before taking the next
step.’
Seteal felt a rush of giddying
curiosity shake her bubble of control and she fell away. ‘What’d
you do that for?’ she complained, opening her eyes. The curiosity
had not belonged to her.
‘ New reis are always
so reluctant to start thinking again,’ Far-a-mael said
dismissively. ‘But as enjoyable as it is not to do so, at times we
all must take time to think. So, how was it?’
‘ Amazing.’ Seteal
couldn’t help but show her excitement. ‘Everything was so clear and
yet there was nothing there to be clear. I just felt . . . free.
Can Elglair do that whenever they want?’
‘ Actually, anybody
can.’ Far-a-mael tapped his finger thoughtfully. ‘Probably not to
the same depth as us, but all the same it’s simple meditation, a
practice that’s existed for thousands of years. The good news is, I
only helped you at the beginning. After that, you stabilised
yourself.’
‘ Can I learn more?’
Seteal asked eagerly.
‘ No,’ Far-a-mael
replied. ‘Go away and practice what I’ve shown you. If you need
help relaxing, ask for El-i-miir’s assistance. If I feel you’re
ready, we’ll take the next step tomorrow evening. From there, we’ll
be able to see exactly what you’re made of.’
Seteal stood up and headed for the
exit.
‘ Just one more thing
before you go,’ Far-a-mael called. ‘How much do you know about
silts?’
‘ They avoid us and we
avoid them.’ Seteal turned and shrugged. ‘Old people think they’re
demons or something. They’re the cause of all the whisps further
south. That’s all, I think.’
‘ Demons,’ Far-a-mael
scoffed. ‘They are such silly old stories, aren’t they? My dear
girl, silts are much, much more dangerous than the fabled demons
depicted in the Holy Tome.’
‘ Oh?’ Seteal
responded. She was confused as to why he’d even raise such a topic.
Something strange was happening. Far-a-mael was doing something to
her. Seteal gasped as she felt a sharp hatred welling up inside her
chest. It was not her own, but it made her feel powerful and before
long she was basking in loathing, relishing its bitter
taste.
‘ I know you can feel
it comes from me,’ Far-a-mael intoned, ‘but that doesn’t make it
any less true. You’ve lived too much of your life sheltered from
the knowledge of such foul creatures. It is only ignorance that
prevents these feelings from being yours rather than mine. Harness
them. Take them in and believe them. They are the truth. If you
could only know . . . this is what you must always feel toward such
creatures. Feed your hatred for the wicked, grotesque, and, yes, in
many ways, demonic beings.’
Seteal’s head spun. Her fingers
tingled. She could hardly see Far-a-mael’s face and became lost in
her mind. The blood felt hot as it rushed by her ears. Creatures
with leathery wings screamed as she hunted them. Seteal put a sword
through a demon heart and laughed as its blood drained away in
torrents. The repulsion she felt for the wicked creatures was
second to none. Bile rose in Seteal’s throat, such was the sickness
they caused her. She would cut open their pallid white flesh. She
would create justice. She would kill them all. The earth would be
cleansed in the blood of demons to usher in a new age of peace and
security.
‘ Seteal.’ The word
buzzed but meant nothing. ‘Seteal?’ Far-a-mael’s face revealed his
concern as the tent swam into perspective.
Seteal rubbed at her arms, suddenly
feeling the cold. Had the old man been speaking? Or had it all been
in her head? ‘What’d they do for you to hate them so much?’ She
asked.
‘ What did who do,
dear?’ Far-a-mael raised his eyebrows.
‘ The silts. What’d
they do to you?’
‘ Why in Maker’s name
would you be pondering such creatures at a time like this?’
Far-a-mael’s expression was one of bewilderment.
‘ I . . . ’ Seteal
shook her head, but for the life of her, she
step.’
Seteal felt a rush of giddying
curiosity shake her bubble of control and she fell away. ‘What’d
you do that for?’ she complained, opening her eyes. The curiosity
had not belonged to her.
‘ New reis are always
so reluctant to start thinking again,’ Far-a-mael said
dismissively. ‘But as enjoyable as it is not to do so, at times we
all must take time to think. So, how was it?’
‘ Amazing.’ Seteal
couldn’t help but show her excitement. ‘Everything was so clear and
yet there was nothing there to be clear. I just felt . . . free.
Can Elglair do that whenever they want?’
‘ Actually, anybody
can.’ Far-a-mael tapped his finger thoughtfully. ‘Probably not to
the same depth as us, but all the same it’s simple meditation, a
practice that’s existed for thousands of years. The good news is, I
only helped you at the beginning. After that, you stabilised
yourself.’
‘ Can I learn more?’
Seteal asked eagerly.
‘ No,’ Far-a-mael
replied. ‘Go away and practice what I’ve shown you. If you need
help relaxing, ask for El-i-miir’s assistance. If I feel you’re
ready, we’ll take the next step tomorrow evening. From there, we’ll
be able to see exactly what you’re made of.’
Seteal stood up and headed for the
exit.
‘ Just one more thing
before you go,’ Far-a-mael called. ‘How much do you know about
silts?’
‘ They avoid us and we
avoid them.’ Seteal turned and shrugged. ‘Old people think they’re
demons or something. They’re the cause of all the whisps further
south. That’s all, I think.’
‘ Demons,’ Far-a-mael
scoffed. ‘They are such silly old stories, aren’t they? My dear
girl, silts are much, much more dangerous than the fabled demons
depicted in the Holy Tome.’
‘ Oh?’ Seteal
responded. She was confused as to why he’d even raise such a topic.
Something strange was happening. Far-a-mael was doing something to
her. Seteal gasped as she felt a sharp hatred welling up inside her
chest. It was not her own, but it made her feel powerful and before
long she was basking in loathing, relishing its bitter
taste.
‘ I know you can feel
it comes from me,’ Far-a-mael intoned, ‘but that doesn’t make it
any less true. You’ve lived too much of your life sheltered from
the knowledge of such foul creatures. It is only ignorance that
prevents these feelings from being yours rather than mine. Harness
them. Take them in and believe them. They are the truth. If you
could only know . . . this is what you must always feel toward such
creatures. Feed your hatred for the wicked, grotesque, and, yes, in
many ways, demonic beings.’
Seteal’s head spun. Her fingers
tingled. She could hardly see Far-a-mael’s face and became lost in
her mind. The blood felt hot as it rushed by her ears. Creatures
with leathery wings screamed as she hunted them. Seteal put a sword
through a demon heart and laughed as its blood drained away in
torrents. The repulsion she felt for the wicked creatures was
second to none. Bile rose in Seteal’s throat, such was the sickness
they caused her. She would cut open their pallid white flesh. She
would create justice. She would kill them all. The earth would be
cleansed in the blood of demons to usher in a new age of peace and
security.
‘ Seteal.’ The word
buzzed but meant nothing. ‘Seteal?’ Far-a-mael’s face revealed his
concern as the tent swam into perspective.
Seteal rubbed at her arms, suddenly
feeling the cold. Had the old man been speaking? Or had it all been
in her head? ‘What’d they do for you to hate them so much?’ She
asked.
‘ What did who do,
dear?’ Far-a-mael raised his eyebrows.
‘ The silts. What’d
they do to you?’
‘ Why in Maker’s name
would you be pondering such creatures at a time like this?’
Far-a-mael’s expression was one of bewilderment.
‘ I . . . ’ Seteal
shook her head, but for the life of her, she
Similar Books
