47. Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Seven
Ryker
I met Theron on the roof several hours later after he returned from another realm.
“Anything?” I asked the dragon, desperate for good news.
He shook his large head. “No. I checked several realms, and she was not in any.”
I released a heavy breath. “Alright. I need to go to Pliyya then I want you to keep searching. But first, we need to get Nikan along the way.”
He growled slightly but Traveled me away when I placed a hand on his scaly leg. After getting Nikan at the Noavo encampment outside Acalen, Theron took us to Pliyya.
We appeared just outside the capital of Dusan behind a patch of trees barely large enough to hide Theron’s massive body.
“I’ll let you know when I need you,” I said as Nikan and I began to walk away, but we stopped short when a wolf as large as a small horse, materialized in front of us.
The creature—the Spirit—had white fur that glowed in the sunlight streaming through the trees. It bared its teeth and released a low, threatening growl. Theron lowered his head next to me, snapping at the wolf with smoke rippling through his fangs.
They stared at each other for a few moments in some silent conversation.
“Daciana has concerns you are here to harm her Worthy and insists you are not welcome in this Nation,” Theron said, relaying the words of Asmen’s Fylgjur.
“I’m not a threat to Asmen. I only wish to speak with her,” I said to the wolf.
Nikan stiffened. He couldn’t hear Theron’s thoughts and was wary of Asmen’s Guardian.
She looked at me for a moment before returning her gaze to Theron as they conversed again, completely ignoring the Roav next to me.
“You are permitted to speak with Udon’s Worthy, but she will remain in your presence for the duration of your stay,” Theron said after a minute. “I do not recommend stepping out of line near Daciana. She is a temperamental bitch who will attack you if she feels her Worthy is in danger. Behave so I do not have to eat her,” Theron huffed then disappeared into thin air.
I looked at Daciana who had her eyes narrowed at me. “Lead the way, Guardian.”
It had been nearly two hundred years since I stepped foot in the capital of my birth Nation and while so much had changed since then, it was shocking how much hadn’t. New homes had been erected, but the larger buildings had stayed the same. I didn’t need the Spirit wolf to guide me through the city, with its straight roads going north to south and east to west, it was the easiest city in the Nation to navigate. Not to mention the Pliyya palace was a beacon on the southern tip of the city where you could see the ocean on the horizon when you stood on the roof.
The atmosphere here was different. People walked calmly along the streets with a sense of refinement that mirrored their clean-cut appearance of light-colored attire and skin devoid of tattoo markings. It was astonishing how different I had become, with my body covered in black clothing, and my skin riddled with ink over my arms and torso.
It wasn’t surprising so many heads turned as we walked beside the wolf toward the Pliyya palace, not just because we looked so out of place amongst the citizens but because I was the Lord of another Nation. Very rarely, and generally not for good reasons, did Worthy enter other Nations. If uninvited, it was typically considered an act of war, but with Asmen’s Spirit beside me, the concerned looks eased a bit.
Winding our way through the city, we finally came to the Pliyya palace—a large rectangular building towered into the sky, made of cerulean-colored stone with a pyramidal roof. Skorn warriors of Dusan stood guard at the palace door, but upon seeing Daciana, they allowed us to pass. We were led through the foyer into a small sitting room where the wolf growled at us then left.
I assumed she went to retrieve Asmen, so I took the opportunity to glance at our surroundings. Colorful art decorated the walls above fashionable furniture, making the palace feel homey and engaging—
I stopped dead in my tracks when a voice I didn’t recognize sounded in my mind.
“The Lord of Oryn. How interesting.”
I spun on my heel to find Asmen, the new Worthy of Dusan standing in the doorway with a polite close-lipped grin. I remembered seeing her in the Temple of Odes during the Trial, but she looked different now.
Her rich, dark skin was swathed in a white dress that matched her Spirit wolf standing next to her. Her once half-shaven head of curly, black hair now extended down to her shoulder on one side and down to her waist on the other. The glint in her bright brown eyes reflected curiosity and intrigue.
My jaw nearly dropped when she spoke into my mind again.
“Welcome to Dusan, Lord Ryker. We have much to discuss.” Her eyes snapped to Nikan before returning to me. “In private.”
“Nikan, wait for me in the foyer. I’ll let you know when you can return.” I nodded toward the doorway.
Nikan and I had discussed him joining me. I tended to get a little hostile with these kinds of encounters, and he had political experience, regularly dealing with discrepancies between parties. Asking him to leave defeated the purpose of him being here, but this wasn’t my palace or my Nation so the respectful thing was to accommodate Lady Asmen’s wishes.
Nikan nodded then left the room, closing the door behind him.
“Lady Asmen,” I verbally replied to her intrusion. “You’re a mind wielder.”
Not only was being a mind wielder forbidden, but it was extremely rare. So rare, in fact, I had only ever encountered one other naturally-born mind wielder. I heard a few weeks later after meeting him he had been discovered by the Sages and was killed by the Nex. It took me by surprise, finding another person with mind abilities. Not to mention if she told anyone about mine…
“I’m not actually,” she said. “I’m a born air wielder, but my gift from Udon is imitation.”
I tilted my head to the side. I had never heard of a magical ability like that. The God of Mischief certainly gave her a unique gift.
Asmen sighed. “It’s more of a proximity thing. When I’m near someone, I can imitate their abilities, elemental or otherwise, but only to a certain degree. For example…”
She reached out her hand toward one of the fire-lit sconces and wielded it toward her, holding a small flame above her palm as it pulsed like a gentle heartbeat.
“I can manipulate fire when I’m near a fire wielder such as yourself, but I can’t create it, and it can still burn me. I can move water and wield terbis, but I can’t shape it or morph it. And with mind,” she paused, then spoke directly in my head, “I can hear your thoughts and speak in your mind, but I can’t do much else. Which means you can do so much more. Tell me, Lord Ryker, do you see memories? Do you erase them? Can you change my thoughts or even fill my mind with ones that were never there?”
I kept my mind focused on anything else than the answers, actively thinking of only her words over and over so she was hearing herself rather than the truth.
I cleared my throat. “That’s impressive. It’s a gifted ability I’ve never seen, and one that could be very beneficial.”
Imitating Jymar’s elemental negation came to mind specifically.
“And how would Lord Jymar’s negation be beneficial to me?” she asked, clearly having listened to my thoughts.
I leveled her with a hard stare. “It’s impolite to mind wield without permission,” I seethed.
Asmen shrugged. “I don’t really know how to stop it.”
In an instant, I penetrated her mind. I found as many memories as I could and grasped them, bringing them to the forefront and flooding her mind with them. She shook her head and blinked rapidly, trying to clear the thoughts. With her mind so overwhelmed, she was unable to hear my thoughts. Her hands came up to her head, grabbing it tightly, and she began whimpering.
“Learn how to stop it, or I will force you to,” I demanded.
Her wide eyes met mine with a look of pure horror.
I pulled back, releasing my hold on her memories and putting them back where they belonged. I heard her throwing around vulgar thoughts about me before I left her mind entirely.
“I’m just one Worthy. Imagine facing several coming for you. Which is exactly what will happen if you and I don’t work together. That’s why I’m here,” I said, bringing us to the reason I came to speak with her in the first place.
“And why do you believe they would come for me?”
“Because you’re alone. You’re new. You’ve never had to defend your Nation before, and the other Worthy will take advantage of that.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“I’m listening,” she said with a twinge of fear.
“First, I have a question. Do you know why the other Worthy denied a meeting with me?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
“Care to share?” I asked.
“They’re plotting to march on Atara and claim it once it’s fully restored. And at the rate the Glaev is disappearing, I’d say it’s going to happen soon,” she stated.
I stilled and narrowed my eyes. “How do you know about their plans? Are you in an alliance with them?”
“They certainly wanted me to be, but no. After the panel regarding your mating, Jymar and Dainos offered a handsome proposition. One that would result in sharing the land and resources of Atara, and giving Dusan a larger portion.”
“Why would they do that?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Because they wanted to use Dusan as the point of entry. Mainly to stay away from you. They can’t exactly march through Oryn, and you could meet them on the field in Riyah,” she said.
“And you denied their proposal?” I asked suspiciously. “Why?”
“I have morals. I think it’s wrong to capitalize on a dead Worthy’s land. Not to mention, I don’t want anyone from Ulrik in my Nation. It’s bad enough I have Gaol on one side of Dusan, I don’t want their filth on the other side too. ”
“Since you refused to work with them, does that mean you would be open to working with me? To protect Atara.” It was helpful enough that she wasn’t allowing Gaol and Ulrik to use Dusan as a strategic point of access to Atara, but if I could get her on my side, it could increase the chances of actually holding them off.
“You want me to send my people to fight for Atara, an empty Nation with no Worthy, not just once, but forever? I may be new to leading a Nation, but even I know that’s unrealistic,” she scoffed.
What’s the harm in telling her the truth?
“What if I told you Atara’s Worthy isn’t dead and she’s coming back? You wouldn’t have to help me protect it forever, just for a little while.”
Asmen bit her cheek as she contemplated this new information. After a moment, she nodded. “I’m intrigued. Why don’t we discuss it?” She gestured for us to sit.
“I’d like to bring Nikan back in if you don’t mind. He’s the brother to Worthy Kya.”
Asmen nodded.
I walked over and poked my head out the door and told Nikan to come in with us. I took the chair across from her while he sat in the chair beside mine.
“Start with where your mate is coming back from.” Asmen crossed her legs and leaned forward, listening intently.
I summarized what happened. That Kya fell into the Rip, sacrificing herself to rid the realm of the dark wielder, but that our bond hadn’t broken and I knew she was alive as well as Daegel. I explained that Daegel’s appearance after his fall was proof he was able to somehow travel between realms and that meant I could find some way of getting Kya back to ours.
Nikan stayed silent during the interaction, allowing me to lead until I needed his interference as previously discussed.
“So,” Asmen started after my explanation. “What would this cooperation between our three Nations entail?”
“Well, for starters, I want to ensure it will be mutually beneficial for all parties involved.” No matter what we agreed on, I would make certain Kya didn’t suffer simply because she wasn’t here. “That leaves our first order of business: what do you want out of this alliance?”
She raised her chin. “I want open trade between the three Nations, with permitted travel across the borders for merchants. I don’t want Dusan to rely on doing business solely with the other Nations if we’re going to war with them.”
Seemed reasonable. I nodded and opened my mouth to agree but stopped when Nikan spoke.
“With the agreement of single checkpoints for the inspection of goods. No prohibited merchandise should be allowed to pass any of the borders,” he said firmly.
Like demid.
“Agreed,” I said with a nod.
“Agreed,” Asmen replied. “And what is it that you want for Oryn and Atara?”
“Dusan fights alongside Oryn to protect Atara. This will also extend to Dusan if you were ever under the threat of attack. We would join forces in all instances of assault against our Nations.” It felt wrong setting terms and agreements on Kya’s behalf without her consent, but if I hadn’t, then there was a chance she wouldn’t have a Nation to come back to.
Asmen contemplated for a moment. “For how long?”
“Whether it’s for the next five years or five hundred—as long as you, Kya, and I live—the guidelines of our alliance will be upheld by all parties,” I offered. “Additionally, we should also be open and forthcoming with any and all information about the other Nations with one another. ”
“I can agree to these terms.” She nodded and leaned back in her seat.
“And that we keep each other’s gifted abilities a secret,” I said into her mind.
“I have no qualms with that whatsoever. It wouldn’t do either of us any good if our abilities were discovered, and we were killed. Having magic giving me forbidden abilities wasn’t what I anticipated.” She grinned.
It wasn’t a perfect agreement, but it was a start.
“Thank you, Lady Asmen,” I said as I stood to leave now that we had an agreement between our Nations. Nikan stood as well, bowing his head.
“What about Torx?” she asked, stopping me mid-step. “He hadn’t agreed with Jymar and Voron, but he didn’t flat-out deny them either.”
I sighed.
Fucking Dainos…
“We’ll be going there now. I’ll keep you informed.” I nodded, then we left.