Age of Swords (The Legends of the First Empire #2)

“No.” Nyphron leaned over to clean his blade on Rapnagar’s hair. “I meant it’s strange that Furgenrok is capable of thinking.”

Arion took another step forward, coming so close that she could touch the giant’s ear if she wanted. “What did this Vertumus say? What did he ask of you exactly?”

“Said there were herds of Rhunes in the south for us to eat if we killed Arion, Nyphron, and Raithe. He also said Petragar was the new lord of the Rhist now that Zephyron was dead and his son Nyphron had turned traitor. We were also told that the Instarya wouldn’t enforce the ban anymore, and we’d be allowed to feast on any Rhunes we came across.”

“Were any Miralyith with you?” Arion asked.

“Nope. Not even Vertumus showed up for the fight. But they said we’d have help. They were sending a storm to soften things up and show us where to go. The lightning would indicate where you were. Most hit the Rhune fort, but I noticed the bolts up here and came to check.”

“From how far away can a Miralyith create a storm?” Nyphron asked Arion.

“Depends. If they used the Valentryne Layartren…”

“The what now?”

“It’s a room in Avempartha, the tower that sits on top of a waterfall just west of—”

“I’ve seen it.”

“Ah, well, the tower gathers the power of rushing water and channels it to a chamber. It significantly improves the ability of anyone utilizing it. The tower is excellent for finding things. Working together, teaming up, I suspect a group of Miralyith could attack us all the way up here. Lothian would just need to issue waivers from the Law of Ferrol.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s done that.” Nyphron frowned as he rubbed his chin, a hard look in his eyes. “My guess is he’s granted universal immunity to everyone. Probably placed a bounty on our heads as well.”

Arion looked concerned. She stared at the ground near her feet, wet her lips, and then said in an ominous tone, “They can kill us, but we can’t kill them.”

Nyphron smiled at that. “Well, not exactly. We just can’t use our own hands. So long as it isn’t our arms that swing the sword, Ferrol will look the other way.”

“When did you become an Umalyn priest?”

“It’s true, isn’t it? If I convince you to kill another Fhrey, the Law of Ferrol descends on you, not me. The act, not the instigator, is punished.”

“Strikes me as manipulative and self-serving, even cowardly.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t make the rules. Ferrol did. Personally, I prefer to see it as allies coming together in a common cause against a common enemy. Sounds so much better that way, don’t you think?”

Arion sighed.

“Now, if you don’t have any other questions, I’ll be putting Mr. Rapnagar out of the misery he’s called his life.”

“What?” Arion gasped. “No!”

“No, what?” Nyphron asked. “No, you don’t have anything else to ask?”

“No, she doesn’t want you to kill me,” Rapnagar shouted.

“Stay out of this,” Nyphron snapped. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“This has everything to do with me. You said if I talked, you’d let me live. And I did. You need to hold up your side of the bargain.”

“The giant is right,” Arion said. “You aren’t going to kill him. You made the deal. Now honor your word.”

“See, that’s the difference between you and me. While I tend to be pragmatic, you let idealism cloud your judgment. I can’t kill you…well, I could, but not without severe repercussions for breaking Ferrol’s Law…but I most certainly can kill Rapnagar. And believe me, he deserves it.”

“I don’t, and you made a vow!” the giant shouted.

“He’s right, you did,” Arion said.

Nyphron rolled his eyes. “No, I didn’t. I only promised. A vow is different. I promised my father I’d accept Lothian as my fane if he failed in the challenge; I also promised Tekchin he could have the last chunk of bread last night, and I promised myself I wouldn’t drink to excess anymore. I’m lousy at keeping promises.”

“Well…well…then I vowed on your behalf,” Arion said.

Nyphron shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”

“Someone did!” Rapnagar yelled.

“There wasn’t any vow,” Nyphron said. “Neither one of us swore to anything. We just engaged in a weak agreement, which I am willing to break.”

“I’m not,” Arion declared.

“Fine.” Nyphron pointed. “You stand over there. Look away if you like.”

“Absolutely not! I assured this Grenmorian he would be set free, and he will. Now put your sword away before I melt that little toy.”

Nyphron hesitated. Arion’s hands came up.

“Okay.” He dropped the sword back into its scabbard. “But you’re making a mistake. Rapnagar, well all of the Grenmorians really, is monstrous. Grygor being the one exception. If the situation were reversed, Rapnagar would be burping you up right now.”

“Suri.” Arion waved the mystic over. “Remember how I discussed teaching you? Well, today you’re going to begin your first practical lesson in the Art. You’re going to free this giant.”

Suri had never done anything more than start fires and cast bones, and freeing the giant was as unlikely as restoring the trees or bringing Magda back to life. If such things were possible, she certainly wouldn’t put any energy into helping Rapnagar.

As a rule, Suri didn’t dislike anyone, but she would make an exception for him. He had destroyed the rol—one of her favorites—and was, by his own admission, in league with those who’d murdered Magda and Suri’s other friends, like the beautiful young maple. Suri had only recently become acquainted with the sapling who was now lying in a pile of debris, snapped in half three feet up from her roots. Suri had been surprised Wogan hadn’t killed the giant during the night. She imagined rodents gnawing out the giant’s eyes and burrowing into his head. While Suri wasn’t overly fond of Nyphron, she sided with him about how to deal with the giant.

“This might take a little while,” Arion told the Instarya. “I don’t want to rush her. So you can go back if you like.”

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving,” he said, moving to sit on the body of a freshly fallen birch. Suri didn’t know the birch, but he looked like he’d been nice. “I’d love to see how one teaches magic, this Art of yours.”

Arion shrugged. “Suri, we in the Miralyith call the ability to use the power of the world the Art, because it’s such a creative process. While there are basic foundations, principles, and techniques, just as you would find in any artistic endeavor, these are only guides. They are mostly designed to assist students to grasp ideas, to get them started. But I think you’ll find there are no genuine rules except those you set for yourself. Some of these will be choices you make; others will be made for you, simply because of who you are.”