Shadow sat on the wool blanket at the entrance to her tent, waiting for the dawn. A few days had passed since the dangerous adventure at Phoenix Peak, and she had almost recovered from it. Cuts and bruises were healing, and only the wound on her neck remained a painful reminder of her failure.
The morning started with the sky slowly brightening, but the Chipped Mountain stood gray and grim as if challenging the beginning of a new day. Today, the phoenix did not rise for its usual morning flight around the mountain top. But, of course, the magical bird was captured. Shadow saw its stone egg yesterday evening when Nahad Hari left Alder camp accompanied by clan rangers. The bird was still asleep after a few days, immersed in a deep magical slumber.
The sun disk slowly appeared over the hills. Shadow sat before her tent and looked at the Chipped Mountain, trying to sum up everything that happened to her during Ascension. She was asleep for an entire day after it. When she woke up, the tsar’s men were already in the camp, brought here by rangers of Alder. Rangers had also checked the vicinity of the Silent Waterfall. They helped everyone who survived to get to safety and then found all the dead bodies and the remains of a few moon wolves which looked like black and fragile stones broken into small pieces. Wolves retreated south without attacking anyone else and were not seen the following night or after.
Many questions were left regarding what had happened, but Shadow did not want to know the answers. She was simply glad that no one else from Crimson Alder got hurt, that her friends were safe, and now that desert people had gone. Only two things were still depressing her. First was her failure during the perfect hunt. Why did I not listen to everyone telling me that I should not go for stone pango? Second was her decision to help Nahad Hari. It was impulsive and driven by the circumstances and now felt very wrong, but would it be better otherwise?
The camp awoke. They planned to leave the Grass Reach tomorrow and head back to Alder Halls. They would have left this place already if not for what happened. But as a result, the final step of the Ascension—the rite of the unified blood—was postponed until tonight. Shadow was not supposed to participate in it, as she failed her perfect hunt. Yet, she was determined to at least enjoy the feast afterward and share the happiness with her friends who received their new names.
Soon, Sparkle came, and they went down to the river together to take a dip, just as on that day after their arrival. Shadow felt strange, as if all that happened after was only a dream. Returning, she found Spring Thunder waiting near her tent. She welcomed her father and sat next.
”How do you feel?”
”Much better.”
”I’m glad to hear that. Maybe it could be hard for you, but I need to know your story Shadow. Tell me what happened during the Ascension.”
They did not speak about that while she was recovering.
”Of course, father,” Shadow nodded and then told everything as it was. It took time, and she finished around midday.
”Such a brave daughter I have,” praised her Spring Thunder after asking a few more questions.
”Father…”
”Yes, Shadow?”
”I regret failing the Ascension. I shouldn't go hunting for stone pango.”
”Who knew that it would turn like that.”
”But it could turn even worse. I would die from stone poison if the hilistian monks did not save me.”
”Maybe. But you said stone pango was too cautious and did not come out when you set a trap. I’m sure it was acting that way because there were people around the waterfall for a few days already, disturbing it. Maybe you would have caught your perfect prey easily if there were nobody there.”
Shadow did not consider such a perspective, yet it was not enough to ease her worries.
“But I also noticed traces of their presence. I should have understood and been more cautious!”
Spring Thunder sighed.
”Things are even more complicated than you think. It is also my fault that they came here.”
“But why, father? I don’t understand.”
“We made a deal with tsar Lushee regarding the phoenix. I agreed that Crimson Alder would help his men capture the bird.”
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Shadow fell silent, completely bewildered by what she had just heard.
”Last fall, the messenger of the Sun Throne came to the Alder Halls and asked for this favor,” continued Spring Thunder, “and I agreed, of course.”
”But the Ascension… I don’t understand…”
”Not during Ascension, no. We agreed they would come two weeks later, and I would wait for them here, but it seems Nahad Hari does not care about such nuances and prefers to act whenever it suits him. That is unacceptable.”
”How can such a man bear the title of Ray of Sun? He kept us bound like prisoners! He has that beautiful gilded dagger of the Kurumeshi family with him, but his soul is as ugly as his face! He has no honor!”
”You will be surprised, Shadow, how differently some people treat the word honor. In the lands of desert, they have their own principles and values.”
”Yes, but… he has no honor in any meaning of this word. Although having an agreement, he came to our lands as a bandit. He captured innocent people, threatened them, and forced them to do his job! When the moon wolves attacked, and I was with his men up on the Phoenix Peak, I’m sure he deliberately pushed me towards the wolve pack to gain some time for himself.”
Spring Thunder was silent for a few moments.
”I will make him pay for this, I promise you,” he said. ”Regardless of his title, he will not go unpunished. But we can’t simply seize and bring him to trial now. This would be a severe offense against the Kurumeshi family. As a Ray of Sun, he could bring to trial anyone by himself alone. And by the law, he has the right to enlist anyone to the service of the Throne. If we question his actions, he will say that he enlisted these villagers to serve him, and that’s it. We had to let him go this time. He serves the Sun Throne and fulfills the will of tsar Lushee—this is the most important. The tsar is young and inexperienced, but he is well educated and has a clean heart. I saw him ten years ago at the siege of Mishra. Lushee was only a boy but brave and honorable in the true meaning of this word—a perfect head of the Empire. He will do all it takes to ensure the stability and prosperity of Azaraan. The main problem is his court, filled with old nobility, people like Nahad Hari, but I’m sure the tsar will sort this situation sooner or later. And that brings an excellent opportunity for our clan to grow, Shadow. Tsar needs strong and trustworthy allies. You did very well by helping Nahad Hari, and now I sent rangers to protect him on the way back up until the capital. We will approach the Throne and further improve the position of our clan.”
This was something Shadow needed at this moment: a rational explanation that could mend the shattered picture of reality. Her warrior soul was still burning with the desire to right the wrong, but as she had no real plan, the cure of rationalism worked. Indeed there was no point in acting like a child, bluntly complaining about the evil. Instead, the best she could do was to direct her effort into the clan’s future and stand by the right side.
”Thank you, father,” Shadow bowed. ”Your words are like a cure from stone poison. I was lost in regrets about helping Nahad Hari.”
”The true warrior leaves no place for regrets in his heart. Accept things as they are, and rejoice that you passed that test.”
Did I pass? Shadow thought, quite surprised, but not daring to ask it.
”What troubles me most now are these magic affairs,” added Spring Thunder.
”What do you mean, father?”
”Magic is dangerous, and people who seek to seize its power should be treated cautiously. That mysterious teheni, who put phoenix into sleep with his magic—no one saw him without his mask while they stayed in our camp as if that thing was nailed to his face. He refused to speak to me. But from what you are saying, I’m sure he is a tumbleweed—an outcast who settled among people. There are many of these who live in the capital and have forgotten the ways of the old. Just a few decades ago, everyone was scared to death of magical creatures, and now, look how many strange folks are eager to get closer to them! Magical creatures do a lot of harm to people, but they are mindless beasts driven by their primal instincts. What if cunning and malicious people get their grip on their powers instead? For everyone’s sake, it is best to keep all dangerous creatures in the right hands.”
“This is wise, father. One of the hilistian monks who cured me of the stone poison told the same thing. And that is why he advised me not to help Nahad Hari.”
“I’m not surprised that these foreigners defame the tsar. The role of these hilistian monks is unclear to me. Why were they sneaking around? The Empire is weak, and many ravens are willing to bite off a meaty piece. All the insinuations going around Lushee are thanks to the people around him. We can only hope that while the tsar frees his court from the old aristocracy, he will not fall into the hands of wicked magicians. As for now, I’m sure Lushee will use the powers of the phoenix wisely, and the bird will be kept safe.”
“Do you know, father, if the hilistian monks survived the attack of the moon wolves?”
”Yes. Two of them. They were seen by locals the next day. A lumpy old monk and a young boy—both were not even wounded. They left quickly to Tar-Fanesh.”
”That's great…”
Although these people were strangers to her, Shadow felt glad they went unharmed.
”And why does their fate concern you?” asked Spring Thunder.
”They saved me twice. I wish I could thank them properly.”
”Let’s hope they acted out of goodwill. Their interest in magical creatures does not speak well about them. I was told the masked mage went to the village yesterday searching for hilistian monks, but they had already left. These magicians are very suspicious, and I want you to promise me, Shadow, that you will be very careful with everything related to magic.”
“I promise,” said Shadow.
A warm breath of wind came from the south as a promise of the coming summer. The day was turning to afternoon.
”Very well then,” Spring Thunder made a pause, thinking. ”I’m proud of you, my daughter, and I want to thank you for your story. You made the right choice, and you showed your best. Now, I will give you a new name.”
“But, father… I did not complete the rites properly. I failed at my perfect hunt! I did not fight one of the elders. I…”
“Despite all these, you did not fear and achieved much more than was expected from you during Ascension. That is why from now on, everyone should call you…”
Shadow held her breath, listening to her new name.