54

AN- There will be a hiatus as i work on publishing a later version of this work. But, I will be posting the end of the book here, as well as book 2 once I have done some decent work on it. I'll post updates in my bio!

Chapter 52

Yatek recovered as quickly as I'd predicted, and we met with him before dawn in the governor's estate. I hadn't paid him that much attention when he was incapacitated, not his body at least, and so I was a little surprised at just how small and frail he seemed. It was a facade, of course. Any sorcerer of his power would be far stronger than he looked, and anyone with a plant based aspect was extraordinarily hale.

"Please, sit Esur'uk. You have my welcome, and my gratitude." I bowed my head, but couldn't quite suppress my wince as he addressed me. Myta and Tarun chuckled at my discomfort. Given the number of people attending this meeting, and the fact that it had been recognized by a member of Ramana's own court, I'd never shed that honorific now. Not that it mattered at this point, Yatek was the very embodiment of the attention I'd been avoiding all these years. My displeasure was just a reflex at this point.

"You are most welcome, Minister Yatek. I was honored to aid a servant of Ramana."

The minister's lips quivered, his face twitched, and for a moment I feared he was experiencing some kind of seizure. My alarm passed quickly when he burst into uncontrolled laughter. My worry turned to faint irritation, but even that was washed away by the genuine warmth of his outburst. Despite myself, I felt my own lips curling up in a small smile.

"Honored! Yes, I'm sure!" He trailed off into chuckles, slowly recovering his calm. "I will accept your pleasantries in the spirit with which you gave them. But know that I am indeed honored by your aid. I am well aware of how hard you have worked to avoid the king's attention. That you have put that aside to aid this city has been noted."

Having shattered my delusions of anonymity, Yatek addressed the group as a whole.

"We are still in a precarious position, but the king has confidence in us. We will not receive more support from Ramana City in time to make a difference, but the enemy is vulnerable to a counterattack, if we strike now.

"The enemy's main force has emerged from the tunnels at a nearby entrance, presumably they feared attempting to exit in the city, after having their nose bloodied so badly in those ruins. If you and your guards accompany me," he looked to Tarun, "we can defeat that force in the jungle."

"You can defeat the sorcerers and demons we suspect are with them?" Tarun questioning the minister was bold, sorcerers were not known for their humility or patience, but the minister just smiled.

"Yes, I can confirm the presence of two sorcerers and three demons. And I can deal with all of them, so long as we face them in the jungle. That is not my main concern, however. Someone must pursue their leader, and his allies." He looked pointedly at me, and my mouth twisted sourly.

"You want me to confront a group that stood against you, while you bore the blessing of Ramana?" I asked incredulously. But Yatek just nodded.

"You bear his blessing now, and I have taken your measure. As well as that of your... slave." He nodded respectfully at Myta, which softened my mood at least a little. His reminder that Ramana's spell still resided in my spirit wasn't exactly reassuring to me, but there was little I could do about it. I'd already tried to remove the strange sorcery. I didn't understand the god-king's aspect, and couldn't seem to interact with it at all.

"I don't know anything about that group. Not their composition, nor where they are, or are headed."

"There were two sorcerers, though you only need to concern yourself with one. And one demon. Both the sorcerer and demon are among the most powerful I have ever faced. There are also five warriors of great skill." Yatek delivered the news to me in an even voice, neither comforting nor dire. "But you must face them with only Mytan and your most trusted warriors at your side. Any who lack strong bonds to you may be turned against you.

"As for where, I can help you somewhat there as well. That group has headed south, toward the port. I suspect their intent is to take or destroy Punalit and its docks, depriving the kingdom of supplies for our conflicts elsewhere."

"There is war on other fronts?" I asked.

"Indeed, the tribes of Ootrin are gathering at our northern border. Not just ours either, but also those of our neighbors to the east and west. It seems unlikely that this plot is unrelated."

"Ootrin in league with the Pure," Tarun mused aloud. "It's not the strangest thing I've heard. Both groups hate Ramana and K'ratha fiercely, and the clans in Metic get along with no one. The horse tribes are always one poor season away from raiding us. The Pure wouldn't have needed to push them hard."

"There's more as well," I interjected. "I've told Tarun about this already, but the viridian contagion was a type of infected mana, spread by the demons the Pure have been using. I verified their aspect is the same. It hit the laborers of Kuru hard, and the Pure were waiting with new slaves to flood the markets there. I'm not sure what their actual plan was, but those slaves must be tainted, somehow."

"Undoubtedly," Yatek nodded. "The Pure created the slave bond ritual, after all. But that is a problem for tomorrow. The question for now is, will you assist us? If you eliminate the monk who headed this local conspiracy, you will be well compensated. And King Ramana would consider it to be a personal favor."

Another favor. The gods were certainly looking to push me along this path. First Kubek, and now Ramana.

"They fled, two days ago?" My question was met with a nod. I shared a long look with Myta, who had remained silent for this entire meeting. Behind her worry for me, I could feel her desire to end this. To punish those who had hurt her, and bring their plans to ruin. It was a desire in line with my own.

"We will pursue them, but it will need to be just the two of us if we want to catch up. I'm sure they are pressing hard."

*Take your vasra.* Ket's voice caught me entirely off guard. I hadn't realized she was anywhere near us, though now I could sense her clearly on the roof of the building. *Kubek's blessing will speed you through the jungle, and you will need their support.*

Yatek's eyes went wide at the interruption, but his lips curled up in a smile. "It seems the divines themselves must favor this plan, if two gods lend their blessings to you." I grunted in frustration, and his grin grew even wider.

"Something has certainly made my life more interesting lately." I said dryly, before casting my eyes toward Myta. "But, it has been worth the trouble."

After that the meeting dissolved into minutiae. Tarun set about procuring supplies for the troops he would be taking, and I requisitioned a smaller supply for my own group. Aside from Myta, I would also be taking Jito, Hati, and Denu. I hadn't wanted to bring the teenager, but both Myta and Tarun insisted that we'd need her. The group we were tracking were warded, after all, and Denu was still the best tracker and scout that we had. I allowed them to overrule me, she was a stellar shot with her bow in any case.

I wanted to claim mounts for us as well. Treacherous as the roads and jungle were, I thought they still might save us some time, as well as carrying more supplies. Ket disabused me of that notion, however. Noting that riding an animal would interfere with Kubek's blessing. In the end we had no choice but to rely on the god's grace, and whatever we could carry on our backs.

When we spoke to the company, I half expected our chosen companions to reject us. Hati and Jito were city guards, after all, and Denu wasn't a warrior at all. They had all been through hell already, fighting in the tunnels below. Instead, the members we were leaving behind were the ones who were upset. They clamored at Myta that they should all be allowed to come with us.

She weathered their objections grimly, pointing out that Yatek had been unable to verify that all the Pure had left the tunnels. Our remaining fighters would be the ones to keep guarding the entrance, as well as defending the city from any last surprises the Pure might have in store. She wasn't bluffing them either. The city would be largely undefended until we or Yatek's group returned.

After weeks living with them, traveling with them, and fighting beside them, leaving the company behind was a surprisingly bitter experience. It wasn't helped by Myta's worry for them. I could feel her maternal concern as she reorganized the squads, setting their chain of command in our absence. Between them and the few city guards who were remaining, they would hopefully be prepared to handle any dangers until we returned.

Chapter 53

We left the city before midday, as time was of the essence. Tarun had sent our requests to their quartermaster, who had prepared our packs for us, and had them waiting by the gate. We only needed to pick them up and go. The guards who were mustering there saluted as we passed, Tarun foremost among them. That group would not leave for hours yet, I was surprised they were even attempting to move out today at all.

"These are guards, not soldiers." Hati noted, seeing my puzzled look. "Tarun needs to keep them occupied keep them moving, or else their momentum will fade. Once that happens, morale will fall."

"And fallen morale means fallen soldiers," came from my other side. It had the feel of a quote.

"Exactly so, Mytan. Exactly so." Hati's smile didn't quite reach her eyes, and while she was clearly pleased by Myta's recitation, I thought perhaps the sentiment was something the sergeant knew all too well from personal experience.

We headed out of the city quickly, following the path of our quarry. The Pure and their mysterious benefactor had left a wake of death when leaving the city, but the guards had still marked their path. It wasn't until we were an hour gone from Bani that I cursed at my own blindness.

"Master?" Myta was giving me a concerned look, unable to sort out the source of my frustration.

"The patron, the one who had the Pure admitted to Bani'kari's home in the first place. Who were they?"

"Tarun never said, and I... never asked." Myta's brow furrowed.

"Minister Yatek surely knew, but he didn't say. And I never asked either." My voice was grim. "He said we wouldn't need to concern ourselves with the other sorcerer, but now I have the feeling that is the exact person we need to be concerned with. I cannot believe it's a coincidence that both of us failed to ask such an important question."

I could feel Myta's mind racing. "Yatek said we should bring only our most trusted. Ket pushed me toward those with the strongest bonds. If this sorcerer can influence minds, could they turn the bond against us?"

We all exchanged a wary look, but then a different thought occurred to me. "Perhaps not, perhaps it was the opposite. But they were unwilling or unable to say." I very carefully did not look to Ket, though I could feel her attention on me.

"It seems to me that the bonds we've formed would help us to strengthen our minds against such sorcery, rather than weaken us. If so, we should do all we can to build on them, before we encounter the enemy." The spirit didn't give voice to it, but I could feel her approval, like a rumbling purr at the back of my skull. Ramana's spell likewise pulsed with warmth in my spirit. While neither was an implicitly trustworthy source of information, Ket had never steered us wrong so far.

"We should, Jito's spirit still has not been fully tempered," Myta echoed my thoughts. "Assuming you are willing?"

Jito nodded his assent. I reached out to my vasra, trying to gauge their feelings. Hati was worried but it was a familiar worry, comfortable to her like well-worn leather, the worry of impending battle. Denu was resolved, but panic tried to spark in her veins. A scar from Futa's attack that she was fighting through. Jito was oddly calm, almost amused. He had chosen this life, and the danger was spice for him, proving out his choice. But none of them thought of turning from our course.

*Your court does you credit. You will hunt well together.* Ket's thought was approving, but also strangely wistful. Now I did look in her direction, but she disappeared before I could ask about it. Not that I couldn't still reach her, but I knew she wouldn't answer, and wouldn't thank me for prying.

"We can set our camp early, and perform the ritual for Jito then." I said. "Bear in mind, at that point you will all have the strength of weak sorcerers, use it carefully."

"Could we become sorcerers after?" Hati asked, sharing a glance with the others.

"You could." I replied. "But that would require training and practice, ideally under a skilled master. I might have time to cover the basics with you, but Mytan and I will probably need to leave after the Pure are dealt with here."

They all looked thoughtful, but we let the conversation die as Denu led us. She'd picked up a trail that she was confident in, and I could detect the fading traces of a passing ward as well. Ket concurred, and I traded notes with the spirit to help us both improve our spiritual tracking skills.

We camped before sunset, and performed the spirit tempering ritual for Jito. I had lost enough mana in healing Yatek that I was still recovering it. Still, I was surprised when I didn't need to shed any of my personal mana in order to contain his discarded anima.

*You have begun forming your domain.* Ket informed me. *Do not be alarmed, the process is natural, and will only strengthen you.*

"I thought only gods had domains?" I asked, hoping to tease more information from her.

*No, any being who touches on the Radiant Sea can form a domain. Many vethris do. It takes a powerful combination of will and intention to shape the sea to your vision.*

"Then I can't have done it accidentally," I furrowed my brow, before the obvious struck me. "My inner world. I've been refining the vision of my inner world for decades."

*What you call your inner world is practice.* I felt the spirit's smirk *Some being left the knowledge to you deliberately, I think. To give you a head start on your path.*

"To visualize your soul as a place... that was a Mithali practice for their entire history. My teachers claimed that other sorcerers learned it from us." I trailed off, not sure how to finish that line of thinking. While it was interesting, it didn't really change anything. 'The Mithali may have had a benefactor who knew more of the Radiant Sea' was too vague to be meaningful. Before meeting Ket, I would have said that meant they were supported by a god, but even that didn't tell me anything new. Most countries and religions boasted some kind of spiritual backing.

*I'm curious, vethris. When you speak of the Mithali, your words are confused. Sometimes you say we, and sometimes they. Are you Mithali, or not?"

"What's in a name?" I quipped, but I could feel the spirit's confusion. "The country off Mythal is gone, its temples and schools were all destroyed. Without a Mythal, can there be any Mithali? Few enough even remember the name."

*Among the spirits, a court continues for as long as one veth remains.*

I nodded. "There's sense to that. One leader or teacher can spread their beliefs and influence anew. And I suppose I am a teacher again. Then the question becomes, what do I want to teach? Do I try and carry on their old teachings? Risk a new alliance coming to destroy me?"

I tried to shake off my melancholy, turning my attention back on Ket. "You never did explain how I connected to the Radiant Sea."

*It's simple enough, though not easy.* She accepted my diversion. *Your aspect must be refined enough to cover many concepts that are dreamed of, and then you gather enough mana to bridge the divide. That is all. But it is impossible to know before your trial if your aspect is refined enough. And the amount of mana is always enough to threaten your spirit's destruction.*

"So it was right before we met, when I first worked to heal Myta's sickness. It was my becoming veth that drew Kubek's gaze in the first place."

*Just so. The corrupt mana that threatened Kubek's lands was the very same that allowed you to cross the divide. Once crossed, the connection remains."

"And I am Myta's connection to the sea. That is how she ended up with vas of her own."

*Yes. That, and you also had an influence on their spirits. Should you die, she might retain the connection, or she might not. Such things depend on the whims of the divines.*

I guarded the camp for the first half of the night, trading with Myta near midnight. The others had recovered enough to wake easily in the morning, and I checked over their spirits for any signs of trouble. There were none. Hati's aspect of earth, and Denu's aspect of air were both clean and pure. Jito, oddly enough, had developed something closer to my own spirit. Not as all-encompassing as my aspect of refinement, but certainly related to improving himself. Like most conceptual aspects, it was difficult to get a precise read on.

Our progress had been rapid. Kubek's blessing was subtle, but powerful. None of our party had tripped or fallen, the underbrush parted for us at the slightest touch, and our footing was always certain. We walked through the densest jungle as though it were a well-paved road. Because of that, I wasn't concerned about getting a late start in the morning, I expected Jito, having just been tempered, to need extra rest. In fact, we all awoke early.

The second day we ate up the ground, the increased stamina of our group allowing us to push even harder. Ripe fruits practically fell onto us to ease our hunger and thirst. That night we barely made camp before falling onto our bedrolls.

On the afternoon of the third day, we caught up to our quarry.

Chapter 54

Denu drew us to a halt, staring at something, presumably some spoor of the group we were pursuing.

"They're not far ahead now," she advised us. "Eight in total, as we suspected. The warriors are in heavy armor in addition to their packs, I think. And our mystery sorcerer is very light."

Her perceptiveness seemed to have sharpened along with her spirit, and I was grateful for that. If Denu said we were close, we could be stumbling into the enemy at any time.

"Scout ahead. Try to get any information you can about their disposition." Myta said. "Above all else, try to avoid being seen. We need to catch them by surprise if we can."

Denu nodded and scampered off, while the rest of us checked and rechecked our readiness before following. Ket accompanied Denu, presumably to keep her hidden. I didn't worry myself over those details, Myta had it well in hand.

Without our pathfinder, we had to rely on our sense of Denu's location. Myta was more proficient at that than I, their connection being closer, but I still used the opportunity to practice sensing my vasra. It was becoming faster, more intuitive for me, and I was also growing more proficient at sensing Denu's state. And so I knew our quarry was setting camp, even before Ket informed us.

The spirit could not observe the group herself, as they were traveling under a ward, but Denu relayed the details through her. Two robed figures, those would be the known sorcerer and demon, as well as five soldiers. The last was a woman garbed in fine silks, who was apparently their reason for setting camp early. That would be our unknown sorcerer.

Their group set up camp in a small ravine, next to an equally small stream. It would be a terrible place for them if a storm hit, but the walls were tall enough to keep us from charging at them from the sides. Given the surroundings and short notice, it was liable to be the most secure position they could find.