The warnings were rife in his mind. The Oaths. He had made five in all, one for each of the stones in the pouch that Lucyanna had given him. But Jaerod had said there were four more—Nine Oaths in all. If he proved trustworthy of the five, he would earn the right to learn the others later. Only a true Ravinir had made them all. Yet they were secret—secret since the Shae had come to the world to save it. They were the origins of the Rules of Forbiddance. The promises made for keeping them gave him access to the wellspring of souls. The consequences of breaking them…he shuddered at the thought.
Memories swarmed through his mind, dashing through the hallways of his thoughts. Jaerod had tried to explain that they would come, but Thealos was unprepared for how much they distracted him. Most of the images were of a fighting art that had existed since the dawn of time—called the Way of Ice and Shadows. The Crimson Wolfsmen training involved only half of it—the Way of Ice. They had lost the Way of Shadows. A true Ravinir knew both, which is what gave them such advantages against their enemies. Fighting with weapons or without. Swords or staves or wicked-bladed daggers—each had a ritual of steps to follow, a technique that had been passed on for thousands of years. Thealos had access to them all. It would take a lifetime, even for a Shae, to master them. But the knowledge was his now. He could tap into that experience, the dead memories of his brothers. But the warnings were clear not to abuse it. Never to abuse it.
Or there would be consequences. Terrible consequences.
Jaerod had said he would be tempted to break the Oaths, that all Sleepwalkers were. Those who had failed to uphold the Oath magic were slowly shut off from the wellspring until the doors closed to them forever. When that happened, most had gone mad and taken their lives, contrary to the Oath of Life. Thealos hoped that it would never happen to him.
He looked down at his hand, cupping the stones. A grim smile quirked on his mouth. Lucyanna had gotten them from a Sleepwalker, though she did not know it. She and others could invoke the power of the stones to feign a Sleepwalker’s powers. But Jaerod had explained that as well. They were training stones. Once Thealos had engraved the five Oaths deep in his heart, he would no longer need them. He understood the runes marking each one and what they meant. It could take months or years to fully accept all the ramifications of the Oath magic. But it was heartening that he would not need to rely on their power forever.
A whirlwind of thoughts tumbled through his consciousness, shattering his concentration again. A Sleepwalker killing a Vocus. He closed his eyes, trying to snatch the image before it fled. The thoughts quavered before holding firm. Before the destruction of Ravin-Dranath, the Ravinir were the protectors of the Shae royal family. Those who practiced Forbidden magic had begun to assassinate the ruling line. They were twisted Shae—called the Kinshae. A full Ravinir could stand against a Vocus—a creature of darkness, the lives of men and women sewn together and distorted horribly. In a way, the creatures were of the wellspring. But it was a Forbidden way. Thealos knew the one hunting him would be following. He deliberately kept one of the stones in the pouch so that it would not stanch his sense of smell as it had in Sol. Other Shae would be able to sense the magic he was using. But it was a risk he had to take. Being caught off guard by a Vocus…
The memory tugged away and was gone, disappearing into the storm of memories. He would need to take time to practice. Every day of his life. The memories of the wellspring were his to tap into, but he could only cling to those he studied and mastered. The Oath magic was a teacher of the Way of Ice and Shadows, but only so long as he remained a pupil. A learner.
So many nuances to the term Ravinir.
So many secrets he would never be able to share. Not even with Laisha. Not with anyone until he had earned the right to be a teacher like Jaerod had. To wear the medallion and carry the sword.