Page 5 of Sons of Sorrow
“Gotta complete the set,” I told Bruna, pointing out each gem of elemental essence in sequence. “The Blood of the Earth, the Breath of the Wind, the Tears of the Ocean, and now, the Heart of the Flame. It’s supposed to be the most valuable of the lot, which should make the trip worth it. Besides, I get a guardian with every gemstone. Free toy with every meal.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “And you’re not worried in any way about dealing with the high heat of the dimension, all those toxic gases you might encounter?”
“That’s where you come in,” I said, winking. “Could you brew us some more of those potions of fire resistance? The ones you made for when we fought the dragon? Pretty please?”
“Very busy today. No time to help you.” Bruna blew a wisp of hair out of her face, and when that didn’t work, tucked it behind her ear instead. “Half an hour of protection was one thing when it came to the dragon, but you’d need a much bigger load of frostfeather if you want enough potion to last you an entire journey. That’s a huge alchemical undertaking. And I have to worry about my sister, too.”
“Oh, I’m a burden to you, am I?” Namirah slurred, lifting herself from the bed, eyes unfocused, delirious. Bruna placed the damp towel flat on her face and shoved her head back down on the pillow. I tried not to chuckle.
We did treat each other like siblings, the three of us, but it was very sweet that Bruna would openly refer to Namirah as her sister like that. Good point about the frostfeather, though, the leaf that served as the basis for Bruna’s potions of fire resistance. Sylvain, Satchel, and I would just have to improvise somehow.
“Well,” I said, thrusting my chest forward. “We’ll figure something out, in any case.”
“If you say so,” Bruna said, shaking her head. “It’s also the most dangerous of the oriels, don’t forget.”
Satchel puffed his chest up, his legs in a wide stance. Like father, like son, or something like that. “We’ll manage, thanks very much.”
Bruna chuckled. “I’m sure you will, Satchel. I’m sure you will.”
“Funny, isn’t it?” Sylvain said. “How none of the headmasters have ever figured out why you have an aptitude for controlling the guardians.”
“Funny is right,” I said. “Not Headmaster Cornelius, nor Headmaster Belladonna, nor Headmaster Shivers, either. Not that Shivers ever speaks much, except for that one time that you guys still don’t believe actually happened. But you know what surprises me most of all? How even Doctor Fang can’t tell me much about this guardian business. It’s not like she — ”
The words caught in my throat mid-sentence. My mouth fell open.
“Oh. Oh, gods. I was supposed to meet Doctor Fang today.”
Sylvain blinked. “When?”
“Five minutes ago,” I barked, hauling ass straight out the front door, fortunate that I didn’t trip over and break my neck as I hurried down the Canopy levels.
My legs burned as I navigated stairwells, sprinted through corridors. Escaping a good and proper hiding at the hands of a sickly Namirah had been a lucky break, and it was good to know that her sickness was nowhere near Withering-adjacent.
But would my luck hold out? Could I evade a good and proper tongue-lashing from my summoning professor and mentor, too?
I shoved her office door open. “I’m here,” I cried out, bursting in. “Doc, I’m here.”
Dr. Euclidea Fang stood over her desk, halfway through lifting a cup of coffee to her lips. “And?”
I panted as I leaned my hand against the doorframe. “We were — oh gods, I’m cramping — we were supposed to meet today? About the Oriel of Fire?”
“Oh. Right. That.”
She forgot, didn’t she? I ran all the way here, and for what? Something popped by my ear, Satchel zipping in and out of pocket dimensions, easily catching up with me. Sylvain jogged up to my side, barely winded by the effort, his sweat dewy and making his skin glow. So fucking unfair.
“Have a seat, gentlemen. Or three seats.”
I complied, grateful for a place to rest my legs and my sweet little butt. Dr. Fang set out the pincushion that Satchel liked to use as a chair. He zipped onto her desk and took his place, gazing up at her adoringly. She returned his smile and took a sip of coffee.
“Let’s make this quick,” Dr. Fang said. “You know the drill anyway. Get in, murder some guardians, collect their essence, get out. In this case, the essence you’re looking for is called the Heart of the Flame. Precious stuff, mainly because no one ever wants to walk into the Oriel of Fire.”
“Because of the dangers,” Sylvain said. “Both environmental and elemental.”
“Correct. You not only have to contend with creatures of elemental fire. The dimension itself is wildly inhospitable to organic life. I strongly recommend seeking out protections to ensure that the three of you and any companions you might consider will not simply evaporate on arrival. You might want something to help with breathing, too.”
I nodded along, mentally inscribing everything onto the surface of my brain. She would reach across the table and slap me for being so sentimental, but this was why Dr. Fang was such a badass. The Breath of the Wind would help us with respiration, both for the extra oxygen and to filter out deadly gases. The Tears of the Ocean, with some adjustment, could possibly create a sort of cooling barrier to insulate us from the naturally raised temperature within the oriel.
Sylvain drummed his fingers on the desk. “Actually, there might be something from the Verdance that could help with this. Good thing we’re dropping in for a visit very soon.”
