them to serve. We have been kept safe from such a fate in the kingdoms, protected over the years by the barrier, but now that it has fallen…”
Roine took a deep breath, studying the map. “And who is to say what is beyond the sea? Out beyond the reaches of where these maps could go, beyond where even the ancients risked shaping themselves, there could be even more land, other places, equally eager to invade. Such is the way of the world, Tannen. Such is the reason we must remain vigilant.”
He paused to meet Tan’s eyes. There was sadness in the way he stared at Tan openly, his brow creased and his jaw tightly clenched. Roine had stuffed his hands into his pockets while studying the map and now pulled them out, crossing his arms over his chest. “I understand your desire to see peace. I really do. And I know that you have seen more bloodshed and death than any man your age. Few alive have experienced the horrors that you have witnessed and none would have survived, and certainly not with nearly the grace you’ve shown. But even when we stop Par-shon—and we will stop them from attacking the kingdoms—another will come. It might not be Incendin. It might not even be one of these places on this map, but the kingdoms must remain vigilant.”
Tan was silent for a few long moments. He sensed Amia standing behind him, her concern coming clearly through their bond. He could sense his mother watching him, his spirit ability telling him that she watched him with concern that mirrored what Amia felt. And then Roine. As much as he might say the words, buried beneath them was a sense of hope, a part of him that refused to believe even what he said.
That was what Tan would have to appeal to. If not now, then when everything was done. It was hope that would see them through, that would give them the chance of success even when everything else seemed lost. If Roine couldn’t find it, then what chance did anyone else?
6
Another Request
T an sat in the home that he and Amia had shared since coming to Ethea. He needed time to gather his thoughts, and he didn’t know where else to go. Normally, he would go to the lower level of the archives, but it felt empty without Amia with him. At least in the home that he shared with her— had shared with her—he could still feel the effect of her presence.
Flames danced in the hearth, saa drawn to them as it so often was. The window opened to the outside, letting the cool wind blow into the room. An occasional warmer gust fed by Honl and the ashi elemental competed, but for the most part, these lands belonged to ara. When he had more time, he would have to understand the reason the elementals were more powerful in some lands than in others. A nagging sense told him the answer was important.
Tan sat in the chair facing the hearth, the aged and cracked book he’d brought up from the lower level of the archives lying untouched on his lap. He was unable to focus on anything other than what Roine had told him.
Could it really not matter if they stopped Par-shon? Maybe he was right. The kingdoms had dealt with Incendin, and now the threat was Par-shon. What would be next?
Hemight be destined for more bloodshed, forced to confront the Utu Tonah—everything that he’d seen told him that he would need to do that—but the kingdoms could know peace. He thought of the children, those born out of Althem’s betrayal, and prayed that they would not know the same hardship he had. Already they had the wrong start, born of a father who had used spirit in a way that went against everything the Great Mother intended.
He sighed, staring at the fire. His fear for peace ran deeper than only the shapers who would be impacted. It extended to the elementals, to the draasin, barely returned to this world and already threatened again. Shapers and an ancient fear had nearly destroyed them, but those ancient shapers had been mistaken in how they treated the draasin. The elementals were harnessed, forced
Roine took a deep breath, studying the map. “And who is to say what is beyond the sea? Out beyond the reaches of where these maps could go, beyond where even the ancients risked shaping themselves, there could be even more land, other places, equally eager to invade. Such is the way of the world, Tannen. Such is the reason we must remain vigilant.”
He paused to meet Tan’s eyes. There was sadness in the way he stared at Tan openly, his brow creased and his jaw tightly clenched. Roine had stuffed his hands into his pockets while studying the map and now pulled them out, crossing his arms over his chest. “I understand your desire to see peace. I really do. And I know that you have seen more bloodshed and death than any man your age. Few alive have experienced the horrors that you have witnessed and none would have survived, and certainly not with nearly the grace you’ve shown. But even when we stop Par-shon—and we will stop them from attacking the kingdoms—another will come. It might not be Incendin. It might not even be one of these places on this map, but the kingdoms must remain vigilant.”
Tan was silent for a few long moments. He sensed Amia standing behind him, her concern coming clearly through their bond. He could sense his mother watching him, his spirit ability telling him that she watched him with concern that mirrored what Amia felt. And then Roine. As much as he might say the words, buried beneath them was a sense of hope, a part of him that refused to believe even what he said.
That was what Tan would have to appeal to. If not now, then when everything was done. It was hope that would see them through, that would give them the chance of success even when everything else seemed lost. If Roine couldn’t find it, then what chance did anyone else?
6
Another Request
T an sat in the home that he and Amia had shared since coming to Ethea. He needed time to gather his thoughts, and he didn’t know where else to go. Normally, he would go to the lower level of the archives, but it felt empty without Amia with him. At least in the home that he shared with her— had shared with her—he could still feel the effect of her presence.
Flames danced in the hearth, saa drawn to them as it so often was. The window opened to the outside, letting the cool wind blow into the room. An occasional warmer gust fed by Honl and the ashi elemental competed, but for the most part, these lands belonged to ara. When he had more time, he would have to understand the reason the elementals were more powerful in some lands than in others. A nagging sense told him the answer was important.
Tan sat in the chair facing the hearth, the aged and cracked book he’d brought up from the lower level of the archives lying untouched on his lap. He was unable to focus on anything other than what Roine had told him.
Could it really not matter if they stopped Par-shon? Maybe he was right. The kingdoms had dealt with Incendin, and now the threat was Par-shon. What would be next?
Hemight be destined for more bloodshed, forced to confront the Utu Tonah—everything that he’d seen told him that he would need to do that—but the kingdoms could know peace. He thought of the children, those born out of Althem’s betrayal, and prayed that they would not know the same hardship he had. Already they had the wrong start, born of a father who had used spirit in a way that went against everything the Great Mother intended.
He sighed, staring at the fire. His fear for peace ran deeper than only the shapers who would be impacted. It extended to the elementals, to the draasin, barely returned to this world and already threatened again. Shapers and an ancient fear had nearly destroyed them, but those ancient shapers had been mistaken in how they treated the draasin. The elementals were harnessed, forced
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