Page 63 of A Conduit of Light
“Promise.”
* * *
“Karus,my dear, your hard work has not gone unnoticed.Isee a change in you these past few weeks, andIam proud of it.”BaronHeimlen’sblack glove squeezed her shoulder in the affection of a doting father seeing his efforts in raising his child come to light.
Shegrinned, happy to be recognized in such a way.Away that she had little experience of before, especially by a father-figure.
“Ican feel my purpose here,Baron.And,Iwant you to know thatIhave more to give.I…Ican feel it.”
“Yourpower is growing, child.Felgrenfeeds you each day you wake on its soil and gives you its light.Summerhas begun, but we still have time.”
Shehesitated as they walked to their training grounds.
Hewas wrong.
Herpower was not growing, and she was well aware of it.Herpower had always been there, ready to use as soon as she couldcontrolit.Felgrenwas not feeding hermorepower, but teaching her how to tame what had always been hers to wield.
Butsomething pulled at her power that she did not understand.Herstrength grew near theBlightfor a reason she could not determine, for a reason she could not research inViridis.Revichalso had not understood as she had tried to explain how theBlightseemed to call to her.
Shesqueezed the rhyzolm in her pocket.Holdingthe cool stone gave her comfort and she had been prone to taking it with her each morning and lovingly placing it back in the music box each night.
Itwas a reminder that she was loved, that she was content.Herheart was held and accepted.Witheach squeeze of her hand, she’d pour her joy into the piece ofRevshe was responsible for, the piece which joined them both.
“Yougrow quiet?Tellme your thoughts.”BaronHeimlensqueezed her shoulder again, an encouragement surely, and yet, she struggled to articulate what poured through her mind.
“Iwas just thinking…where do you think theBlightcame from?Imean, it’s been growing for years now, correct?”Shelooked up to his face as they entered the clearing, waiting forRevichto return from his time withFiguerahandClairanniain their training with healing spells this morning.
Hisgaze wandered in the direction of theBlight, its vast expanse of black too far to see from their current position but beating inFelgrenall the same. “Haveyou discovered any other stories of theBlightress,Karus?Onesyou have not heard before?”
Thequestion startled her. “Ihave found very little inViridis,Baron.ThoughIhave tried.Ido not believe the booksIwish to find exist there.Viridis…seems to live.Ithas a consciousnessIfeel each timeIenter its halls, and thoughIhave asked time and again, it has never given me another book on the history of theBlightress.Iwant to know more about her.Iwant to know what happened.Ibelieve she was real—Ithink you believe that, too.”
Hechuckled and groaned as he eased his body onto a rock,Karustaking his gloved hand to help him. “Youare correct.Ialso believe she existed.AndItoo feel the same whenIenterViridis.”Hesmiled and shook his head slightly, leaning on one knee as he gazed up at her. “IfIhadn’t brought you through the portal myself,Imight have thought you were born in this forest,Karus.Yourkeen eye for detail and intuition is not to be questioned,Isee.But, as to your search for more information on theBlightress…no.No,Ido not think you will find more inViridis.Ibelieve some manuscripts were taken out long ago.Somebooks reference them, but they do not show themselves.”
“So, books can be taken fromViridisthen?Arewe allowed to do that?CanIjust walk out with them?”
“Yes, to a certain extent.Viridis, as you andIknow, is alive, and just as it knows your name to enter, it knows your purpose in its halls as well.Andso, by that means,” he explained, sending a small wave toRevichcoming into the clearing, “if your purpose is clear on why you need the book,I’msureViridiswould let you have it.Clairannia, for example, might be able to leave with a book about the nerve structure of human limbs, whereasFiguerahwould likely never be able to do so.”
“Butif their roles were reversed…”Karusbit her lip, thinking of her purpose in those halls and what she might be able to steal away for a time.
“Yes, ifFiguerahwished to borrow a book about the migration habits of the greatAttatokHornedVintras, she would have no trouble.”
“WhereasClairanniawouldn’t be able to do it,”Karusfinished, a smile lighting her face as she held her hand out toRevich.Hetook it in his, kissing the top of her head in a wordless greeting.
“Ah, what haveImissed?Arewe discussing theHornedVintras?Figuerahshould be here then.Sheis a fountain of knowledge on anything with horns.”
Karuslaughed, nodding.Shewas about to ask just what aHornedVintraswas exactly when an ear-piercing scream echoed through the trees.Itwas high and deafening, and she pressed her hands to her ears, wincing at the pain of it.
“It’scoming from the direction of theBlight!”Revichyelled, jerking his head toward the thicket of trees to the north of theFortress. “Baron, you stay here!Karus, come with me!”
BaronHeimlennodded, covering his ears as silver wisps of his magic surrounded his hands, no doubt muting the sound.KarustookRevich’soutstretched hand, warm and tight in hers, as he led her toward the scream.Theecho of it caused massive flocks of birds to take flight above them.
Thesound paused for a few moments as they ran toward the decay,Karuscursing herself for wearing her thicker skirts which were more suited for colder days.
“Whatdo you think it could be?” she puffed out, her breath short as she yanked the dark mossy wool away from a particularly thorny bush.
“Ihave no idea.Beon your guard.”Hesqueezed her hand in reassurance, and they resumed their run through the thicket as the sound began again, closer this time and in short, resonating effects.
Somethingwas in pain, deep in a death rattle.Theweight of her worry sat heavy like a stone in her stomach, for she knew that theBlightplayed a role.
