt that she would go there, Salez would be a major hub, taking the city was a must. From there all that stood in the way of them and the Capital were some towns and a dragon dome. The latter would not be easy to take. She thought again of Salez, she wondered if any of her old co-slaves were still there, and if so how they were doing? She found it unlikely that any of them had survived since she'd last been with them. Most had probably long since died from diseases that they had caught from horrid clients.
 

She pushed those thoughts from her mind. Instead she went back to what she was doing. By the time she was done working for the day the sun was setting. The sky was deepest orange from the smoke of fires. Ripensis, while taken, was still putting up a fight. The city with its flowing metro area had many strong holds that were not going quietly into the night. Fires burned licking the skyline with bright orange and yellow, smoke rose like columns over much of the north end of town. Flashes of magic could be seen on the ground and from dragons above the city. Not for the first time Sara asked herself if she would ever see Airmelia whole and complete in her lifetime.
 

"You are morose today," Keither said from behind her.

She turned to him. "Yes, I suppose I am. I think it was going back to Seeon that did it to me. Before when I was feeling wore out from the war I could think of Seeon and its flowered streets, calm and serene. But now I know that there is no place in the land that is calm or serene.

"I was listening to your conversation with Barnin, the things he has seen in the battle field." She looked at her husband seriously, "Keither we cannot allow our children to grow up in this world. We cannot allow another generation to be laden with the burdens of war and oppression."

"I know, but that's what this is all about isn't it? This war, it’s about making sure that there is a brighter tomorrow."

"But how?" she said her voice cracking. "Barnin told you what he's seen, what humans have done to other humans. And the Iumenta, how many times have the Elves tried to defend us and the Iumenta just come back like some deathly fever? What happens when they cannot defend humanity? What then?" she asked not expecting an answer.

Keither looked down; Sara could sense his thoughts tumbling on themselves before he spoke. "I have gotten to know the Elves rather well over the years and also Legon. The Iumenta have proven that they will always be a threat, I do not think the Pawdin Empire is planning on letting that threat stand any longer."

"What do you mean?" Sara asked.

"Think about it, has the Pawdin Empire faced any real adversary in the Cona lands? Has the Impa Empire unleashed the full force of its power yet? Think love, you watched Legon train in Seeon, saw how hard he worked, his determination to get ready for the front. No, the fight hasn't begun yet, not for the immortals. No, the real war will start at Salez close to the Impa boarder, after months of wearing ourselves down, that is when the Impa Empire will truly start to fight. And after the Cona lands have been retaken I would be very much surprised if the Pawdin Empire didn't continue to push in to Impa land. Sara you know Legon, growing up when he got in a fight did his opponents get back up?"

A chill ran down her spine, she did know Legon; his restraint came from Sasha, without her he was an unstoppable force. After thousands of years of hostility from the Iumenta would Sasha stay her brother’s hand? A voice almost like a whisper in her head said
no she wouldn't
. Memories of when Sara and Sasha had spoken of the war after Sasha's Ascension assaulted her mind. Sasha was never angry; never felt the need to strike out, but she did now. When Sara thought about it she knew that both Legon and Sasha's anger was kindled against the Impa Empire. No, Sasha would not stay Legon's hand. With her at his side there would be no mercy nor rest for the wicked, not for those that had hurt so many for so long, there would be no prisoners or slowness to action. Once the Heads of House Evindass returned to the Cona Empire they would pour justice out on the land like a dam bursting.
 

Sara didn't say anything instead she just held Keither's hand, looking out at Ripensis' skyline praying as she had so often for the Everser Vald to come and cleanse Airmelia.
 

* * * * *

Sasha finished lacing her boots and placed her fenna Indigntio on her belt. She looked at herself in the mirror admiring Indigntio, its cream sheath matched its white handle. Her fingers ran along the handle and its filigree of gold running up it. She would have never admitted it but she always wanted a fenna. She thought they were beautiful; she always liked to look at Legon's fenna Tento. She suspected the reason she found them so appealing was her connection with Legon and his fascination with anything that was a blade, but none the less over the years she had grown attached.
 

Her eyes moved to her reflection noticing just how different she looked. Gone today was her normal flowing dress, instead she wore dark leather pants and doublet. Her normally long hair was up in a tight bun and her red eyes shone. Today she had to admit that she looked like a warrior, almost frightening. She didn't like it. Sasha was not a warrior, was not violent; just the thought of herself in a fight made her sick to her stomach. She opened her connection with Legon more than it already was and the sick feeling in her vanished.
 

Edling walked up to her rubbing her shoulders. "When it comes time for you to really fight you will have the White Dragon's anger, remember?"

Of course she had told Edling about when she met with the White Dragon, how could she not, he needed to know. "I know and for that reason I shouldn't be worried, but it's odd. When I Ascended and Legon and I fought those dragons...it felt like it was me fighting but not really, almost like being in a dream. I felt no aversion in the least bit to killing and in truth I felt no guilt about it either."

"Why would you feel guilty?" Edling asked.

"Do you remember when I told you about when Legon and all of us were making our way to the resistance?" He nodded. "When Kovos was killed we were in a clearing and all of us were fighting. I was in a full Mahann state and obviously thinking with only pure logic, at the time I felt no emotion, no feeling of apprehension to hurting people. I was shooting my bow, and I didn't kill anyone I just injured them. Anyway, at the time I didn't feel bad about what I was doing, but after when I had a chance to think about what had happened, I would feel bad about hurting people, even if they were enemies. It didn't bother me a lot and whenever I'm connected with Legon it doesn't bother me...but when I fought with the White Dragon’s anger I felt no remorse afterwards, none, not a bit."

Edling frowned in thought, "Why do you think that is?"
 

"It's a perfect anger, I know that sounds odd to say, that anger can be perfect, but his is. It is perfectly just and therefore there is no need for remorse of any kind. Does that make sense?" she asked.

"Yes, being privy to your thoughts as I am it makes perfect sense to me, but what I don't understand is why you are worried now. If his anger is perfect and you will feel that anger only when it is appropriate, shouldn't you be comforted?"
 

She smiled and gave an uncomfortable laugh. "It's not using it that worries me, it's being worthy of the honor to use it that does. It's a lot of pressure, ya know?"

Edling's expression changed, there was a light in his eyes. "That's it!" he said.

"That's what?"

He spoke in a rush, "You have not been able to use your full power yet, have you?" She indicated that she hadn't. "Oh, why didn't we see this before? You are putting too much pressure on yourself don't you see? How could you use your full power if you think the only time you can is when the White Dragon is giving you his anger?"
 

"I'm not sure I follow..." she said.

"We have been trying to get you to go full power when fighting; you aren't a fighter, you have always been hesitant to fight even with magic. If you are going to see that you are capable of going full power, it can't be with combat, or at least not at first."
 

Edling pulled her out of their apartment and past a confused Iselin. "Wait, aren't we supposed to train?" Iselin called after them.

Sasha could only manage a helpless look, she had no idea what Edling had in mind and he was keeping his thoughts closed off to her.
 

"Welcome to married life!" Iselin yelled.

Edling pulled Sasha into a giant store room in the Palace’s basement. In front of her was a musty old sheet of burlap over something that looked to be thirty feet high. Edling pulled the fabric to reveal a crystal.

"Whoa, this is huge...is it a dome crystal?" she asked.

"What gave it away?" he asked.

"Its size and shape, dome crystals are tall and rectangular, but other than that I don't know much about them, just that they are really powerful. Are you going to open up your mind now?"

"That I'm not. OK, this thing has been dead for years; most people don't even know that there is a crystals in the Palace basement. I want you to power it up, not a lot of power just enough to activate it with a small charge. Any class five can do it but I think it could be a good object for you to practice on," he said in a rush.

"O-K," she said still royally confused, "whatever you say..."

She reached out with her mind and found the crystal. Every crystal had a minimum threshold of power that it needed in it before it could do anything. This crystal was empty. She pushed with her power and to her surprise she felt resistance. She pushed harder and still the crystal didn't seem to respond. Finally frustrated, she pushed as hard as she could, Sasha was a master of crystals and wasn't going to let this one get the best of her. As she pushed something in her mind clicked. The magical power she was holding on to exploded in her, suddenly she found herself full of energy. The crystal in front of her flashed red and started to accept energy.
 

Sasha backed away releasing her power, though she could feel it just under the surface in her mind. She turned to Edling who was bouncing on the balls of his feet and looked to a slack jawed Iselin in the doorway.
 

"You found your power," Iselin said.

"I wha?" Sasha said.

Edling explained, "I'm sorry but I lied to you, only Ascended have the strength to activate a crystal of this size, you did it!"

"Wait, what? You lied to me?" she said trying to sound annoyed but he looked so happy she couldn't quite put the menace in her voice that she wanted.

"How did you do that Edling?" Iselin asked.

"I realized that Sasha couldn't use her full abilities because her head and distaste for fighting was getting in the way. But with a crystal...she doesn't see them as a threat, and I told her that a class five could activate it so..." Edling explained.

"So you tricked me," Sasha said, and then felt inside herself. Now that she had done it on her own once without the White Dragon’s anger she knew she would never have a problem again. "You’re forgiven" she said to her husband. Then she turned to Iselin, "Come on let’s train!"
 

* * * * *

Iselin followed Sasha out of the storage room. She was having a bit of a hard time keeping up with her; Sasha was excited about being able to use her full abilities.
 

"Where do you want to train today?" Iselin asked.

"The training arena by the bay," she said.

Iselin was surprised by Sasha's choice. The inside of the bay arena was entirely water. It was designed to help Ascended learn to use the element of water in combat and then also to train them how to fight under water. Iselin continued to follow Sasha without commenting on her choice of venue.
If she wants to get soaked what business is it of mine?
she thought.

Before them was the training arena. It was unique in that it was built into the bay; there were no high walls for the space, just towers that held crystals around the perimeter that rose from the water. They both reached out with their minds and activated stop all wards in the arena's crystals. Iselin transformed into her Ascended form and looked down at the tiny Sasha.
 

Sasha looked up at her radiant. "OK Ise, don't hold back, I'm not going to. I'm going full power from the word go and I expect the same from you," Sasha said as Iselin saw a flick of ruby as Sasha protected her with a stop all. Iselin did the same and took off.
 

She didn't want to go full power against Sasha, the fight would be over before it even started and she didn't want to snub the girl’s enthusiasm. But she couldn't really hide anything from Sasha either, so she was at a loss of what to do.
 

Legon's voice interrupted in her head, "Love, if she really can use her full abilities now you are going to need to do everything you can to not lose, and she's an Elemental, in an arena of water."
 

What Legon was saying clicked home and Iselin turned to see Sasha about fifty feet away from her. She was glowing red and flying through the air, the flying part didn't faze Iselin, all magic users could use spells to fly, though most couldn't sustain the spell for long. No, that Sasha should be able to fly with ease as a class six. The thing that had Iselin worried was that Sasha's fenna was also glowing which meant the spell she was using to fly wasn't taking up much of her energy...
She can use her full abilities!
she thought.
 

Sasha slashed at the water and Iselin rolled in the air just in time to avoid being hit by a chunk of ice the size of a horse.
And she's an elemental!
she thought.

"I told you so," Legon’s voice sounded in her head smug.