Peace.
That was Tessa's first thought. It was absolute and all-consuming. She felt warmth flow through her body as comfort cooled her thoughts. It was like Orin's touch but magnified to a degree that was beyond what Tess expected. Her eyes closed as her lips parted, a sigh of sheer bliss escaping into the world. Her soul was laid bare before him. All of her emotion and intent, her needs and desires, all of it. She felt vulnerable. Weak in a way that she had never felt before and yet she was not afraid, nor was she angry. His hands on hers banished the doubt that had been growing inside of her since she was a little girl. He had seen her, finally and completely. He had let her in.
Tessa felt rain touch her face and opened her eyes to a sight that she wouldn't have believed had she not seen it herself. A storm raged above their heads. The previously clear night sky now inundated with raven coloured clouds that sparked with bolts of azure lightning. The winds had begun to rise, whipping across the courtyard and flattening the grass, causing the large tree under which they sat to tremble before the might of nature itself. Rain fell as a patter, striking hard against their skin in freezing droplets that made Tessa and Orin to shiver.
Tessa hadn't expected that. She knew that a sign from the Spirit was inevitable. The Bonding of a Smith from one of the Five Houses and an Heir was an extraordinary event. The Aurum that was created from such a pairing would no doubt make itself known in the physical world, but a storm? The most violent aspect of her Element? That was beyond anything that Tessa had ever heard of. Small bolts of lightning fell from the sky and charred the earth around them, never coming close but still making their presence known to all. Was her soul and Orin's truly so powerful as to summon such a thing? Signs were normal enough among the Five Houses but it was usually something simple, like a single bolt across the sky or maybe the sound of thunder. Nothing like this. Did the Great Spirit know what she was about to do? The appearance of a storm was almost poetic.
Tessa felt at once terrified and excited.
A golden thread appeared as if from nowhere, emerging from Orin's soaked chest before jumping forward and into her own. The Bond weaved it's way into her soul, the final key that was needed to release her body from its physical shackles. The tumblers were pushed into place and Tessa couldn't help the involuntary smile that crossed her lips. It was almost like she was stretching for the first time in her life. Light blossomed as her soul expanded, pushing outwards with a force she had prepared herself for. Her soul was strong and would need a firm hand lest she lose control of it completely.
Tessa focused on it now, holding it back and guiding it. She had expected the process to be much harder, but it was almost as easy as breathing. She was born for this, born for him. She would never let him go.
She could sense his emotions over the Bond and it caused joy to blossom within her. No longer would she have to wonder, no longer would she have to agonise. He was there, all of him, and he opened himself to her completely. He was inviting her in. She could feel his resoluteness, his happiness and even his confusion at the storm that now raged around them.
Etherin began in earnest. Her organs, blood and bone all began to change, slipping from this realm and into another. Tessa squeezed Orin's hands with everything she had, drawing strength from him even as he returned the favour. She could feel him pouring his confidence and courage over the Bond, bolstering her own. The tears were coming fast now. They were involuntary and unwanted but she couldn't stop them. Her body had a mind of its own and had been waiting for this for so long.
Tessa pulled her hands free before throwing herself forward and wrapping her arms around Orin's neck. Her eyes were still closed, but she didn't need them to find her Knight. He would always be there now and she would never lose him again. It was the first time she had ever initiated any meaningful form of contact with him since they had first returned to Myrin all those weeks ago. If she had known then what she did now, she would have hugged him then as well.
“The storm is a sign,” Tessa began breathlessly, “A sign of my Element, of our Element. It will end soon, once I've done what I have to do.”
“Shit, that's good,” Orin whispered into her ear, his voice clear despite the raging winds, “I thought something had gone wrong.”
“Thank you,” Tessa sobbed, shaking even as Etherin began to convert her skin, “I-I never thought-”
“Hush,” Orin whispered back to her, returning her hug as he wrapped strong arms around her, pulling her close. “No more tears. You're my Smith now, Tess. I am yours as you are mine. From this moment until our last.”
Despite his plea, Tessa couldn't control it as she buried her head into his shoulder, the light of her soul shining from within. Glyphs of red lit up upon the surface of her skin. She could feel them almost as easily as her soul. They were her last real connection to Ragora, to her family. A painful one, true, but a reminder none the less. She felt the smallest amount of hesitation rise within her as the first of them was erased. The power of the Bond would not be denied and the symbols, her prison and curse since she was seven years old, were destroyed by its all-consuming power. With every Inscribed rune erased, she felt her connection to her past life go with it. To her mother and father, who had watched as they were carved into her small body. To her sisters, to her brother and to the world of easy comfort that she had left behind. She could barely remember their faces. All she had were a few blurry images and half-real memories, ravaged by the passage of time. Still, in her mind the symbols represented home, twisted as that was.
Yet as she opened her eyes and caught Orin looking upon her, water dripping from his chin as his hair was ruffled in the breeze, she felt her hesitation fall away. Her home was not Ragora and hadn't been for a long time. No, her home was Orin. It had been since she had first brushed away those strands of hair from his face when they were children. She had known it then but had clung onto the past out of some sense of obligation to the strangers in her earliest memories. She didn't need to do that anymore.
“You saved me, Orin,” Tessa said softly, a hand coming up to brushed against his soaking hair. “You don't understand how, but you did. It's time I returned the favour.”
Orin's brows furrowed as his smile dipped, though his hold on her was as sure as stone, “What are you talking about, Tess?”
Tessa brushed her fingers against his silver scar, delighting in her boldness and ability to touch him at her whim, “Zelato took something from you. I will give it back.”
She meant more than his eye. The madman had robbed her Knight of so much more than that. Orin was only half what he could be, the wound was a shackle around his neck, one which was impeding his progress as a warrior. Tessa would restore it if it was the last thing she did. Perhaps it was wrong to mention it. Things could still go wrong but with Orin behind her she felt like she could do anything.
“Tess-” Orin began to respond but the mercenary didn't give him a chance to. For she embraced Etherin and became as light.
The world became one made of streaks of grey. Every variation of the colour now filled her perception. She was seeing fully through her spiritual sight for the first time and it was jarring, staring at the world between the physical and ethereal . The strange in-between that Smiths inhabited before becoming one with their Knights.
Tessa could sense Elora's soul, so much stronger than when she had sensed it before. It appeared to her vision much like her own, though still a little smaller. It was water, golden and shining, spilling over itself in steady, hypnotic motions. The Princess had grown considerably since Dunwellen, as both a person and a Smith. Her soul looked less chaotic and more in tune with her body. She would grow stronger still and Tessa made herself the promise to not fall behind. The Princess also appeared to be untouched by the storm, but unable to move closer to them. It seemed that Tess and her Knight sat in the eye, surrounded by an impenetrable barrier of wind, rain and lightning.
Orin's soul was the same as it always was. Ebony flames that glittered with every possible shade of night, spitting silver sparks. Soon they would be joined by Lightning, this much Tessa knew from her reading. The storm around her also broke away from the grey of the painted world Etherin had brought her to. It was tinged with a shining blue-white. The wind, the rain and especially the lightning itself. It made sense, being made not through natural means but birthed by the meeting of their souls, that the storm would have Aurum woven into it. It was wild and untamed. Something that she could use.
Her confidence bolstered, Tessa could put off her need no longer and dove for the centre of her Knight's chest with a desperation that bordered on manic. She collided and passed through with ease. The Bond was not only the key to unlocking her own soul, but Orin's as well, and it showed her the path, down and deep through the darkness into his soul space.
She emerged surrounded by the vastness of an empty void. Empty, but still filled with traces of Orin; of his intent, emotions and character. It felt comfortable to her, almost like she was born to be here, born to do this. A large part of her felt like that was exactly true. She spun in her spiritual body, stretching her sight and seeing Orin's soul blossom nearby. For a moment she could do nothing but watch the dancing flames, their colour so beautiful to her, the black only enhanced by the occasional flash of silver that spilled from the tips of their tongues.
She had never been so close to them before. Even when using her rudimentary spiritual sight and her ability to find Orin, his soul had always been so far away, as though located past some distant horizon. She knew where it was, knew where to find it, but despite her best efforts she couldn't approach. For that was the right of a Smith and she had never been able to call herself that.
Until now.
Tessa flew closer, feeling the presence that was Orin's soul focus on her for the first time. It was the summation of all he was and it welcomed her. The flames split apart and revealed the core at its centre. A jagged scar could be seen there, one which poured black ichor into the darkness only for it to snapped up by the ever hungry fire. Light poured from the wound, beckoning Tessa ever closer and she aimed to not disappoint. She threw herself along the path revealed by the flames, the way made all the more apparent by the golden thread that led inside. Movement was as easy as thought in this form. In many ways it felt much more natural than having a body did. She wanted to take a moment, to stop and bask in the feeling of finally being one with Orin, but she couldn't.
She had minutes, maybe less. She needed to move fast. She plunged into the light...
...and emerged within it. A bone landscape, an endless void of another colour, the inner soul of Orin and the heart of his very being. Tessa was awestruck by the sight of it, the magnificence. It cradled her softly, wrapping tightly around her constructed form and in that touch she felt acceptance and approval. It wanted her here, like Orin wanted her. Tess may have cried again if she had still been capable of the feat.
The only thing that marred the pristine white that now surrounded her was found easily: A tower, as black as Orin's soul and just as beautiful. Tessa's could not see it's bottom. It just seemed to flow endlessly into the pure abyss, lost to the light as soon as it reached the edges of her vision. She could see the peak easily, however. A large circular roof that was encircled by pillars of the same black stone as the tower itself. She made to move towards it. Elora had described the Forge to her in detail, including how it had been built and the strange voice that had appeared as if from nowhere when she had tried to make something different, something based on her experiences with Cellus and not with Orin. Tessa had checked her notes intensely after the fact to see if there was any precedent for such phenomena among the D'viritazi, but her research had come up empty. That had filled her with no small amount of unease, but she was far beyond the point of no return. They were a concern, but part of Tessa thought that the Princess was imagining it. Creating a Forge and a Throne at once was no easy task, after all. It took a toll on the spirit. Even if what Elora said was true what happened would happen and, besides, even if there was a large chance Bonding with Orin would end in certain death, she'd do it anyway. She was nothing if not persistent.
It was as she went to move forwards that it happened. The land around her suddenly exploded with light, blinding Tessa even with her spiritual sight. She would have winced if she could've and instead attempted to move forward, only to find that she was unable to move at all. For a moment, anxious panic welled up within the mercenary. She struggled against invisible bonds, her mind turbulent as she willed herself to move, yet nothing happened. Inside the now blinding white abyss, Tessa thought she felt a shift, a whisper of movement. She tried to focus in on it but before she got the chance everything returned to normal. The inner soul faded back down and the tower had come back into sight. Though it wasn't quite how it had looked a few moments before.
It remained much the same, a black obelisk covered in silver patterns but something else had manifested, something that was all too familiar to her. The whole tower now crackled with lightning.
New patterns of shining blue light had appeared on the tower's length, complementing but not crossing the silver signs of Space. An occasional lightning bolt shot from one symbol to another, accompanied by the roar of thunder. What was more, closer to the peak a ring of black clouds had encircled the tower, lighting up every now and again with a thunderous bellow and the smell of freshly fallen rain. Though how Tessa could hear it without ears or smell it without a nose she had no way of knowing. The Forge was changing, evolving to allow for a new Smith, to allow for her. It added a small piece of her to its structure without prompting. Tessa was dumbstruck.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
The Forge wasn't alive. It was a tool that Smiths used to create Weapons, Armour and Gifts. Tess had expected she would have to use the thing before anything of her was added to it's construction and yet the Forge had taken it upon itself to change? No, Tessa refused to believe that. She knew that even among Heirs, Orin was special. He had no direct bloodline connection to the First Knight, but this was a step beyond. Even normal Heirs don't have a Forge that could change on a whim like this one seemed to. It could be a quirk of being unique, but Tessa had a far more ominous theory in mind: Someone else was here.
Tessa heard a chuckle and spun in place, casting her sight back towards the entrance where she had heard the sound. A chill ran down an imaginary spine as hair rose on arms that weren't there. Was that it? The voice that had spoken to Elora? Yet Tess could sense nothing. She was as alone as she ever was.
Perhaps Elora had been right after all.
Tessa felt rage rise within her as her soul body began to pulse with energy. She knew something was here. She had heard the voice. It wasn't her, Orin or Elora. It was something else.
“What are you!?” Tessa roared out into space, not with her voice, but with her soul itself. She watched warily, preparing to fight because it was her fallback. Honestly, a fight as a spirit was going to be pretty much impossible but she couldn't sit back and do nothing while something so unknown ran rampant in Orin's inner soul. He had said it himself: He was hers and she was his. She would do anything to protect him and if that meant kicking the shit out of some disembodied voice while in the form of water then she would do so with a grin on her fucking face.
Yet her question went unanswered. No one spoke back and the inner soul remained silent except for the occasional boom of lightning on the tower.
Tessa didn't panic. She and Elora had spent time together that day when Orin was speaking with her father, talking of the Forge, talking of the Throne. The Princess had told Tessa of what she had felt when the Forge was made, of the voice which had denied her and taken control of her soul as though she was some plaything. Tessa now knew that Elora hadn't been imagining things, but she didn't know how to proceed. Whatever it was, it held a massive amount of control in this place. For a second she thought that it might be the consciousness of Orin's soul, but that wasn't possible. Souls weren't intelligent, at least not in the conventional sense of the word. Logic and reason were beyond them. They were instinct and emotion, nothing more. Something had laughed at her. Mocked her. That meant that whatever it was, it was capable of coherent thought.
Tessa drifted there for the briefest of moments, torn. She wanted to try and pursue whatever had spoken, but considering the thing seemed to have been in the inner soul even longer than Elora, it was safe to assume it wasn't going anywhere. Besides, safety in numbers would be advantageous when facing an unknown enemy and having Elora here would only be to her benefit should it come to a fight. It would be up to his two Smiths to solve this mystery and combat it.
Though how exactly they could fight it in a realm like this, Tessa had no bloody idea.
Tessa didn't have the time to contemplate, so she made the decision to leave and speak with her Sister-Smith and Knight about this anomaly. The mercenary didn't even know for certain if whatever was here had nefarious intent. It had built the Forge and seemed to be helping her, though the fact that Tess didn't know why was putting her on edge.
Tessa shot off towards the peak of the tower, pushing the voice to the back of her mind. She could figure it out after she had given Orin his eye back. Time was wasting and every second counted. She sank into the clouds around the peak, her soul utterly encapsulated by the devastating storm, before she burst from it once again, flying high above before peering down at her destination. The place where she would fix her Knight.
The peak was flat and relatively simple. Tessa noted the silver lines of spatial energy that ran from points at the sheer drop on the tower. They formed a star at the centre and in that stood the strange pearly white altar that Elora had described. Another thing that Tess had never heard of. Such a thing was not required for Forging, so she had no idea as to its purpose. The only new addition that Tess could see was that the silver lines were now joined by ones made of volatile blue. They flickered as sparks lit them up before settling again. They too joined the star in the centre of the summit, though the altar itself remained untouched by Lightning, Dark or Space.
Tessa began to focus internally, drawing the energy of her soul and touching upon the Forge down below, reaching out to it mentally. This was the tricky part. The tomes on Smithing had said that simply extending her awareness was enough to engage with the Forge, but without knowing what it actually felt like Tessa was blind to how it would truly work. Thankfully, it seemed her family's secrets had been right once more. She felt the Forge, felt the Aurum flowing through its terrific structure. It was calm, contained and controlled. Ready to be used by her at a moments notice.
She exerted her will and it jumped to her command. The patterns of the tower, especially those that contained the hints of her Element, glowed brighter as she called to the Aurum. It was almost simple to do so. She was a part of Orin now and her mark on the Forge meant that it was hers as much as Elora's.
The mercenary began to craft her body, drawing on a memory she had of herself. Her arms and legs formed, followed by her head and torso. Suddenly she could hear again, taste iron on the non-existent air and feel the rumble of the tower beneath her as its tremors ran through her body. The Forge was her focus, a way to control the Aurum and bend it to her will. She created her body and floated gently down to the surface, landing on the unyielding black stone and already walking forward before she had fully formed. Tessa was quietly thrilled with how easy it had been. She had thought the tower would resist her at first, as she had read that could happen to Smiths other than the First Throne, but whatever the voice had done to the Forge had aided her immensely.
And she was sure it was the voice now. The Forge didn't feel intelligent when she had touched it. It truly was a tool of creation. It did little to banish her doubts, however. If someone was helping you, in Tessa's experience, it usually meant they wanted something and Tess was loathe to find out what that was.
Tessa took a knee near the altar and pressed her hand against the cold obsidian of the surface. While she could work the Forge at a distance, she knew that physical contact helped when drawing on its power. She needed to create her Throne. She would need its help in her attempt to draw upon the raw Aurum that she and Orin had manifested. There was a slight temptation to peek out into the world beyond the soul and see how her Knight was doing but Tess forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Plenty of time for all that later. She just needed to-
She stopped. Tessa released her hold on the Forge and stumbled to her feet, her newly made eyes gazing with disbelief at the sight before her.
Elora's Throne was a bombastic and rugged thing. Steps of darkness led up to the seat of the Princess' Elemental power, which seemed to be made of the same stone as the tower itself. It darkened in places and lightened in others, almost like it was mimicking Orin's soul flames. The back of the Throne looked like someone had once tried to cleave it in two, with a jagged scar running the length as silver stars ignited and dimmed upon its ebony surface. It had a terrible, haunting beauty about it. A warmth cloaked in shadow.
But that wasn't what had caught her attention. No, it was what was sitting next to it that was causing Tessa to suddenly shake with uncertainty. It was a Throne.
It was her Throne.
It almost seemed like a monument to excess in Tessa's eyes. As large as Elora's but far more regal, the mercenary's Throne seemed to have been carved from a huge block of pure gold. Lines of white energy tinged with blue ran along the armrests and back, flaring occasionally with barely contained might. Tessa blinked and the patterns moved to different places on the Throne's golden surface, followed swiftly by the bellowing roar of thunder. They were like living lightning, constantly in motion and moving too fast for her to see.
She took a step closer, staring at the Throne in wonder. She picked out the small details, like clouds that seemed to rise from deep within the burnished metal, pushing against it before being blown away by a powerful breeze. The energy that it exuded couldn't have been more different from the black Throne it sat beside. Elora's gave off a feeling of quiet danger, while Tessa's was a torrent of pure force, as though the storm that she and Orin summoned with their Bonding had been harnessed and moulded to purpose. It was wild, unadulterated. The barely contained power of nature itself. She could feel it calling to her, a whisper in her mind. It wanted her to sit, to use it. It was perfect, it was hers.
But how was it possible?
Smiths create Thrones. A Forge is one thing, but a seat of Elemental power? That was as personal for an Heir's Smith as their own soul. Had the voice truly made this, as it had Elora's? What kind of influence did it have here?
Perhaps Tessa shouldn't have been so surprised. This presence, or whatever it was, had created the Forge after all. Yet she couldn't help it. All of her training throughout the years had been for this one shining moment and it had been taken from her. First the Forge and now her Throne. She couldn't help but feel frustration and rage rise within her. She was a Smith of House D'viritazi. She may no longer feel that Ragora was home, but she took pride in her name nonetheless.
And why gold? White and blue she could understand. Even the appearance of Wind and Water made sense, as a D'viritazi had influence with both of those 'lesser Elements', as her manuals had called them, but gold? What did it mean? Wealth?
Everything had significance and she would be a fool to believe otherwise. If silver sparks on Orin's soul could be one of the most versatile Elements ever discovered, then something as prominent as a golden Throne had to mean something. More questions. This whole Bonding was supposed to be simple and yet Tessa found herself questioning every action at every single turn.
That thought made her smile however. She would expect nothing less from Orin. He was no ordinary Knight. Even among Heirs he was spectacular, unique. She should've expected no different from his inner soul.
Before Tessa had even realised what she was doing she was walking up the small steps to her Throne. While it was as tall as Elora's, it was still of a width that she could sit comfortably. The sheer size of the behemoth next to her must be hell for the Princess, but she had mentioned that she hadn't sat on her Throne, even when forging her Weapon. It was a mistake, though no fault of her own. Tessa had yet to tell the Princess how they worked, but she would do so as soon as possible. Their talk had been interrupted by news of Orin's whereabouts. They were essential for an Heir. The Thrones worked in tandem, allowing the Smiths to work as one for the benefit of their Knight. They also helped streamline the use of the Forge itself, making Aurum manipulation that much easier to control and direct.
Tessa felt no small amount of trepidation as she hesitantly sat on the cold golden surface. For some reason she was expecting to be struck by her own Element. These fears were unfounded. It was her Element for a reason, as much a part of her as her right hand. She couldn't control it in the real world without Orin's help, true, but within the soul was another story.
She leaned back and tried to make herself comfortable. Once she started this, she wouldn't be able to stop until it was done. If she wavered, if her concentration lapsed, it would be over and she would have no way of returning Orin his eye. She took a deep breath. Sitting on the Throne settled her. She was cradled in the literal heart of her influence, of her power. She could feel it beneath her like a heartbeat, one which matched the timing of her own.
“Orin,” Tessa whispered out into the world of his soul, this time pushing her words up and through, piercing the veil and touching the mind of her Knight. She couldn't feel his thoughts yet, but she could now get a general sense of how he was feeling, which was something that gave her more joy than she would likely admit.
“Tess? Are you alright? Are you safe?” Orin's words echoed out, his concern for her causing Tessa to warm with pleasure.
“I'm fine,” Tessa replied softly, “I'm going to begin now. Don't panic and don't move. The sign of our joining is filled with wild Aurum. I'm going to use it. Hopefully, that will disperse the storm.”
“Well, that's good,” Orin replied and she could hear the smile in his voice, “I'm getting a bit wet out here. Really don't want to be hit by lightning, feel like it might hurt a bit.”
Tessa grinned in response before closing her eyes and focusing on the Throne beneath her. She didn't tell Orin that even if he was hit by the lightning, the chances of it hurting him were minimal. With her affinity for the Element now transferred to him, he would be immune to lightning he himself created. Of course, that didn't apply to lightning created by others. That thought immediately made her think of Alice and her brother. She still had fond memories of Tristan. As the only two Smiths among seven children, they had trained together for a time, and they were close in age. Part of Tessa knew that a confrontation with the other Heir was all but inevitable and she knew that she would have to pit her power against her brother's. It mattered not her feelings, nor any familial bond they shared.
If Tristan threatened Orin, Tessa would destroy him.
The mercenary pushed her will into the Throne, the energy within jumping to her command. Tessa exhaled and reached out a hand towards one of the three distinct pillars that ringed the summit of the tower. The other pillars were shadows compared to them, constantly shifting and fading. So much so in fact that Tess couldn't quite tell how many there were. They didn't have Gifts to ground them into this reality. Not yet.
Tessa planned to change that.
Elora's Gifts of Thought, Strength and Healing were clear in her mind. Even with her eyes closed she could see them easily through her spiritual sight. Healing was by far the weakest. The Idea was strong enough, Tess could sense that, but the rune used to bind it to the Gift's spherical form was unable to make the most of it. She wasn't exactly good with Healing herself, but she and Elora would have to discuss how to improve it further. Orin deserved the best and they would give it to him.
Thought was solid. The synergy between the Idea and the rune working perfectly together. It was average at best, but Tessa knew just how hard it was to make an extraordinary Gift. The fact that Thought was so well made was a testament to Elora's own training as a Smith.
Then came Strength. It made the Gifts sitting next to it look paltry and insignificant in comparison. It shone like a sun to Tessa's spiritual sight, filled to the brim with energy that begged to be released, begged to be let loose on the world at large.
Tessa felt her respect for the Princess jump by quite a bit. Not only for the creation of a Resonant Gift, but for controlling the fucking thing. Tess felt that if she touched upon Strength, it would explode and take a good portion of the Forge with it. Yet Elora had used it without a Forge during battle, channelling it without a filter. It must have been like trying to walk on a balancing pole three hundred feet off the ground while juggling a bunch of flaming swords... and being on fire herself. The control needed was astounding.
Tessa used the Throne as a medium and touched the Forge through it. The difference was negligible but it would be become more prominent when she and Elora were using the Forge together. It would stop them from getting in each others way. Unify their efforts instead of inhibiting them. But it wasn't that aspect that Tessa was looking to use at that moment. It was time to reach for creation, to build something new. A Gift for Orin.
Tessa felt energy gather at the tips of her fingers as she reached through Orin and into the physical world. She saw it again, the blue-white Lightning Aurum that had created the deafening storm which even now raged about her Knight. She grabbed a hold of it, her grasp slipping and sliding as she endeavoured to keep her grip. The storm would fade by itself in time, as no manifested Aurum could survive outside of the ephemeral realm for long, but Tessa wouldn't allow that to happen. She needed Aurum to build Orin's eye and a veritable mountain of it lay mere inches from Orin's skin. She would claim it for her own, turn it to her design. Tess hadn't expected to make so much wild Aurum, but the more she had available, the higher her chances of succeeding. If she could control it, of course. She just prayed to the Great Spirit that it worked.
Tessa began to draw in the power, using the Forge to absorb it, to harness it. She heard a gasp of surprise leave Orin's lips as the storm began to fade around him. More than that, it was flying into him with incredible force. She could feel Orin's body being battered, his teeth gritted, hands clenched and eye closed as he roared at the night sky, the sound he made a match for any thunderbolt. Tessa joined him, screaming as she felt her hold begin to waver. She redoubled her efforts, tripled them, pushed past her preconceived limits and pulled the Aurum into the tower, which lit up at the arrival of such a torrent. The storm near the peak thickened and grew as the blue symbols began to hum with the strain. She would not let go, never again. She had him now.
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He had made her a promise. With this Gift she would give him one in return.
“I'll never leave you, Orin,”
Both worlds went silent. The last of the storm was absorbed into the Forge and Orin fell forward onto his palms. Tessa could hear his heavy breathing, could feel the steam that rose from his reddened skin.
The mercenary herself held perfectly still. She was a dam, holding back the energy that the tower now contained. Tess focused on the Gift of Healing and envisioned what she wanted, what she needed. Then she raised her hand and let go.
“I'll never betray you.”
Tessa became a beacon as the Aurum in the Forge, barely tempered by her Throne, flowed through her into the floating black sphere. The silver rune on its front began to glow with all the force of a star. The silver of Space becoming tinged with the blue-white of Lightning as Tessa's soul was torn and strained. It was too much power. Far too much. Her soul was stronger than any other before Bonding and yet it was still tearing her at the edges. No, she had come too far to give up. She knew this was a possibility. She needed to push through. Even if it killed her!
“I make this Gift for you.” Tessa spat out, expecting blood to follow but none did. “It is not one, but two.”
“T-Tessa!” Orin's roar reverberated through the inner soul, his shout filled with pain and fear, “Stop! You're hurting yourself!”
Tessa smiled. Tears appeared, falling up instead of down, blown away by the glowing light of the Gift of Healing. “That you care is enough. Do you trust me, Orin?”
“With my life!” His declaration was immediate and made of steel, “Your soul is bleeding! Don't do this!”
Tess felt something smash against the jagged entrance that led to Orin's soul space. The whole tower and even her Throne trembled under the impact. Orin was trying to get inside, but he didn't know how.
“Elora told me how to make a Resonant Gift,” Tessa whispered weakly, slumping in her Throne. Upon hearing her whimper, Orin's attack on his own soul became all the more intense, the shaking increasing as he viciously beat against his very being, “It takes belief. Belief in the Idea, belief in the Knight If there's anything I believe in Orin, its you.”
“Tess!” another roar from her Knight as shock waves shook the inner soul. She could feel his rage, his despair, his helplessness.
“I must give everything, or it will all be for nothing,” Tessa intoned, her spirit beginning to weaken and fail. She was injured, the damage might even be permanent, but she would still be a Smith, she could still give him power. “I believe you can save me, Orin. I believe that you will always save me. You do not create the storm. You are the storm!”
Tessa pushed again, one last time. She linked Lightning to Sight and Speed, called to her Idea and her rune. Pulled them together, chained them as one to create something new, something greater. The waters of her golden soul were beginning to freeze and snap as cracks appeared along its surface. Tessa's vision was failing, her mind lost to the true void beyond consciousness.
“The Gift of the Storm.” Tessa murmured as the light fled from her.
There was a touch at her shoulder. A hand pressing down and offering comfort. Approval passed through that unseen limb, followed by a squeeze of reassurance. Tessa sighed.
Something burst through the soul's entrance. Tessa only caught a glimpse of it. A shadowy figure wreathed in lightning and silver sparks. It flew towards her at a devil's speed. He had come to save her as she knew he would, as she believed he would.
The last thing she felt were Orin's arms wrapping around her body before she was lost to darkness.
*
A voice pierced the numbness surrounding her mind.
Soothing and softly spoken. It was calling to her, trying to move her to action. To open her eyes and return to the waking world. She could feel arms wrapped around her, a hand on her cheek, a whisper in her ear.
“Wake up, Tess,” It was so gentle. Tessa would know that voice anywhere for it belonged to the only person in this world she truly cared about. She could feel wind on her face, cold at the tips of her fingers, but she didn't want to open her eyes. Didn't want the moment to end. She knew her Knight was holding her close and it was bliss for her. If she moved he would let go again. She didn't want that.
“I can feel your emotions, Tessa. I know you're awake.” Orin sounded more than a little amused.
Tessa involuntarily winced and debated whether pretending to still be asleep was a viable option before she begrudgingly coming to her senses. She cracked open her eyes to find two faces staring down at her.
Elora and Orin were both looking at her with relieved expressions on their faces. She couldn't have been out for long because Orin's skin was still red and he looked soaked to the bone. His clothes were in tatters, looking singed and beyond repair. Though that wasn't the biggest change in her Knight.
His right eye... it was open.
No longer was it the match of his emerald left. This one glowed with a pure white pupil that was almost blinding. The iris was azure in colour. Even as Tessa watched small bolts of lightning flickered across it before fading away just as fast. The sclera had changed, darkening to a dusky grey which flickered black in some places, almost like there were clouds hiding behind them. The Eye of the Storm.
“I-It worked,” Tessa stuttered, shocked as she reached up to brush her hand against his silver scar. Even that wound seemed to have faded slightly, becoming much less prominent on the face of her Knight.
“I suppose that's what you meant when you said were going to give back what Zelato took from me?” Orin grinned down at Tessa, still holding her tightly, “It's pretty nice to be whole again... though everything looks a little blue now.”
“It's only part of the Gift,” Tessa replied absently, her thoughts coming back to her as she recalled exactly what had happened, “I combined Sight and Speed, made them one. A new Gift, a new Resonance. Gift of the Storm.”
“You combined Gifts?” Elora asked, looking awed as she glanced up at Orin's eye once more, Tessa's idiot wiggling his eyebrows at the Princess, “But how? How did you combine them and how is the eye still working if you're not Bonded?”
Tessa grinned weakly, strangely thrilled that she could show up her First Throne, despite knowing it was childish. “I made Sight independent to Speed and connected it our Bond. The eye will drain Aurum from Orin if he has it activated all the time, so it's better to save it until he needs it or until one of us has Bonded with him. It can do a lot more than just see.”
Even speaking like that was enough to erase the fatigue from Tessa's body. She was one of them now. No longer was she one, or even two, she was three. Her smile became more genuine.
Then her heart rose to the back of her throat as she threw herself inward, expecting to see a soul ripped apart and being held together by thin threads. She prepared herself for the worse and yet might have been more surprised than she would've been had she only found tattered shreds.
Her soul was fine.
It was exactly as she remembered before beginning the ritual, without wear or tear. There was no hint of any of the damage she had taken while making the Gift of the Storm.
“What happened? After I passed out?” Tessa asked, dumbstruck and trying to put the pieces together.
Elora looked to Orin and he nodded slowly, “You were in pain so I tried to reach you. I got into the inner soul but I couldn't see anything. It all just looked like a sea of light to me. I saw you in the distance, glowing blue, grabbed you and pulled you out. That's about it.”
“You didn't see anything else... anyone else?” Elora looked sharply at Tessa when she said that, already knowing what she was getting at.
Orin frowned and shook his head, “Like I said, only you. Why? Did you hear something too?”
Tess remembered the hand that had touched her, seemingly trying to ease her pain. She was somehow positive that the reason she didn't have a near completely ruined soul was because that strange presence had helped her, aided her in the creation of the Gift. What the fuck was going on with that thing?
“You were right, Elora,” Tessa said to the Princess, “There's something else in there. You aren't going crazy.”
Elora bristled, “Was that ever up for debate?”
“Only a little,” Tess chuckled at the glaring Princess before losing herself to a coughing fit.
“The first time you call Etherin can be hard. Its a miracle you're awake now considering everything that happened,” Elora softened and helped Tess sit up on her own, “It took me days to wake up after Bonding with Orin, though I think you win who had the more eventful ceremony considering you summoned a literal lightning storm.” The two Smiths and their Knight laughed at that.
“But if I'm not going crazy, as Tessa put it,” Elora continued with an eye-roll, “Then we'll need to do something about this presence and soon.”
Tessa grimaced as the fatigue in her body made itself known, “Don't think it's there to hinder, just to help. If not us, then it wants to make Orin stronger. It helped me with the Gift, I'm sure of it.”
Elora frowned, “Then we should-”
“Not tonight!” Orin declared from his place next to Tess. “We still have much more to discuss. This Gift included, but you both need rest. That's an order from your Knight!”
Tessa and Elora threw death stares at Orin who wilted under their combined glare, “Order us?”
“I need rest.” Orin mumbled under his breath, smiling at the two women, “We're not going after some mysterious entity living inside me tonight. Tess, you said it was helping?”
“Aye,” Tessa replied doubtfully, “But I don't know what it wants which is-”
“Then we can delay it for the moment. We're safe, we're together and that's what matters,” Orin suddenly grabbed Tess and pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly against him as he muttered into her ear, “Don't do that again. Learn your own lesson: You're not alone. We're partners now, Knight and Smith. You pull some shit like that again and I really will beat you into the ground.”
Tessa laughed as she leaned her head against Orin's shoulder, “As if you could.”
“I've got my eye back now,” She felt him smiling against her hair, “Anything's possible.”
Elora stayed back and allowed them a moment together, which the mercenary was eternally grateful for as she succumbed to the feeling of Orin's arms around her body. His touch felt different now. Steady and sure rather than intense and all-consuming. It was good in a different way and Tessa couldn't say she missed the burning it had replaced. She risked a look at her Bond, allowing herself to bask in the feeling of seeing the golden thread that went off into the distant horizon of her soul space, connecting her to Orin forever more. It was not as large as Elora's, but it felt like iron to her senses. Solid and without flaw. Unbreakable.
She was a Smith. His Smith.
Tessa began to cry soon after that. Orin said nothing, merely holding her tighter in a silent and stalwart show of comfort. Tessa felt the hesitant hand of the Princess upon her back. The two of them offering their support without speech.
They remained that way for some time.
* * *
Three days after Alden and Vera had met on the border road to Dunhold, they arrived at the gates of Myrin. The vassal of House D'viritazi had spent that time trying to get to know his new hosts with limited success. Lady Vera was more than happy to talk with him at length, though never about anything of any real substance. Battle tactics and Knightly skills, certainly, but no more information was revealed about the new Knight of the Princess or Alden's young ward, the Lady D'viritazi. If said Knight and the Heir he was seeking were one in the same then Alden was on the right track, but the pair's complete refusal to talk about him beyond his name had made the warrior nervous. His Smith, Deirdric, even more so.
It had been six years since they were Bonded and still Alden could not understand how his Smith could stand to be so confrontational. It came from a good place, but after he had demanded answers from Lady Annabelle the night before, the First Knight and Smith of Venos had been icily cold towards them, rebuffing all further attempts at conversation.
Alden could understand why Deirdric was so anxious. Their mission was of paramount importance, given to them by the master himself, Mastan D'viritazi. They were to retrieve the Lady Tessaraina and the Heir from Venos before seeing them safely back to Ragora. They had expected it to be easy. Mastan had utter faith in the man known as Boldrin and had instructed them that finding their objectives would be simple so long as they found him first. Yet it appeared that quite a lot had happened since Alden was last in Venos.
A war with Dunhold had recently been quelled, one which Lady Tessaraina and the Heir known as Orin had been involved in. Boldrin was currently missing and, according to Vera, had not been seen in Venos for a few weeks. The same could be said for Alden's ward which caused him concern to no end. While accepting this mission had been an obligation and an honour, it was also one which Alden would have done without being asked. He had been the one to take Lady Tessaraina to Venos. By right, it should be him who takes her home again. He did not come for this mysterious Heir, he came for his Lady, whom he had guarded since birth.
“This place is hardly Nian, is it?” Deirdric said, seeing through Alden's eyes as they walked the streets of Myrin.
Alden found himself agreeing with his Smith. Venos was hardly known as an enlightened nation. The Nobles held all of the power here unlike back home where the titles were mostly ceremonial and the common people had a say. The consequences of such severe class separation could be seen all around him, dilapidated buildings inhabited by miserable folk. Not a smile could be seen anywhere. It was just so... grey.
“You have to admit the spires are something,” Alden replied into the safety of his mind. His goal being to change his Smith's view on at least one aspect of Venos before they returned home.
“Yes, I suppose,” Deirdric responded thoughtfully, “I wonder what their purpose is?”
“None know. It is said that the royal family do, though they guard the secret jealously.”
“Another demerit for monarchies, then,” Deirdric sniffed, “I find it hard to believe that places like this still exist. If one person has all the power then no one does.”
“The Empire is the same way,” Alden protested, keeping an eye on Vera's back as she led them through the decrepit and broken streets of the Commons.
“Hardly. The Empire is an enlightened place. A home for philosophers, artists and poets. This place is just... depressing.”
Alden shook his head but didn't reply for the moment. Deirdric had enjoyed their time at the Hall immensely, especially the forays out to visit the capital of Ionostrum. Upon their graduation from the Hall only a few months before they had managed to meet with Tristan, who now served as Princess' Alice's Smith. The little Lord had grown into a fine young man, broad of shoulder and a heart to match. The three of them had spent the day together, reminiscing about old times when Tristan was but a boy. Tessaraina was brought up of course, but Alden could do little to help with the young Lord's grief. He still believed that his sister was dead, as did the rest of their family with the exception of his mother and father. That had changed recently, when Mastan had gathered his children, with the exception of Tristan, to tell them the truth.
Freida had cried like a child when told, her screams ringing out amid the estate. Only Deirdric was allowed near her and when he emerged from their rooms later that night he had appeared pale and furious.
He and Alden had left for Venos the next day.
Freida had been close to Tessaraina in a way that only big sisters could be. She had spoiled the little Lady rotten with dresses and toys, so much so that she was declared the favourite sister at a family gathering when Tessaraina was five, much to the amusement of everyone gathered.
She was the baby of the family, a precious existence that needed to be protected not just for her ability as a Smith, but because of her sweet and innocent nature. The fact that she had shipped off to some backwards country had filled Alden with fury at the time and it still did now. But he was a vassal and he served his Lord. He saw this trip as a chance to redeem himself. Deirdric was still angry with him for keeping such a secret hidden, which had strained his relationship with his Smith. Him being Freida's husband had made the matter all the more intense.
“Are we close now, my Lady?” Alden asked respectfully, bowing his head in supplication to the far more powerful Knight.
Alden knew the result of a fight between him and Vera would end with his head on a spike. She was an acclaimed Master with a rare Resonant Gift and powerful Element. It was why his doubts about their destination had never made their way into a conversation. If she wanted him to come with her, there was very little he could do to stop her. It continued to amuse him that even after graduating from the Hall he still felt weak before people like Lord Mastan and Lady Vera. He and Deirdric were far from the most powerful in their class at the Hall, but they could still hold their own. Yet people like them made Alden and Deirdric seem like mortals in comparison.
Which was why Alden found it so fascinating how nervous Vera seemed to be. She was a Master and yet she now seemed like a hesitant student. Alden reasoned that it was most likely the Princess that could bring out such a reaction. After all, Vera and Annabelle were her sworn servants. But why so nervous? Had they done something wrong?
Alden frowned as he thought about why Vera and Annabelle had been so far out in the middle of nowhere when they had met. They were said to be the most powerful pairing in Venos and yet they were sent out to do grunt work? Perhaps they had fallen out of favour? That made the most sense to him but it seemed rather petty to send out your most powerful warrior on trivial assignments, especially during a time like this when Dunhold had only recently attacked.
Then again, this was a different nation with different laws. Alden was missing something though he didn't quite know what.
“We are.” Vera replied, her voice confident and sure, despite the signs pointing to her being the exact opposite, “Annabelle believes they'll be at Orin's orphanage. He doesn't like the palace, you see.”
Alden nodded as Deirdric spoke up in his head, “An orphanage? Lady Tessaraina D'viritazi at an orphanage? Please, this is a waste of time. They're up to something, Alden.”
“And what would you like to do about it, Deirdric?” Alden snapped back, his nerves already more than frayed from the journey, “Would you like to throw a fireball at Lady Vera? I'm sure that will go well. Besides, we're looking for Orin to find Tessaraina. I doubt she's here but it might be something to work with!”
“We should get back to pursuing some solid leads!” Deirdric hissed, “Not running round in circles chasing after some Knight of the Princess we don't even know for certain is who we're looking for!”
“Boldrin took her to Myrin as a child,” Alden replied stubbornly, “Maybe this orphanage was where she stayed.”
“You should have gone with her!” Deirdric shouted and the words were like a hammer blow on the Knight's heart.
He saw the little Lady, his responsibility and joy, being carried away by Boldrin in his mind's eye. Her waving hands as she shouted goodbye, trying to make them feel better. They didn't deserve her, didn't deserve her concern. He hated himself all over again for being the 'good soldier'. It was a role that had served him well, had even earned him a Knighthood, and yet he would give all of it up to go back to that day, to grab Tessaraina and take off as fast he could. He looked back and thought he should have tried harder, should have pushed more. But no, he followed orders as he always did.
“Alden,” Deirdric's voice was calmer now, sympathetic, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-”
“It's fine,” Alden muttered, both in his mind and out in the real world. “I know what you're feeling, Deirdric. I've been feeling the same way for ten years. I also know seeing Freida like that was painful for you, but we have to see this through. We'll find her. Even if this leads nowhere. We will find Tessaraina. We're not going home without her.”
“I know,” Deirdric replied after a silent moment, “It just... sometimes I just-”
“I know, Deirdric,” Alden smiled, accepting his Smith's apology.
They fell silent after that, following after a Bonded Vera with heavy steps. Deirdric may have given up on this lead, but Alden still held some hope. Anything at this point would be better than nothing.
Twenty minutes after arriving in Myrin found Alden standing at the steps to a large building, one which looked to be in far better condition than those clustered around it. It had the look of a town hall, though without a sign out front Alden had no way of knowing for certain. Considering that Lady Vera was walking up the steps delicately, this must've been the orphanage that she mentioned. Alden prepared himself for worst. His stomach sank into his shoes when Vera knocked on the door and retreated back down the steps.
It opened a moment later to reveal a middle-aged woman garbed in the dumpy outfit associated with Wives of the Great Spirit. The woman was smiling when she left, but it immediately fell off her face when she saw who came to pay them a visit. Her hair was done up in a messy bun with many strands flying free. She had a face which seemed to soothe and a pencil stuck behind her ear. Alden thought she would be beautiful if she smiled but that was clearly not on the cards today. The Sister's face became colder and colder as she glared at the First Knight. Vera took a step back, looking away and folded her arms as light emerged from her chest, forming Lady Annabelle a second later. The First Smith of Venos stepped to the foot of the steps while Lady Vera seemed to be trying to hide behind her sister.
Interesting to note for Alden was that the Sister was in no way surprised by Etherin. Instead she merely transferred her glare to the newcomer. “What do you want?”
“First I would like to apologise for the strenuous circumstances of our last visit, Sister Erin,” Annabelle curtseyed before the Wife of the Great Spirit. Alden and Deirdric were a little taken aback by this. After all, the church was not really favoured in Venos and Annabelle was one of the most important Nobles in the country. For her to bow before a commoner was... unexpected.
“Oh, I've forgiven you for that,” Erin smiled suddenly before it fell away just as fast, “What I haven't forgiven you for is locking my son in a dungeon, trying to remove his Bond to Elora and handing him a death sentence in the process. Oh, lets not forget that you were to banish him to Dunhold and blame the events of Dunwellen on him. Did I miss anything?”
Annabelle remained stoic and untouched by the sarcasm. “I will agree that we have made mistakes, Sister. Some of which I would consider unforgivable, but I ask you to please put aside any animosity you have towards myself and my sister. We would like to ask to see Orin. I beg you, this is important.”
The Sister made to reply before catching sight of Alden out of the corner of her eye. She turned to stare at the Knight and he felt himself shiver beneath such an intense gaze. Her animosity slowly disappeared though, this time replaced by thoughtful contemplation.
“I'm assuming your urgent matter has to do with the Ragoran you've brought with you?” The Sister asked plainly, turning her attentions back to Annabelle.
“It does,” Annabelle nodded before indicating for Alden to step forward and addressing him, “Alden of Nian, this is Sister Erin of Myrin. She runs the orphanage here and is the mother of Orin, Knight of the Princess.”
“A pleasure to meet you, my Lady,” Alden snapped his heels together and bowed low to the Sister. If Annabelle was showing this woman so much respect then Alden would be wise to follow suit.
Erin scoffed at the courtesy, “I'm no Lady, sir Alden. I'm merely a simple Sister. May I ask what has brought you so far west? It can't be the weather. I hear Ragora is as lovely in winter as it is in summer.”
“It is, Sister,” Alden replied, rising from his bow, “In fact, winter is considered preferable for the lower temperatures.”
“Ask her, Alden!” snapped Deirdric in his head, chastising his Knight for wasting time.
“I would also like to apologise for our visit. I know you must be busy. I am looking for someone. A young woman with steel-grey eyes and-”
“Did Mastan send you, D'viritazi?” Erin stated bluntly, closing the door to the orphanage behind her slightly, “You seek Tessa?”
Alden closed his mouth, staring at the woman with wide eyes. Even Annabelle and Vera looked surprised that the Sister knew who he was, or at least who had sent him. Alden could barely stop the swirl of emotion within his soul.
“Tessa? Tessaraina! Yes, yes I do, Lady!” Alden felt joy rise within his chest and it became all the greater as Deirdric's emotions joined his own. Was this it? Had they reached the end of their search so soon? “Do you know of her whereabouts? Is she with this Orin? Please, it is imperative that I find her!”
“She is not-”
The door to the orphanage opened and out walked a ghost, a phantom. It was her. Alden felt his heart break at the sight.
The woman who walked from the orphanage had the calm bearing of a warrior. Steel eyes gazed out at them like they were prey and she was the predator. Twin daggers hung on either side of her hip, strong fingers already tapping against the hilts. Her hair was wild, seemingly shorn at random, while her lips were twisted in a frown. She wore a dirty tunic with matching breeches, her face smeared with dirt and skin so pale that he would have never known her as Ragoran had he not known her all her life. She scanned them all warily, as though they were enemies until proven otherwise. There was a hardness to her. A rawness that hadn't been there when she was little. She walked like a mercenary now, like Boldrin. Alden felt fury stir in his stomach as it churned with the thought.
“Everything alright, Sister?” The woman asked, her eyes finding Annabelle and Vera, focusing on them to the exclusion of all else. The hostility that bloomed upon seeing them was so strange to see on the face of the girl he had once known. It very nearly caused a sob to escape from Alden's lips.
The little girl he had known was gone. The pretty dresses and toys replaced by armour and steel. What had happened to her? What had Boldrin done to her?
“My Lady?” Alden spoke, his voice quiet and barely carrying, yet Tessaraina heard it nonetheless, turning to face him.
For a moment she stared at him blankly. Evaluating him as though he were a threat. Then something clicked behind those grey, stormy eyes. They widened, her mouth fell open and genuine surprise formed on her features, “Alden?”
“My Lady!” Alden spat through gritted teeth and took a knee, trying to stop the tears from falling but finding himself unable as he bowed his head towards the dirt. “I have long awaited this day. I thought us on the wrong path but thank the Old Gods I was wrong.”
“I-I...” Tessaraina began to speak but seemingly found herself unable to. She gathered herself slowly, taking a deep breath and exhaling as she clenched her fists by her side. Her eyes flickered over to Vera and Annabelle, who were watching the exchange with interest. “Why are you here?”
“Your father sent us, Lady,” Alden bowed further still, “Myself and Deirdric travelled from Nian only two weeks ago. He has sent us to bring you home.”
“You and...” Tessa's eyes widened in surprise once more, “You're a Knight?”
I am,” Alden said, getting to his feet and near bursting with pride, though it remained tinged with a hint of self-loathing. “Near six years has passed since I took the oath. I now serve your family as an agent of your father's will.”
Deirdric chose that convenient moment to appear from within Etherin. Emerging as light, he formed in only a second, expanding into a man who towered even over his Knight. Deirdric was a scholar by choice, a man who valued words over arms. It was how he had earned the heart of Freida and it was also a reflection of the man himself. He had dark skin and long dark blonde hair secured behind his head with a simple band of brown cloth. Airy robes covered his spindly frame and his eyes gleamed brown in the light of the noonday sun. He was smiling as he emerged, a grin so large that it threatened to consume his face completely.
“Tessaraina!” Deirdric cried out, the picture of happiness, “We are so glad we found you. Your sister will be so pleased!”
Tessa flinched when the man said her full name and took a step backwards. Sister Erin stepped forwards involuntarily, as though aiming to protect Alden's long time ward from Deirdric.
“Do you not remember me? I'm not surprised, it has been many years and we only met a few times,” Deirdric grinned at the young woman, “I am Deirdric of the House Winder.”
“Winder? A vassal?” Tessa spoke quietly, staring at the two men with distrust in her eyes. The look pained Alden though he stopped it from showing. He had to remember that while she may have once been a large part of his life, it had been ten years since they had last interacted.
“Indeed, my father serves yours as an advisor. We also oversee your family library,” Deirdric took a step closer to Tessa and she took a step back in response as the Sister slowly moved in front of her cautiously. Deirdric failed to notice this. “I am proud to say I am the husband of your sister, Freida.”
“Freida?” Tessa seemed to roll the name in her mouth for a moment, almost like she hadn't spoken the name of her sister in a long time. “Does she know you are here? Do my other sisters, Tristan?”
“All do bar Tristan, I'm afraid,” Deirdric replied candidly, “He is quite busy with the Imperial Princess at the moment and your father didn't want him disturbed. He has a tremendous duty, you know.”
Tessa lost some of her hesitation at Deirdric's words and instead spite took its place, “Oh, I'm aware. I was told the same thing once. When Alden carted me out of the estate and stuck me on a ship to the Yelesi Republic.”
Alden flinched and looked at the ruined cobbles beneath The sheer vehemence in Tessa's words causing even the ever-talkative Deirdric to shut his mouth.
“Why are you both here?” Tessa spat out, “I don't remember getting a message from my father to expect visitors. Though considering I've not gotten a letter from Ragora in near ten years I probably shouldn't have expected it.”
“My Lady,” Alden bowed again, “Your father fears there may be a threat against your life and the life of your Knight.”
Tessa blinked at him in confusion. Then she started laughing, throwing her head back as red flowed over pale cheeks, “Is that all? My Knight has already combated several threats. Mastan is pretty slow on the uptake there.”
Alden's cheeks flushed with frustration, “My Lady, please. He is your father and must be-”
“Must be what?” Tessa interrupted coldly. “I have had no mother, no siblings and certainly no father for ten years. I have Orin. All I need is Orin.”
Alden felt chilled by the look in Tessaraina's eyes. It was... intense, possessive, directed at the one who held the name she spoke. What in the Spirit's name was going on?
“My Lady, this is important. Please, I implore that you listen. I beg of you.” Alden bowed his head again while Deirdric declined to do so. His Smith's mouth was in a frown as he stared at the Lady D'viritazi. Alden would have scolded him but Deirdric did not have to follow this same protocols as his Knight. He had married into the D'viritazi house. In fact, as he was married to Freida, the second oldest daughter, his status in the family was considered of a level with Tessaraina.
The wild woman stared them down for a moment longer with crossed arms, a foot tapping as she narrowed her eyes. Finally she nodded, “Fine. You can wait out here until Orin returns. Then you can tell us both what you came here to say and leave.”
“It's common courtesy to invite in guests, you know,” Deirdric said with scowl, becoming disenchanted by the young woman the more time passed, “Especially seeing as we are family.”
Tessa raised a brow, “This isn't my house and you are no family of mine, Deirdric of Winder. Married to Freida or not.”
“Your sister is still bed-ridden from learning the truth about your fate,” Deirdric snapped, “She cries and sobs at the thought of you being alone for years. Have you no sympathy for her? None at all?”
“Should I?” Tessaraina sneered at Deirdric, “I do not know Freida. All I have is a vague recollection of her face and little else. She might as well be a stranger to me.”
“You-” Deirdric was stopped in his tirade by a firm hand placed upon his shoulder. The scholar turned to his Knight in surprise. After a moment he nodded and stepped aside, gritting his teeth at the young woman.
“Tessaraina, I don't understand,” Alden admitted honestly, walking to the base of the steps, “I thought you would be happy. We aim to take you and your Knight from Myrin, home to Nian. To the estate, to the great mountains, the Singing Trees. Do you not want that?”
“It is not about want, Alden,” Tessa said, “Orin is Knight of the Princess and the future King of Venos. He's not leaving without Elora and I'm not leaving without him. Tell him, First Knight. Will Queen Gida allow them to take Orin from the country?”
Vera said nothing but didn't need to for Alden to read the truth from her face. Alden had heard stories of Queen Gida and King Julian, of course. Everyone in the Hall knew of them. A backwards country Venos may be, but in terms of power it was not found lacking.
“You don't understand,” Alden began calmly, “The King and Queen will-”
Tessa raised a hand to stop him speaking, “We wait for Orin, then you can say your piece. I'm going inside to wait and the Sister will be joining me. Do not attempt to enter the orphanage.”
“On my honour, we will not,” Alden replied immediately, though his heart near broke again at the sternness in Tessaraina's voice, followed by taciturn nods from Vera and Annabelle.
“No!” Deirdric shouted as soon as Tessa walked through the door, catching her attention and that of the Sister who whirled around to glare at the Smith, “We have travelled weeks to get here. Weeks! I will not be separated from my wife a moment longer than necessary. You will come with us to the palace and we will discuss this with the King and Queen.”
Deirdric attempted to barge past the Sister, but she blocked his path with a scowl.
“This is my house, Smith,” growled the Sister, “Tessa wants to wait for Orin and so you will wait.”
“Out of my way!” The scholar barked.
It was no fault of his own. What happened next could only be chalked up to an accident, to bad luck. Deirdric had always been confrontational but he abhorred physical violence of any kind. He was frustrated because of his separation from Freida, as well as the reception from Tessaraina. He just wanted to go home.
Deirdric pushed her. The Sister slipped as they jostled. She hit her head on the stairs as she fell, her feet slipping on some left over moisture from the night before. Tessa's eyes widened, panic filling her eyes as she sprinted back through the door.
“I'm so sorry,” Deirdric's face paled as he leaned over, “I didn't mean to-”
Tessaraina's fist smashed into the side of Deirdric's face and sent him flying backward. He reeled into Alden's waiting arms, his Knight immediately moving Deirdric behind him as he spun to face a very different Tessa to the one he had just seen.
She stood in front of the Sister defensively, her daggers already in hand and teeth bared. Her auburn hair danced about her head as she shook with tension.
“My Lady, forgive him, he did not mean it.” Alden tried to speak calmly but it did little to soothe the warrior in front of him. She stared right through him, almost as though she had already decided he was dead.
“Lets all just calm down here!” Vera said, stepping forward. Silence followed her words.
Then a meteor slammed into the cobbles just a few feet away, churning the earth and causing a deafening shock wave to erupt, shaking the glass in the houses surrounding them and cracking more than one. Thankfully, the street was near empty, with most of the commoners likely tending the fields outside the city.
“Well, fuck.” Vera sighed and smiled wryly, placing her hands on her hips. She was facing away from the impact point and yet she didn't turn to face it. She looked up at Deirdric who remained pale and in shock, “I'll stop him from killing you.”
Alden peered past the First Knight, her words causing him no small amount of unease. He tightened his grip on Deirdric's arm, hoping that his Smith would be ready to Bond at a moment's notice.
A figure emerged from the cloud of dust kicked up from the ruined road. He was strong and tall, standing at just over six foot with broad shoulders and clear muscle evident beneath his tunic. His brown hair was tied back behind his head, pulled tight by a thong made of some emerald silk. His right eye was closed and a slim, silver scar ran through it from his hairline to his jaw. He walked forward purposely and without missing a beat, the flood of power from his Knighthood giving him an otherworldly grace.
Alden watched him take in the scene before him. Tessa on guard, the Sister with a blood covered forehead and finally he focused on them. His cold and dispassionate expression became consumed by fury.
Orin. Knight of Tessaraina D'viritazi.
The stranger opened his right eye. Immediately, the Ragoran warrior was pinned by a pupil of shining light.
“Bond, now!” Alden roared.
The Knight attacked.