Lament (Scars of the Sundering Book 2) (16 page)

Delilah smacked her lips. Her
mouth was dry from anticipation. There remained one untested initiate: her.
Some of what the students had been asked to do was unlike anything she’d
learned in all her years of practicing magic. There wasn’t much call for
grabbing boxes out of trees while fighting oroqs underground.

“Initiate Dra—“ Master Galina
frowned at her list of initiates and turned to the reviewing stand. “Really?
Initiate Drak? Isn’t that a bit demeaning?”

The crowd murmured. Black held up
his hand to silence them. “It is as it was entered by the archmage himself.”

“What utter nonsense.” Master
Galina faced Delilah. “Initiate, what is your name?”

The drak sorceress held her head
up high and stepped forward. “Delilah Windsinger, of Drak-Anor.”

“Enter that into the record. Very
well.” Master Galina rolled up her list and stowed it under her robes. “Can you
produce light?”

Delilah tilted her staff forward.
“
Fos
.” Azure mist gathered around the top of her staff and burst into a
ball of light.

“Initiate Delilah, I am going to
cast a spell at you. If it hits you, it will harm you. Do you understand?”

Delilah gulped and nodded.
Pancras knew shielding spells, but that was one area of magic she hadn’t
learned.

Master Galina pointed at Delilah.
“
Dynami velos!”

The drak twisted and dove
forward. She felt the magical bolt pass over her back as she rolled and came to
her knees with her staff pointed at Master Galina. “
Oph
—
”

A blast of energy from the
reviewing stands knocked Delilah off her feet, sending her skidding across the
yard.

White stood, his staff pointed at
Delilah. “Initiates are not permitted to retaliate against masters.”

Delilah leaned on her staff as
she rose to her feet. “Apologies. It was a reflex.” That much, at least, was
true. Combat was second nature to the drak sorceress after years of dodging and
fighting dwarfs, oroqs, and the other hostile denizens of the underworld.

“You did not shield yourself.”
Black was standing now.

“Nevertheless, she was not struck
by Master Galina’s spell.” White lowered his staff.

“Proceed,” they intoned as one.

“Initiate Delilah.” Master Galina
gestured toward the Blood Oak. “There is one box remaining in the tree. Use
your magic to retrieve it, please.”

Yeah, sure. I’ll just wish it
over here.
Delilah lacked experience in both levitation and telekinesis. She
tapped the butt of her staff on the grass and gathered the threads of magic to
her as she thought. She had an idea, but she didn’t know if it would be
accepted.
Better to fail trying then to not try at all, I suppose.

“Ageliofedros.
” A
glowing blue bogging popped into existence at Delilah’s feet. As she knelt
before it, she heard the crowd murmur and giggle. “Tell Conner I need his help.
Ask if he’ll come to me, please.”

The boggin yipped and ran into
the crowd, stopping in front of the dark-skinned boy. Master Galina cleared her
throat and turned to the reviewing stand. “I do not see how this is relevant to
the test.”

Black eyed White and then
addressed Master Galina. “Let it play out.”

“She has not failed yet.” White
nodded in agreement.

Conner stepped over to Delilah,
his brow furrowed with concern. His eyes darted from Delilah to Master Galina,
to the reviewing stand, and back. “I’m here. Master Galina?”

“Well? Proceed, Initiate
Delilah.”

Delilah chuckled and looked up at
Conner. “I can’t quite reach it. Can you retrieve that box for me? Please? I’ll
owe you an ale or something.”

The novice stammered and looked
at the tree.

“Get on with it, Novice.”

Conner pulled a wand out of his
robes. Emerald energy swirled around him. “
Dynami antikeimeno kalesei.
”
The wooden box in the tree shuddered and then flew through the air toward him
in a lazy arc. He put his wand in his pocket and caught the box. Then, he
passed it to Delilah. He bowed to the reviewing stand and returned to his place
in the crowd.

Delilah placed the box at Master
Galina’s feet. The wizard drew her lips tight and shook her head. “I do not
believe that is the correct solution to this part of the trial.”

Tapping from the reviewing stand
drew their attention. Black and White again stood, and, in succession,
addressed Master Galina.

“An improper solution.
Unintended.”

“A clever use of resources.”

“Explain yourself.”

Delilah licked her lips. Master
Galina nudged her. “Well? The high wizards have addressed you.”

“I was not taught levitation or
telekinesis. I don’t know how to work that kind of magic.”

White looked at Black. “Did not
learn?”

“Who taught you what you know and
not that?”

“I taught myself. The archmage
sure hasn’t cared to teach me anything.”

The crowd gasped and murmured
until they were silenced by Black’s upraised hand. “Proceed with the final
test.”

Master Galina sighed and shook
her head. She pointed at the training dummies. “You’ve seen what the other
students did. Can you do that, at least?”

I’ll show her.
Delilah
snorted and stepped toward the targets. She reached deep within her and
concentrated. Normally, she didn’t focus the type of magic she prepared to
perform too tightly, but she desired both precision and effect. The azure
tendrils near the top of her staff swirled and coiled around her head. “
Synnefotone
shifone!”

A cloud of whirling blades
appeared around the training dummy. Wood splintered as they tore into it,
sending great clumps of hay into the air and shredding the stand to which the
dummy was attached. When Delilah dismissed the effect, nothing remained where
the dummy stood, save a ragged stump.

The crowd stood in stunned
silence. In the distance, a lone bird chirped. Then, applause and cheers
erupted from the assembled students. Delilah turned to the crowd and bowed.
When she faced Master Galina once more, the older woman regarded Delilah with a
sour expression.

“Not exactly what we were looking
for, but I cannot argue with the results.”

“Impressive conjuration.”

“Not in our curriculum for
initiates. Well done.”

Master Galina quieted the crowd.
She reviewed her checklist. “You are lacking several key skills, yet seem to
excel in other, more advanced areas. You will remain an initiate until you can
pass the trials in the intended fashion.”

“What? Pacha’s blue balls, you
smooth-skinned—” Delilah bit her tongue to avoid issuing curses some of the
younger initiate probably shouldn’t hear until they were older. Master Galina’s
sour face tightened. Delilah wasn’t sure if it was possible for a human to
frown hard enough to split the skin and slough it off their skulls, but she had
a feeling she was about to find out.

“The drak’s knowledge is
incomplete.”

“Her time studying this week has
been wasted.”

“What studying?” Delilah stepped
past Master Galina and addressed the Black and White Wizards directly.
“Archmage Ma—the archmage has done nothing but lecture me about the history of
the university and arcane focus creation for the past week. The only time I’ve
spent with any of the masters was the first day when I scrubbed cauldrons for
Master Agata. No one has even tried to teach me—”

The Black Wizard stood and raised
his hand. “That will be remedied.”

The White Wizard nodded his
assent. “You will be remanded to a master for private instruction to bring your
basic skills up to the level they need to be to pass the Initiate Trials.”

“I volunteer!” A melodious voice
rose above the murmurs of the crowd. A slender, nut-brown-skinned man stepped
forward. His pointed ears swept upward, poking through his dark, mossy hair.

An elf? Oh, fantastic.
Delilah
rubbed her snout and sighed.
This gets better and better
. Despite
warming relations with Celtangate, Delilah never cared much for the elven
traders who came to Drak-Anor. They all seemed very aloof and self-important to
her.

“Master Valyrian.” Master Galina
bowed. “Good to see you back safely.”

“Indeed! I will teach this drak
what she needs to learn. Her skills are quite advanced from what I’ve seen here
today, but she is lacking in some appalling ways.” He stepped around Delilah as
he spoke, ogling her in a way that made her feel like a piece of meat in a shop
window.

“Very well.” Master Galina faced
the crowd. “Congratulations to our new novices. Those of you who failed, study
hard and do not be discouraged. The arcane arts require practice and skill. We
will hold more trials one week from today. Be ready!”

Master Valyrian patted Delilah on
the shoulder and gestured for her to follow him. She rolled her eyes at the elf
and caught Katka’s reassuring gaze as she passed. The elf’s tone was too
cheerful for Delilah’s taste as he walked alongside her. “Come, Initiate
Delilah! You have a week left as an initiate, so let’s make the most of it.”

* * *

The fire crackled and popped as
stars appeared in the moonless sky. Gisella squatted by a pot hanging over the
fire and stirred the stew within. Pancras removed the gilded tips of his horns
and polished them with a rag while Edric wrangled their horses. Smiling, Qaliah
leaned against the tree, observing the dwarf’s struggles.

Gisella’s hair was unbound now,
and Pancras understood why she was called the Golden Slayer. Her blonde locks
fell past her shoulders and glowed like molten gold in the reflected firelight.
The same reflected light danced across the scales of her armor. It was
mesmerizing in a way. She caught Pancras staring at her and flashed a lopsided
grin.

“Admiring the view?” She tossed
her hair over her shoulder and banged the spoon on the edge of the pot. Gisella
stepped over to Pancras and sat down, leaning against her saddle.

“I was contemplating the Golden
Slayer, yes.” Pancras held the gold tip up to the light. Satisfied it was as
clean as it could be, he fitted it over the tip of his horn. “You’re not what I
expected.”

“Thank you.” Gisella tilted her
head in gratitude. “I pride myself on defying expectations. I do my job well,
make no mistake. I’m a Watchmaiden. I know how to fight, but that doesn’t mean
I cannot enjoy life as well. There’s no need to be dour all the time, especially
if one has a reputation as a fierce warrior.”

Dwarvish cursing filled the air
as Edric struggled with the horses. Pancras glanced his way to make sure the
dwarf wasn’t in over his head. As Edric secured them for the night, he seemed
to be frustrated rather than actually in trouble. Qaliah offered suggestions
that seemed to compound Edric’s difficulties.

Deciding he would be a hindrance
if he offered to help Edric, Pancras returned his attention to Gisella. “One
could mistake you for two different people.”

“One face I wear when dealing
with The Manless and the other slayers”—Gisella’s eyes narrowed—“or when I’m
hunting renegades.” Her smile returned. “The other is for everyone else. Only
my enemies need fear me, and thus far, I do not count you among them. You’ve
been pleasantly cooperative. For that, I thank you.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” Pancras
fitted the second tip over his horn.

“So”—Gisella wrapped her arms
around her legs and leaned forward—“what gods do you pray to?”

The question took Pancras by
surprise. The last thing he expected from this feminine warrior was a
discussion on theology. “Aita.” He shook his head. “But I seldom pray to her.
She doesn’t listen.” The goddess of death and the underworld had little time
for the concerns of the living.

Edric stepped over to the stew
pot and stirred the contents before sitting down. “Damned horses, and damn that
fiendling.”

As if on cue, Qaliah joined them
at the fire. She laughed and slapped Edric’s shoulder. “Most people think I’m
damned already, Edric.”

Gisella glanced over at Edric.
“How about you, Dwarf? What gods’ ears do you bend?”

Edric looked up. “Eh? Oh, I
sometimes visit shrines to Aurora and Pacha. When I’m tense.” Pancras guessed
exactly what Edric meant.

“Indeed.” Gisella raised an
eyebrow as she regarded the dwarf. “I’ll bet you’re the life of the party.”

“Oh, aye. I’ve been ejected from
me clan and banished from me home.”

“Aurora and Pacha, eh? Sex and
spirits! Good choices.” Qaliah laughed and nudged Edric. He scowled and moved
away from her. “I like them when I need to unwind, too. Nothing like grabbing a
bottle of Pacha’s finest and seeking ‘enlightenment’ from a comely lad or lass
of Aurora.”

“There’s more to the worship of
Aurora than carnal pleasures, Qaliah. I would gladly expound on that later for
you.” Gisella returned her gaze to the minotaur. “I would have expected you to
revere Selene, Pancras. Any particular reason you do not?”