“JUST HOURS AGO, JULIA IDAEUS AGAIN SECRETLY COMMUNEDwith us,” Mashiro said sadly. “She was lucky to do so without detection, for it is a dangerous thing to accomplish while traveling with Vespasian’s armies. I’m sorry to report that her news is grave.” Before continuing, Mashiro paused and he looked down at his hands.
“Kagoya has been totally destroyed,” he announced. “It was not a large city, but it was a culturally important one. Worse, it was the last bastion between Vespasian and our gold mines. Julia watched the carnage as every Kagoyan civilian and every katsugai mosota posted to its defense was killed. Vespasian used one of his banned gifts to rain liquid fire down onto the city. After more than one hundred and fifty centuries, the Rustannicans have finally violated the Borderlands Treaty. What we have long feared has come to pass, and this war’s deadly ferocity has been forever heightened.”
Tristan looked at Mashiro as theChikara Inkai elder sadly wiped away tears. Although he and his fellow pilgrims were new to Shashida, they felt the pain as sharply as if a Eutracian city had been destroyed. For several long moments theInkai meeting chamber went silent.
It was the morning of the Eutracians’ second full day in Shashida. Tristan, Wigg, Jessamay, and Tyranny had been asked to participate in a hastily called meeting of theChikara Inkai. Tristan had dined with them the previous night, giving them a chance to brief him. All the Eutracians, the Black Ships, and the Minions of Day and Night had arrived safely, Wigg had said. As Tristan might have guessed, the Minion warriors elected to live aboard the ships rather than take up residence in the elegant Kyuden Shimin, or “People’s Palace.” Everyone else had been housed in the palace’s visitors’ wing.
Mashiro had ordered that cradles be quickly built to hold the vessels. They were much like those that the Minions had constructed in Eutracia, Wigg said, but they also showed the stylistic elegance that was common to Shashida. The great ships and their cradles were stationed on the manicured inner grounds of the Kyuden Shimin.
Tristan had retired early last night and he awoke refreshed. After bathing, he walked to his wardrobe. Hoshi had seen to it that his Eutracian vest, breeches, and knee boots had been cleaned and returned. Tristan had never seen his Eutracian clothes so well laundered, and he was sorely tempted to wear them. The breeches were spotless, and the leather vest and boots had been cleaned and shined to a high gloss.
He finally selected a dark blue Shashidan robe. He took up a pair of sandals and socks from the dozens that sat side by side on the spotless wardrobe floor. He then strapped his dreggan and throwing knives into place behind his right shoulder.
He was about to depart his chambers when Wigg, Tyranny, and Jessamay appeared to tell him that theChikara Inkai urgently requested their presence. Like Tristan, they were dressed in Shashidan garb. Leaving Tristan’s rooms, they hurried to the meeting chamber. That had been only moments ago, and as he again gazed into Mashiro’s ancient eyes, he knew that the next few hours would shape Shashida’s future for centuries to come.
“So your assumptions were right,” Wigg said to Mashiro. “Banned forestallments have in fact been lurking in Vespasian’s blood.”
Mashiro nodded. “Yes,” he answered. “And at long last he has chosen to use them. We cannot say why this has not occurred before now, because Julia is not privy to that information. But one thing remains crystal clear. Vespasian’s next goal will be to secure our gold deposits. If he takes and holds the area, he might then lay waste to the lower reaches of Shashida and then finally to the nation as a whole.”
“There is something about Rustannica’s violation of the Borderlands Treaty that confuses me,” Wigg said. “Each time the Borderlands are summoned by thePon Q’tar, their environment is made toxic, so as to kill anyone trapped there. It would seem that the only way to do that would be to use one or more of the banned forestallments. And if that’s true, then thePon Q’tar has already violated the Borderlands Treaty untold times.”
“Given your limited understanding of the treaty, that would be true,” Kaemon said. “When the treaty was ratified, it included a provision saying that because the Borderlands are Rustannican territory, thePon Q’tar is free to use the banned spells there-but only there. We objected, of course, but the Rustannicans remained firm. In the end we were forced to grant the concession or there would have been no treaty at all.”
“If Vespasian’s gifts are as powerful as you suspect, how does thePon Q’tar hope to control him?” Tristan asked.
“They don’t need tocontrol him,” Hoshi answered. “They only need tounleash him.”
“But Shashida is vast,” Tristan said. “It seems impossible that even Vespasian’s gifts could destroy the entire nation.”
“We tend to agree,” Midori replied from across the table, “but we cannot be sure. If he alone can crush one major objective after another, his legions will be free to leave his side and then attack lesser targets at will. Julia reported that Vespasian destroyed all of Kagoya in less than one hour! Because of this, he might decide that only a few of his legions need accompany him from here on. He could then delegate command of the others to Lucius Marius, his First Tribune and closest friend. Lucius’ task would be to overwhelm the smaller targets traditionally while Vespasian uses his new gifts to destroy the larger ones. In this way, the Rustannican war machine could cover great expanses of Shashida quickly and spread our forces thin.”
After thinking for a moment, Tristan looked at Mashiro. “Do the Rustannicans know that I am here?” he asked.
Mashiro sighed. “Julia tells us that they worry about your arrival, but that they cannot confirm it. Because you escaped Khristos at the edge of the Azure Sea, they of course know that you were trying to come here. They are not fools and they will take your possible arrival into their planning. Only one thing remains certain, Jin’Sai. If Shashida is to be saved, we must grant you our versions of the banned forestallments soon-today, if you will permit it. During yesterday’s emergency session, our governing body ratified our request to do so, and to allow you to then confront Vespasian. Once the spells have been imbued into your blood, you and our armies will be rushed by azure portals to meet him head-on. We humbly ask your forgiveness for throwing you into the fray so abruptly, but the hour is late and there is no other choice. Because of Vespasian’s far superior training in the craft, it is doubtful that you can defeat him outright. But if you can counter his ability to employ the banned forestallments with your own, he might halt his advance and order his legions home. We Shashidans would view Vespasian’s retreat as a victory.”
“But I know nothing about your military and your tactics,” Tristan countered, “not to mention my complete lack of familiarity with Vespasian’s forces. How can I be expected to lead Shashida against an enemy about whom I know so little?”
“Bynot leading her,” Renjiro answered. “Forgive me, Jin’Sai, but although you have commanded your Minions to victory many times, things are vastly different here. You are right-you cannot be expected to lead forces about which you know little or nothing. Therefore, Hoshi and I will lead them. You will be with us, providing the one weapon that we cannot. When suddenly confronted by your gifts, Vespasian might put a stop this madness and return home. As we speak, hundreds of Shashidan cohorts are being sent by azure portal to a staging area south of where our gold deposits lay. The otherChikara Inkai members will remain here. We will inform them of events by way of mental communion.”
Tristan nodded. “I will do so gladly,” he answered. “But I have some requests of you.”
“What are they?” Hoshi asked.
“I want to take my Minions into battle with me and I want complete control over them,” he said. “I know that you find them crude when compared to your katsugai mosota and perhaps they are. But my Minions are gifted and ruthless killers, and their advantage of flight will be useful. Vespasian might not be expecting that.”
To Tristan’s surprise, Hoshi smiled. “Truth be told, we were about to suggest that very thing,” she replied. “What is your other request?”
“I want my Black Ships to participate in the fight and Tyranny to command them,” Tristan said. “Your portals can easily accommodate them. I, my Minions, and my fellow Conclave members will ride the Black Ships to the battle site. Once there, I will gladly follow your orders.”
Mashiro nodded, and Tristan turned to look at Wigg, Jessamay, and Tyranny. “What say you all?” he asked. “Will you come with us?”
Despite the recent loss of Abbey, Wigg managed a short smile. “I can answer for everyone,” he replied. “You were born to take part in this struggle. It will be an honor to serve by your side.”
After nodding at Wigg, Tristan looked back at Mashiro. “Then it’s settled,” he said. “When will I be granted the banned forestallments?”
“Within hours,” Mashiro answered. “But first there is another concern that deserves our attention. I’m sure it has not escaped your mind.”
Tristan nodded again. “Shailiha,” he said softly. “I’m mad to know her condition and to help her defeat the Viper Lord.”
“To those ends, we have a gift for you,” Kaemon said. “Since the moment you arrived in Shashida, our best craft researchers have been diligently working to perfect some needed spells. We believe that you will find them interesting.”
“What spells are these?” Wigg asked.
“You will see soon enough,” Mashiro answered. TheInkai elder turned to look at Tristan.
“Activate your medallion,” Mashiro told him.
“IS THERE STILL NO NEWS OF KHRISTOS?” SHAILIHA ASKED.
“No, Your Highness,” Traax answered. “Night Witch patrols continue to scan Eutracia’s rivers from the air, but there has been no sign of him or his servants. Mashiro suspects that as long as the enemy remains submerged, Failee’s original spell will provide them with sustenance. If that is true, they have no need to surface until they wish to attack. They lurked beneath the water for three centuries before emerging to take the First Mistress’s revenge. Staying submerged for mere days at a time must be a comparatively simple feat.”
The hour was late and Shailiha was tired. Even so, she demanded that her Conclave members meet again to discuss the ongoing situation. This would be the last briefing of the day, and for that she was glad.
Khristos’ ability to raze Tammerland and to set fire to one of the Black Ships and nearly steal the other had enraged every Conclave member. The loss of theIllendium had been disastrous, and many days would pass before theCavalon would again be airworthy. With her two Black Ships unavailable and yet more Minions dead, Shailiha’s ability to fight Khristos had been severely compromised.
Moreover, her physical condition still plagued her. Her facial skin was healing, but her body ached badly from the effects of the viper venom, causing her to move like a woman twice her age. The vision in her left eye had improved slightly, but not enough to persuade her that it would ever return to normal. It will take time, Mashiro had told Faegan, and she clung to that belief. Of necessity she still wore the black eye patch, and by now everyone in the palace had grown accustomed to its presence. At least there is that, she thought.
Faegan, Traax, Aeolus, and Adrian sat with her at the mahogany table in the Conclave meeting room, deep in the Redoubt. It was not the first time that the remaining members had gathered since their friends had left for Shashida. Even so, the empty chairs still lent the room a desolate feel, and the chair that had once been Abbey’s seemed the most forlorn of all.
Sighing, Faegan placed his forearms on the highly polished table. “We can do little but wait, Princess,” he said. “We should continue to send out Night Witch patrols, but because our enemies can hide in the rivers, the likelihood of finding them before they again emerge is not great.”
Sadly, Shailiha was forced to agree. In Tristan’s absence she ruled Eutracia, but her inability to act was frustrating. She knew that if Tristan were still there, he would be equally stymied, and the advice being offered to him would be identical. Unlike her twin brother, the princess more carefully considered her options before acting. But because those options were so few, she was finding it increasingly difficult to stifle the same kind of impetuousness that characterized theJin’Sai.
Just then Faegan gave her a strange look, and she realized that he was staring not at her face, but at the gold medallion hanging around her neck. She looked down to see that it was glowing. Tristan! she thought. He’s reaching out to me from Shashida.
Rather than turn over the medallion, Shailiha hesitated. Tristan and the other Conclave members had yet to see her since she was injured. As at the moment when Morganna first saw her injured face, she worried about how they would react-especially her brother. The last thing she wanted from them was their pity. As the medallion continued to glow, she looked into Faegan’s eyes.
The crippled wizard reached out to pat her hand.
“He’s your brother,” he said. “He worries for you, as they all do. It is best that you put this behind you.”
Shailiha nodded, then turned over the medallion so that everyone around the table might see into it. Her first viewing of theInkai meeting room and the many people there took her breath away.
WHEN TRISTAN SAW HIS SISTER, HE FELT HIS HEART BREAK. He knew that she had been injured, but seeing her that way greatly disturbed him just the same. He knew that there was no use in speaking to her, so he tried to give his best smile of support.
“Has contact been established?” Mashiro asked.
“Yes,” Tristan answered.
“Please remove the medallion and place it on the meeting table,” theInkai elder said.
Tristan gave Mashiro a questioning look. “It was my understanding that the medallion must be worn by one of endowed blood to do its work,” he said.
Mashiro smiled. “That is no longer altogether true,” he said.
Tristan removed the medallion and placed it face up on the table. At once Mashiro caused the medallion to levitate about two feet above the table. Then the gold disc and its chain started to spin. Faster and faster they went until they became only a blur, then disappeared altogether.
In their place appeared another representation of what Tristan had seen in the medallion, but this time the scene was far larger. The images of the people sitting at the Redoubt table had become life-sized. Amazed, Tristan turned to gape at Mashiro.
“How did you do this?” he breathed.
“We altered the spells that Miriam cast over your medallions before she died,” he answered. “It took our craft researchers some doing, I can assure you.”
Tristan looked back at the scene floating before his eyes. The new image was about two yards broad by one yard high. It was so clear and sharp that Tristan felt he was there in the Redoubt and could actually reach out and touch his sister’s ravaged face. As he looked closer, he saw that the far wider scope of the new image allowed him to see everyone in the Redoubt chamber at once. Every Conclave member’s face wore an equally amazed expression. Because the new image floated above theInkai meeting table, everyone could see it easily.
“Has their view of us been similarly changed?” Tristan asked.
“Yes,” Mashiro answered. “This was made possible because Shailiha’s medallion is an exact duplicate of yours, created by the craft while she was imprisoned by the Coven of Sorceresses. Because of its origins, an enchanted connection has always existed between them. Miriam simply brought it to life, then we enhanced it. Now when either of you calls the needed spell, your medallions will create enlarged views, and they will not have to leave your bodies to do so.”
Still amazed, Tristan looked over at Mashiro. “I wish to communicate with her,” he said, “but I will need paper and ink to do so. May I be given some?”
Mashiro shook his head. “You won’t need them,” he said.
Wigg’s eyes narrowed and he leaned over the tabletop. “Do you mean to say-”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Mashiro answered.
Before Wigg could reply, Mashiro closed his eyes and called the craft. At once the image floating over the table glowed brighter, then blurred for several moments. When the scene came back into focus, Tristan heard an eerily familiar sound that did not originate from theInkai meeting chamber. He soon realized that it was the crackling of the burning logs in the Redoubt fireplace, far on the other side of the world. Mouth agape, he sat back in his chair.
“I beg the Afterlife!” he breathed. “I can hear them!”
Mashiro nodded. “That’s right, Jin’Sai, ” he said, “and they can hear us. Please accept these augmentations to your and your sister’s medallions as humble gifts from theChikara Inkai. ”
When she unexpectedly heard her brother’s voice, Shailiha reacted with a start. Faegan, Aeolus, Traax, and Adrian seemed similarly stunned.
“Tristan…?” Shailiha said.
“I’m here,” he answered. “TheChikara Inkai has augmented our medallions so that we may now also hear each other. I find the effect as amazing as you do.”
Pausing for a moment, Tristan looked sadly into his sister’s eyes. “Are you all right?” he asked quietly.
At first Shailiha didn’t answer. After pausing for a moment she bravely lifted her eye patch for all to see, then she put it back in place. A quick rush of air left Tristan’s lungs, but he did his best to stifle his shock.
“My vision is a bit better,” Shailiha answered. “On behalf of all of us, I wish to offer our condolences on the death of Abbey. We all miss her.”
Shailiha then cast her handicapped gaze about theInkai chamber and looked at each of the members in turn. “Which of you is Mashiro?” she asked.
Mashiro stood and bowed. “My apologies, Princess,” he said. “I should have made the needed introductions sooner. Please allow me to correct my mistake.”
Mashiro asked theInkai members to stand one by one. As they did, he introduced them to the Conclave members watching from so far away. When he finished, Shailiha did the same for her followers. Because of the sharpness of the scene and the amazing clarity of the Conclave members’ voices, it was almost as if everyone were seated at one great table.
For the next hour the two groups exchanged information on their respective situations. Shailiha informed theInkai that there had been no sightings of the Viper Lord or his followers but that Night Witch patrols continued to search them out. She then explained that theCavalon was under repair, but it would be many days before she would again be airworthy. Traax then provided theJin’Sai with an updated casualty report.
When Traax finished, Mashiro informed the Eutracian Conclave of everything that he had told Tristan and his fellow travelers during their earlier meetings. He then went on to explain Vespasian’s recent violation of the Borderlands Treaty and theInkai ’s plan to imbue Tristan’s blood with their versions of the banned forestallments. He also described in detail theInkai ’s wish that one day everyone’s blood signature might be altered to the vertical and that a new, unified nation might be born that was devoid of forestallments and dedicated to the ideal of free will. The Conclave members sat in stunned silence, absorbing every word. When Mashiro finished, many quiet moments passed as those in Eutracia considered the astounding news.
His expression stern, Faegan leaned across the Conclave meeting table and looked straight into Wigg’s eyes.
“Tell me, First Wizard,” he asked. “Assuming that the lands west of the Tolenkas can ever again be united, do you agree that all blood signatures should be altered to the vertical and that the Tome and the two Scrolls of the Ancients should be destroyed?”
“I do,” Wigg answered. “The Shashidans are right to feel this way. But before such awesome changes can happen, Rustannica must be defeated for good. Only then can theInkai turn their attention to the betterment of the craft for the sake of all mankind.”
Faegan sat in silence for some time as he considered Wigg’s words. “Despite how radical the concept seems, I must say that I agree,” he answered. “I envy your being there, old friend. I can only imagine the wonders that you have seen and those that still await you. Abbey would have been proud.”
Wigg’s face darkened for a moment. “Thank you,” he said simply.
“Now then,” Mashiro said. “I must ask the Conclave whether Failee’s grimoire is available.”
“It is,” Aeolus answered. He rose from his chair to walk across the Redoubt meeting chamber to where the red leather-bound book sat atop a pedestal. Bringing it back, he placed it on the table.
“Why do you wish to see the late First Mistress’s grimoire?” he asked. “Surely there can be nothing in it that supersedes your knowledge of the craft.”
“Although that is probably true, you must never forget how brilliant Failee was, or how limitless were the depths of her distrust,” Mashiro answered. “Like thePon Q’tar, she always constructed a way of destroying her own creations should the need arise.”
“I don’t understand,” Faegan protested. “Aside from the Vigors, what would she have wished to destroy?”
“Not what, butwhom, ” Renjiro answered.
Faegan’s face suddenly came alight with understanding. “You’re talking about Khristos, aren’t you?” he asked. “If for some reason he ever turned on her, he and his Blood Vipers would have presented a deadly threat to her rule-especially while she was still struggling to win the Sorceresses’ War.”
“Correct,” Midori said. “We suggest that you scour her grimoire for any references to Khristos. If the First Mistress devised a secret way to destroy him, her grimoire is where she probably hid it.”
“We have already done so,” Shailiha said. “Aside from a few entries describing her overall plan for Khristos, nothing more is said about him.”
“Nothing that you can see,” Mashiro said to Shailiha. “It’s what youcan’t see that interests us.”
“What are you talking about?” the princess asked.
Mashiro turned to look at Wigg. “Correct me if I’m wrong, First Wizard,” he said. “Isn’t it true that during the Sorceresses’ War, the Coven used spells to camouflage secret documents?”
“We always suspected as much,” Wigg answered. “If they did, they took the knowledge to their graves. Despite the combined efforts of the late Directorate of Wizards, we were never able to unravel the secret. I have long suspected that hidden writings lay in her grimoire, but there is no way to know for sure.”
“Until now, perhaps,” Mashiro said. He turned back toward the hovering image and looked at Faegan. “Wigg tells us that he left some of the subtle matter behind in Eutracia. Do you still have it?”
“Yes,” Faegan answered.
“Would you be kind enough to have it brought to your meeting chamber?” he asked. “You will have need of it.”
Faegan nodded and asked Traax to fetch it from its resting place in the Redoubt Archives. Soon Traax returned with a small glass flask filled with subtle matter, not unlike the one that Wigg had brought to Shashida. Taking the flask from Traax, Faegan placed it on the table alongside the grimoire.
“Now, then,” Mashiro said to Faegan. “Using your gift of Consummate Recollection, please open the grimoire to the section that makes mention of Khristos.”
Faegan closed his eyes and called the craft. Soon the grimoire opened of its own accord, and its pages began turning madly. After a few moments they stopped.
“It is done,” Faegan said.
“Good,” Mashiro said. “Now if you would be so kind as to sprinkle a small bit of the subtle matter onto the pages.”
Faegan did so, but nothing happened. He said as much to Mashiro.
“Do not be dismayed,” Mashiro said. “Subtle matter has many uses, but few of them can be achieved without an accompanying spell. If you would, please repeat the Shashidan incantation that I am about to recite. You will find it complex, so I suggest that you first call on your Consummate Recollection to ensure that you repeat my words perfectly. Otherwise you might find the results distressing, to say the least. But if you recite it correctly and our suspicions about Failee are true, the results might be intriguing.”
“Very well,” Faegan answered. “I am ready.”
Mashiro enunciated a long incantation in his native Shashidan. As Tristan listened, he found the language far more beautiful and elegant than his native dialect. Throughout Mashiro’s incantation, Tristan recognized but one word: “Khristos.”
When Mashiro finished, Faegan closed his eyes. Calling on his special gift, he carefully repeated the incantation word for word. As he finished, all eyes turned toward Failee’s grimoire.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the grimoire started to glow with the same white light that had emanated from the Tome and the two Scrolls of the Ancients when the subtle matter decoded them in the Archives. Letters, numbers, and craft symbols lifted from the pages to hover above the Conclave meeting table. Then the grimoire pages started flurrying by again, and yet more marks went flying off the pages. Soon the pages stopped turning, and Failee’s writings ceased lifting from the pages.
Everyone watched as the thousands of glowing characters swirled about to form lines. The lines then formed a text many paragraphs long incorporating two involved spell formulas. As Faegan read the glowing text, his mouth fell open.
“I beg the Afterlife!” he exclaimed. “You were right.”
Both chambers went silent as everyone read the glowing text. It soon became clear that it was a craft treatise that had been written by Failee and described in detail how to deal with Khristos and his servants should they ever become a threat to her. Filled with awe, Tristan let go a deep breath and sat back in his chair.
“Well done, Faegan, and worthy of anInkai, ” Mashiro said to the crippled wizard. “This should greatly aid you in your struggle.”
“Indeed,” Shailiha answered. “I thank you.”
Remembering the other reason he had wanted to contact his sister, Tristan again looked at her. The time had come, and there could be no denying it.
“Now that you have the needed information from Failee’s grimoire, there is one thing left to say,” Tristan told her. “It is important, and you must heed my advice well.”
“What is it?” Shailiha asked.
“It is unlikely that I will ever return to Eutracia,” he said. “Because of that, it is time for you to become Queen. I fully realize that this is a burden that you never thought you’d have to shoulder, but in the name of our late parents, you must. Our country needs a formal ruler.”
Before the princess could answer, Aeolus reached out and took one of her hands into his.
“TheJin’Sai is right,” he said. “We must accept the fact that although we can communicate with one another, the Conclave of the Vigors is probably forever divided, and our struggles have become separate and distinct. You are the reigningJin’Saiou and rightful heir to the throne. It is only right that you take power.”
Taking a deep breath, Shailiha looked at her brother. Although she could see and hear him as if he were sitting by her side, she missed him badly. She missed his impetuousness, his strength, his laughter, even his moodiness. But she also knew that he might never actually be with her again, and because of that, he was right. It was time for her to shoulder her responsibility.
“I accept,” she said to everyone. “And I thank you for your trust in me. But I think it only right that I not succeed to the throne until our struggle with the Viper Lord is finished. We must focus all of our attention on the calamity at hand. This is no time to prepare for a coronation.”
Wigg smiled broadly at her. “Spoken like a true queen,” he said. “Your parents would be proud.”
Mashiro reached out and touched Tristan on one arm. “With all due respect, Jin’Sai, we must end this viewing,” he proposed. “Both the Conclave and theInkai have urgent matters to attend to, and time is of the essence.”
Although Tristan did not want to see his sister go, he knew that theInkai elder was right. Looking back into Shailiha’s eyes, he told her so.
“I agree, brother,” she said. “Please stay safe, and may your coming battle see a victory for the Vigors.”
“And yours,” Tristan said.
With that, Mashiro dismantled the spell, and the image vanished.
After taking the medallion into his hand, Tristan held it thoughtfully for several moments before again placing its chain around his neck.
“Now, then,” Mashiro said soberly. “It is time.”
Tristan and the others knew full well what Mashiro meant. TheInkai elder would now imbue Tristan’s blood with Shashida’s versions of the banned forestallments and the language fluency forestallments. Each time before, the process had been excruciating and this time would likely be worse. Even so, there was no other choice, no going back.
“I understand,” Tristan said. “Where shall it be done?”
“The venue is immaterial,” Mashiro answered. “This meeting chamber is as good a place as any. The process will take some time and you must remain strong. If you survive the ordeal, you and Vespasian will be the two most powerful mystics in the world. You will not be as well trained in the craft as he, but your gifts of manipulating nature will be equally strong. Aside from Vespasian’s ability to rain fire as described by Julia, we cannot know the natures of his other banned gifts, or how many he possesses. But thePon Q’tar will not know that of yours, either. Are you still sure that you wish to do this thing?”
“Yes,” Tristan answered simply. “It has to be.”
“Very well,” Mashiro replied. “Because of the exquisite pain that you will suffer, Hoshi will place a warp about you to keep you from thrashing. We apologize for such crudeness, but it is needed to keep you from harming yourself.”
Mashiro nodded at Hoshi. She in turn looked at Tristan with sad eyes.
“Forgive me,” she said quietly.
At once Tristan felt himself engulfed in a warp the likes of which he had never experienced. Although it was not painful, his immobilization was perfect, unrelenting. The only movements allowed him were his quickening breath and the blinking of his eyes. Nervous perspiration started on his brow in anticipation of the horror to come.
Out of respect, Mashiro cast a sad look at Wigg, the man who had for so long been Tristan’s best friend and mentor. Although he too was saddened by what was about to happen, the First Wizard knew that there was no other choice if Shashida and the Vigors were to survive Vespasian’s onslaught. Closing his eyes, he gave Mashiro a reluctant nod.
At once a terrible fire poured through Tristan’s bloodstream. He desperately needed to move, to scream, to cry out and beg that it stop. But he couldn’t. He could only endure it. On and on the pain went, coursing through his system like a raging river. Sweat poured into his eyes, his heart raced, his soul shrieked in torment. As the process continued unabated, some were forced to turn their heads, while others brushed away tears that only kept returning.
In the end, the torturous process would take five full hours.