16. Chapter Sixteen #2
"Is this what the King told us about at the opening feast?" I take a step back as scorching heat rises from Felix's stick that just caught fire. Cayzenn rips it out of his hand and throws it to the ground, stomping out the flames with his heavy boot before giving his brother a sharp glare.
"Let's not burn the whole forest down." Felix glares back and I repeat my question, mostly to break the growing tension between them.
"It is," Jeska replies, stripping off her jacket to reveal perfectly fitting deep blue leathers.
"Nobody comes out here much, so we're not sure when it happened exactly.
Last time, the spots were a little cooler when we found them, so it has to be fairly recent.
We're here to collect samples so it can be compared to the Envenar soil.
Not that we have a way to retrieve that.
Even collecting this is proving difficult, as you just saw, since the surface is so hot, it burns or liquifies anything it touches. "
To prove her point, she scatters a handful of fresh green leaves across it, where they shrivel and brown before disintegrating, not even catching alight. "That's part of what we're–"
"Enough, Jes," Cayzenn growls in warning, and she stops talking.
He stands, turning to face us. "This is all classified.
You three shouldn't even be here, so anything you see and hear does not go any further.
Once we figure out how to collect and contain samples, our part will be done for now.
The King's guard will take them to the Grotto to be analyzed, ideally with you in tow. "
Ever the curious solutions-focused Adaptor, Felix asks, "What about using the halite canisters to hold it?
I know they're important for food, but they hold up under extreme external heat.
I don't see why it wouldn't be the same being scorched internally.
I can modify the lids to create small vents so they don't retain as much heat. Shouldn't be a problem."
Jeska smiles down at him, considerably warmer now. "You know, that's actually not a bad idea. I'll go see what we have in Lira's pack."
Before she can take a step, my sister holds out a stack of canisters she's pulled out of her bag while we've been talking.
"Most of ours are already empty too." Drea shrugs, flashing a hint of a smile and handing them to Felix, who makes quick work of using his bluish-purple magic to shape one into a round container and another into a rudimentary scoop.
We collectively hold our breath as he carefully dips it into the ashen soil, collecting a small amount and waiting for the material to bubble or melt, cheering when it holds strong, only clouding slightly when the lid is tightened.
"Good thinking," Cayzenn grins, clapping Felix on the back, earlier tension forgotten.
"Absolutely brilliant," I agree, and he beams proudly, no doubt at the rare praise from his brother and seeing his invention in action. The two of them carefully repeat the process until the containers they're willing to spare have been filled, labelled, and packed for transport.
As they finish up, rapid hoofbeats alert us to a new arrival.
A boy around twelve jumps down from a small pony and races to Cayzenn, handing him a folded note.
Running back immediately and vaulting onto the animal's back, he gallops away before the Commander's finished his thanks. He scans it and calls to Jeska.
"The fresh produce and supplies from Raviaz have arrived at the inn. Do me a favor and ride ahead to the kitchens to sort out the provisioning like we discussed. Take my sister. She may as well learn something while she's here. We'll come back once we've built a barrier around the spot."
She nods, and the two of them leave, crossing paths with the man with long black braids I think is called Nav.
He found a dead tree deeper into the forest and needs the two Endurers—Drea and Xaavi—to use their magic to yank it out of the earth so he can cut the dry wood into planks with the double-ended saw he conjures.
Apparently, they're building a makeshift wall around the outside of the shimmering silver dome Cayzenn created with a flick of his hand.
So much casual magic usage, it has my stomach tied in knots.
Nav and Hendrix deal with the wood while the rest of us ferry heavy rocks up from the river, a filthy, excruciating task I suspect is at least partially for my benefit, or at my expense, when I see Cayzenn not even trying to hide his grin every time he passes me on the return trip, carrying more than double what I am.
His words about seeing if I can handle today force me to bite my tongue and push on whenever I'm tempted to give up.
Hours or maybe decades later, with obliterated fingernails and covered in slimy river moss, I slide to the ground, collapsing against a boulder to drain my waterskin. The laugh I expected when he sees I've surrendered doesn't eventuate.
The Commander only drops down to sit next to me, holding out a green apple I have no interest in touching while I look and feel this filthy. "Turns out you're not a princess after all," he concedes after demolishing the piece of fruit in a few bites.
"Given how much you like princesses, sorry to disappoint," I retort.
He chooses not to sate my curiosity about him and Coria, instead narrowing his eyes. "How are you enjoying your first time out of the city? Is it everything you dreamed of so far?"
Tired of his bullshit games, I decide to call him on it. "Is that what this is? You think a little hard work is going to scare me off? Or was it just to prove I couldn't handle it?"
"It wasn't that," he replies. I must look dubious, because he relents. "Ok, it wasn't only that. I wanted you to have a small dose of what it's like before offering you a deal to consider."
"One that involves me going back to Raviaz or to the Grotto?"
"A deal where you, and unfortunately probably my siblings, come with us when we leave tomorrow. I'm finding it hard to accept you would risk so much just to see flowers bloom."
He holds out a palm when I open my mouth to protest. "I heard you loud and clear last night, and, believe it or not, I do understand wanting something of your own.
We have another mission to complete now, or I'd think about escorting the three of you along the road myself, reckless as it is.
If you're sure you won't go home, you can tag along with us.
I guarantee you'll see a whole lot more than you could ever imagine. "
"Where are you going? The bloom only happens for a week or two at most. I don't want to miss it." Or, more accurately, I have less than six weeks to get to Orz and find my sister.
"We're heading in that direction, sort of. I'll try to get you to the crescent fields once we complete our mission, if it's feasible. Otherwise, you can head to the Grotto or back to the city tomorrow."
"I can't afford the delay," I protest again, even though the offer isn't entirely unreasonable.
"A delay with a high chance of still making it to your ludicrous destination sounds a whole lot better than heading home to face the consequences of treason, if you ask me, Reyaal. Which, of course, you didn't." He jumps to his feet, clearly not even slightly fatigued from today's exertions.
Something about the injustice of that infuriates me. "Oh, we’re doing the last name thing now? If we tag along, it could get a little confusing, you know, since there'll be three of you. If that's what you want, though, I can call you Adiston."
He leans closer, picking a stray twig out of my hair before grabbing my hands and tugging me to my feet, crowding my space. "How about you call me sir, like all my new subordinates do."
Subordinate? Ha, yeah, not happening. He can go straight to the hell realms. I force myself to drop my shoulders and laugh, my usual approach when dealing with egotistical men.
"I thought we already established that I'm not your subordinate. I don't have to use any of your titles or obey your orders. In fact, I have every right to saddle my horse and go wherever I want.”
He drops my hands with a chuckle. "Relax.
It was a joke. Come on. Let's go back so I can fill you in on the conditions of my offer.
I'm sure you'll be relieved none of them have anything to do with how you choose to address me.
" Did he just tell me to relax? Stars give me strength.
I'm not usually one for violence, but for him, I might just make an exception.