Page 14 of A Conduit of Light
“Good,Ash’Arah.”
BaronHeimlenbent down beside her on the ground as she sat still, cross-legged on the hard earth in the same stance as her fellow channelers.
Theyhad been led in a line, marching out to a cleared patch of forest floor half a mile from theFortress.Whenthey had reached their destination,BaronHeimlenhad asked them to sit in a circle and produce a flower.
Thatwas it.Thatwas the extent of his instruction.BaronRevichremained still and quiet for once asAsh,Clairannia, andFiguerahsat foolishly, the choice of wool skirts understandable now, as the cold from the thawing earth met their backsides.
“Focuson the gift of this forest.Listento her speak your name in unison with the swaying of the trees and the beating of even the smallest quiphit’s heart.”
Hewasn’t helping.
Ashpeeked through one eye and angered at the small tips of striped, leafy stems poking shyly from the dirt in front of her.Theirgrowth quickened as all of her magic did when she was angry.Sheclosed her eye again and squeezed them both tightly.
Shehad expected they would be asked to heal a cut from a tree or to move an object at will—something easy she could pretend she could not do, but this?Thiswas proving difficult to feign.
Hernamewasbeing called, but different, not really the one she knew.Sheheard it in the wave of the tops of the trees.Theflock of sparrows in the pines sang a song of undeniable power that flowed through her skin like sunshine on a cloudless day.Shedidfeel the beat of a quiphit’s hammering heart as it watched all of them from the bushes to the south of the clearing.
Fromthe moment she had stepped out of that portal and onto the forest floor ofFelgren, she had felt all of it.Theforest was alive.Evenas it awoke from its winter nap, it held more power in its vast wilderness than she knew to be possible.Theswaying hum of magic lay silent to all but who could hear its song.Channelers, conduits,Barons—they all could feel it, sense its power, and no matter her efforts to drown the hold, to ignore its pulse,Ashknew they were in vain.
Butshe thought she couldpretend.Shethought this would be a simple task to lie about the magic coursing through her body.Thestrength ofFelgrenseemed to be laughing at her as she looked down once again only to find a bed of violet crocus bloomed before her, their vivid golden center mocking her in a silent hello.
Turningher head toBaronHeimlen, she watched as a subtle grin crossed his face, knowing in nature, and aggravating her already hardened mind.Shepursed her lips and kept her emerald eyes on him as the newly bloomed crocus shriveled and limped pathetically to the ground, their lives quick and over.
“Howunfortunate,”Ashsaid, sighing. “ItseemsIcould not hold on to the life force of these flowers for long.”
Sheglanced around atClairanniaandFiguerah’sattempts at the exercise.Clairannia’seyes were fierce as a cat about to pounce as she studied the tight blooms in front of her.Shehad managed to produce three tall stems of bright pink tulips, but their buds refused to open.
Figuerahhad much better luck as she lightly touched the petals of the purple hyacinth flower before her, a charming grin on her face.
BaronRevichleaned against a nearby tree, silent, toying with something in his hand.Atthe sudden demise of her flowers, his eyes narrowed, watchingAshwith disappointment.
“Unfortunateindeed,Ash’Arah, as you produced the most flowers the quickest of all the channelers here.It’salmost as if you are not magic-less, nor are you the prisoner you choose to call yourself.”
Thechastisement inBaronHeimlen’svoice was thick and obvious and her cheeks grew red with embarrassment.Ofcourse, there was no fooling him.Hewas the bearer of magic after all, the head of all conduits and the most powerful man on the isle.Foolinghim would take more than a simple bit of death magic on a bloomed flower.Fearcrept through her as she wondered if she could fool him at all.
Adelighted squeal broke her thoughts asClairannia’smagenta tulips bloomed in full, dazzling against the droll brown of the frozen earth.
“Well, now that that’s settled and you’ve all proven your worthiness as channelers, let’s step back inside.BaronRevich, please escort these women toViridis.”
* * *
TheFortresslivedup to its name—a massive expanse of dark halls and winding staircases.Ashthanked her luck at finding the right staircase the night before that had led to her room.Sheotherwise might as well have been wandering the channels of an infinite maze, each corridor and hall as confusing as the last.
Theytraversed the black stone floors withBaronRevich’seerie blue magical orb casting shadows that followed the four of them on their trek toViridis.
Ashhad never heard ofViridisand no explanation was given on their destination, which surprised her, consideringBaronRevichseemed to have no problem hearing the sound of his own voice.
Nota single other soul dwelled down the wrought iron staircases or strode through the extensive corridors.Forall she knew,Viridiscould very well be a dungeon, and she was helpless with no knowledge of her way back to the light of day.
Atlast, they came to a short stone staircase.Itexpanded as wide as the dining hall, and at the landing stood two immeasurable doors, black as a starless night with trailing patterns of copper winding up into an incomprehensible abyss above them.Ashcould not see where the doors ended and she wondered, not for the first time, if theFortresswas enchanted to look less expansive on the outside than it truly was.
“Welcometo the doors ofViridis.Youwill spend your mornings here in your training.Don’tworry about the journey, you’ll manage it yourselves in a few weeks’ time.Allthe channelers do.”BaronRevich’sgrin was ear-to-ear in the flicker of his orb.WhateverViridiswas, he was dying for them to see it. “Figuerah, please step up to the doors and place your palm on the stone.”
Steppingcloser,Ashsaw that in the center of the doors there lay a jade stone the size of a fist with broken lines of black inlaid in its entirety.
“Isthat…”Figuerahleaned in closer to study the adornment.
“Rhyzolm,”BaronRevichfinished. “Oneof the largest ever found intact.Itwas placed here centuries ago, thought to strengthen the magic of the doors toViridis.”
