Brightflame Accension (Book 1) (18 page)

Calmly, Will had reached into the bag and withdrew the perfect likeness of a sleeping snow leopard cub. Inspecting the figurine, Will thought the animal adorable. He smiled, pleased with his choice. His mother had a white leopard, too. Will had always thought Lumina was merely a loyal pet, but he began to wonder now if she was actually his mother’s frevmat. And if so, why had his parents not told him about that either? They knew that Will was particularly fond of wild beasts and that the idea of taming one for his very own would be a topic of great interest.
They have kept me ignorant of a beautiful world, my parents. Some day, I hope that I see all of it,
Will thought.

“Everyone got their pick? Follow me, and let’s go meet the little beasties.” Worth led the excited recruits around the stable and towards several pens near the woods. The young animals and creatures rose to jump playfully against their pen walls. Entering the enclosures, students laughed and giggled as the baby beasts leaned up against their legs. Will saw the pen containing his small leopard cub. A determined-looking tiger cub paced to and fro in the pen with it. Will smiled as the leopard attempted to climb the pen walls and fell back into the grass, rolling onto its back pawing at the air. With a rough little tongue, the leopard lapped at Will’s face when he picked it up, vibrating with a rumbling
purr. Will put the cub at his feet and let it pounce on his shoes.

“How precious, Will. Is that your frevmat?” a sweet voice sounded behind him. Vivyan was holding the tiger cub in her arms.

“Aye, and he is rather endearing, isn’t he? Feisty little devil,” Will said with a smile. Vivyan let her tiger down, and immediately, the leopard pounced on it.

Will went to stop the little brawl, but Vivyan held him back. With seconds, the tiger had flipped the leopard onto its back and held him down with its large, striped paws. The tiny tiger snorted contemptuously, releasing Will’s frevmat. The frightened leopard hurried back to Will and nuzzled his legs.

Smiling at her frevmat, Vivyan walked away, the tiger trailing behind her. Picking up his frevmat, Will scrunched up his nose and touched it to the leopard’s. The frevmat looked at Will with pale blue eyes, then with a wide yawn, buried its head in his arms and fell asleep. Will stroked the sleeping cub as he looked for Art.

“You too?” Art exclaimed. “Everyone gets a vicious monster for a frevmat, and I picked a bleating cow.” Art shook his head, walking up to Will with a knobby-kneed calf in his wake. Will’s leopard woke and suddenly jumped down from his arms. First, the calf looked suspiciously at the leopard circling him. Then, it bucked, kicking its back legs, and pranced toward the leopard.

“By their manner of play, one would assume them mortal enemies, but I’m of the opinion that they like each other. It is curious,” Will commented as the two frevmats wrestled in the grass. Art nodded, smiling as his calf butted Will’s leopard with its nubby horns. Despite his earlier complaints about his choice in frevmat, Art was obviously enjoying the animal’s awkward charm, laughing kindly every time it lost its balance. With each stumble, the calf humorously locked its knees and leapt into the air, a behavior that, to Will, did not seem to help its balance issues at all, and to Art, seemed the most hilarious mode of travel ever.

“Well, children? Are you pleased with your frevmats? I will give you a few more minutes to get to know one another before we head off,” Worth said to the class. His own frevmat, Relic, was watching the interactions between man and beast with an expression of great delight in her wolf eyes.

Will and Art sat down and continued to watch their frevmats play for a time. They also laughed at other kids’ frevmats. One Soardale, a pale girl with frizzled reddish blond hair, poked her hideous baby troll with her toe. Another recruit tossed a stick at a strange creature seeming to consist entirely of fluffy purple fur, hitting it squarely in what Will supposed to be its head.

“Unfortunately, time has run its course. Take good care of our friends and remember, they may seem too small and delicate to send to war now, but with the proper care and training, most everybody’s frevmat will be an asset on the battlefield,” Worth said, although he eyed the purple fuzz creature with certain skepticism. 

Pocketing the statuette of the snow leopard and admiring the real thing, Will walked up to the castle with Art and their animal companions in tow.

All of a sudden, he remembered something about frevmats. Will stopped, closing his eyes. Focusing hard on extending his thoughts beyond his own head, Will touched the leopard’s consciousness. The bond held and flowed seamlessly between the two beings’ thoughts, more easily than with any other being Will had contacted before. Will felt the animal shudder at the contact. He himself felt a strange sensation in his chest, strange, but wholly comforting.
What is your name?
He asked tentatively. The leopard looked up at him and cocked his head.

Suddenly, Will felt a great pain in his head. The contact between him and the cub spiked painfully into every memory, emotion, thought he had ever had. Will gasped and his eyes jolted open. Then, his eyes were not his, and Will saw, through the eyes of the leopard, a world of icy blues and vivid yellows. He saw his own face from the point of view of the small leopard. Then, just as suddenly as the pain had come, it ceased. Looking at the frevmat with greater respect, Will smiled, aware of the foreign thoughts in his mind.

I have yet to own one, William,
the leopard answered.

But how do you know my name? And where did you learn to talk?
Will asked surprised, but, at the same time, with an odd feeling as if he knew the answer already.

I know all that you know,
it answered curtly.
Only, I see things in a different light.

Ignoring the profoundness of this last statement, Will spoke again through their mental link,
Then,
I shall give you a name. Do you care for Crag?

That is not my name.

How about Turpon?

No.

Snowball?

No!

Will chuckled at the furious denial. The cub stared at Will with a mixture of distaste and a desire to hurt the boy in its ice-blue eyes.

Then, I dub thee Vale,
Will proclaimed, hoping that the title would stick; he was running short on ideas for a noble name.

Yes, I do like that,
Vale purred.
The leopard cub then jumped in front of Will, bowing low at Will’s boots.
I, Vale, vow to protect and serve beside William Brightflame, Stormhand’s son, to the hour of my death,
Vale said with such vigor Will was compelled to believe him.

Big promises from one so small,
Will chuckled.
Vale, I accept your offer of companionship. Know that I will do the same for you should the occasion arise,
Will responded. Vale seemed content with his pledge and shook his spotted head.

“Will, are you well?” Art asked. They were on the bridge, the water lapping noisily beneath their feet.

“I am well,” he said, withdrawing from but not severing the mental link between himself and Vale.

Heritage

Nailfram scowled unpleasantly as he surveyed the beasts scampering around his pupils’ legs. “I see Bloomington has you toting around filthy little animals. Make sure that they do not make a mess of my floor, and they will be allowed to stay. If they do, you, not I, will be cleaning it up. Now, pass your homework forward. I must say, I hope we did a better job than last time; many of your essays were unbearably poor. The Hawthorn Root antidote,” Nailfram continued, “cure to a variety of poisons. Today, we shall be making and maybe even testing it,” Nailfram grinned dangerously. “Instructions are on the board; begin.”

As Will worked diligently on his potion, Vale fell asleep beneath the desk. Finally, when Will was done, the potion had taken on a hazy, green tinge, smelling of sliced apples.

“Time to test your concoctions,” Nailfram said. “First, drink this poison.”

“Excuse me, sir?” Will asked.

“Drink it, unless have no faith in your antidote, in which case, do not drink,” Nailfram said coolly. “I do not wish to clean up the mess afterwards should your antidote fail.”

“I prefer to gamble when the stakes are less high,” Will replied in the same cool tone. Vale woke and growled softly.

“What insubordination is this, Brightflame? Drink the poison, or I’ll string you up and whip you myself,” Nailfram threatened loudly. Some Scalefire students snickered.

Will glared at Nailfram and snatched the poison from his hand. Hearing Vivyan’s gasp of shock, Will drained the vial in one gulp. Waiting, Will felt nothing, neither pain, nor bad taste, nor sickness. A long time passed. “Am I not supposed to be dying yet?” Will asked. The poison still had not affected him.

Nailfram was speechless, but the alchemist regained composure again. Nailfram assumed a quizzical look and said warily, “That is very… odd. Take this.” He handed Will another vial. Will downed the second poison, which smelt and tasted like tar, to no effect. Nailfram forced on him three more poisons before allowing Will to drink an antidote. None of the poisons had any effect on Will; it seemed that he was immune to their deadly effects.

Sifting through your memories, I can glean that you remain unaffected by not only poisons, but potions as well. Teristum Anothíl, to name one. You never felt rested or reenergized like Vivyan did after taking a swig. The trait is interesting, neither beneficial nor detrimental. One would assume it’s your Furialist heritage at work again,
Vale said.

Your knowledge is drawn only from my memories, yet you know more than I,
Will smiled.

When Nailfram dismissed the recruits, Vivyan approached Will as he packed his things. “Impressive,” she whispered in Will’s ear. “You’re a man with unique talents, Will. I like that.” Her words were tantalizing, dripping with desire. Mesmerized, Will felt as if he had melted. He tried to utter some response, but no sound came from of his mouth. Vivyan put a finger to his lips to silence him.

Entranced, Will stood, staring after her curvy figure as Vivyan walked away. Vale swiped Will’s leg with his claws.
Ouch! That hurts, Vale,
Will shouted through the mental link, shocked out of his reverie.

Don’t be so enamored by a person that they have opportunity to deceive you,
Vale cautioned.
People will take advantage of such desire.

Speak not such nonsense. Vivyan is not capable of such villainy. Besides, I feel that I have her favor,
Will responded. Vale twitched his tail impatiently but followed Will as he left the room.
But did you see? The way she touched me… A maiden fair, methinks she favors me,
Will laughed, leaping joyously into the air.

Stop that; you would make jesters of us both. It’s embarrassing.

Baruktaråg greeted them at the entrance to his classroom. Bending down, the dwarf rubbed Vale, who purred with delight.

“Mine people cannot have frevmats,” the dwarf grumbled sadly. “Dwarves of the Ranullah Clan have a way with the beast; indeed, they channel beast-like behavior themselves. With the proper training, one of their Clan can transform into a great bear and alter certain forces of nature. But that’s as close as mine people get to experiencing a frevmat bond,” Baruktaråg said, admiring Vale’s luscious, white fur.

Again, they reviewed Elven history, and Baruktaråg quizzed them on the subject. At the end of the class, Vale yawned widely, his tongue stretching.
The dwarf, I like him,
Vale commented.

You just like him because he rubbed your belly
. But, Will agreed; Baruktaråg was a fine teacher, Will’s favorite behind Modwyn. Sitting down to eat, Will heaped piles of food onto his plate.

Vale nudged Will’s knee with his tiny face.
What do you want?
Vale flashed an image of a juicy hunk of meat across their link. Will understood what it meant without questioning the request. He looked around and found a tender-looking sheep flank. Then, cutting it into small pieces, Will began to feed the small leopard cub. Pleased, Vale ate all the bloody meat and growled for more.
More?
Will asked incredulously. The flank that Will had fed Vale was quite large; how much could this little cub eat? Vale just looked at him with his intelligent blue eyes.

When the meal was finished, Combat seemed to pass quickly. Modwyn was teaching the recruits tactics to use while fighting alongside and against a frevmat. Will, Vale, Art, and his calf frevmat, Scarp, were waiting for Combat and Command together when the rest of the cadets and the Warriors arrived. This class began with a brief lecture on infantry formations and their importance in relation to cavalry movement. After, they moved onto dueling.

Again, Will was paired with Caleb, as the Warrior General was the only cadet in class with a skill level equivalent to Will’s. Confidently, Will reached for his Furialist power, allowing the rush of power to sweep over him. Eyes ablaze, he looked at Vale and found that their mental connection was greater, clearer, and more fluid than ever. Will felt that they were the same entity; one’s breath was the other’s; one’s senses were the other’s. Their minds had fused into one. Will delighted in their new level of connection.

Caleb raised his sword and motioned for Will to come with his gloved hand. Will drew his sword and looked at it in astonishment. The blade glowed, not blue, not red, but pure white. His connection to Vale seemed to have changed the color of his weapon. Forcing focus back to the task at hand, Will stepped forward and swung his white blade over his head. With all his training, the movement was effortless; the blade was a seamless and lethal extension of his arm.

He brought it down swiftly, and as Caleb moved to block the strike, Will altered the course of his blow. Caleb hardly blocked the glittering white sword. Sparks danced as the blades glanced off each other. Leaping upon Caleb’s leg, Vale dug his sharp claws and fangs into the Warrior’s leg. Howling, Caleb swatted Vale off of his leg with his free hand. Vale whimpered as he soared through the air, landing on the soft grass.

Will felt pain coursing through his body, doubling over from the intensity of it. He felt Vale’s pain. The infuriating sensation flooded Will’s being; Will was enraged at what Caleb had done, and the fire in his eyes became an inferno. The white sword seemed to be ablaze itself, a wavering, flame-like aura surrounding it. Dashing forward, Will slashed. Caleb attempted to block the berserker’s attack, but when his sword contacted Will’s, a blinding, white flare erupted. The fire surrounding Will’s blade melted through Caleb’s sword, leaving only the grip unharmed. With the swift motion, Will quickly slashed again and buried his sword in Caleb’s side. Ribs cracked beneath the blow; Will withdrew the sword violently and tossed the bloody blade into the grass.

Will knelt next to the wounded Vale, lifting him gently into his arms. Caleb’s anguished screams filled the air as the Warrior General writhed, grinding his broken ribs against one another.

Will, help that boy!
Vale cried, a desperate mewl.
Call for help!

Are you okay?
Will asked tenderly, cradling the cub in his arms. The Furialist’s anger in Will subsided, and he was himself again.

HELP HIM!

Realizing his brutality, Will called for Modwyn who paled as he knelt by Caleb’s side and began to mend his injuries. “Why didn’t you call earlier? A grievous wound such as this necessitates immediate attention,” Modwyn asked after he finished his medical incantation. “And how did you let this happen? We are still in class, not aiming to kill.”

Tension rising, Will struggled to regain full control of his thoughts again. The Furialist power was eager to overcome his mind, but was Will was determined not to give it full reign. After a moment, Will felt the fervor lessen and said, “I don’t know. I thought only about Vale and his safety. I… I couldn’t call for help. I wanted him to be killed for what he’d done.”

Modwyn frowned deeply, but made no attempt to reprimand. Caleb’s breaths came in rasps. He was unconscious and needed to be carried up to the Healer’s Ward. Though he felt he should be, Will wasn’t punished. He felt guilty for hurting his comrade so grievously, but was more sickened with himself for not wanting to help Caleb once he was downed.

Boewdard’s lesson went by quickly. Will and Vivyan lifted the stones again, proceeding to learn how to move them through the air at their whim. The technique was fairly easy; in fact, Vivyan had shown it to Will a day earlier as she had discovered it on her own long ago. Will was beginning to suspect that her weaver talent lay in telekinesis as the spells Boewdard was teaching them, specifically Raisíth, came so naturally to her, whereas Will required two or three attempts at the newer incantations to perform them correctly.

After their lessons had ended, Will walked with Vale, Art, and Scarp to the grounds near the woods. Thirty or so recruits stood around a wooden fence. Smiling broadly, Pat, Ben, and Gregor waved Art and Will over.

“These are great,” Gregor grinned at an eaglet peeking from a pocket in his cloak. “That Bloomington came to us in our free period and let us pick out a frevmat, too. He said, ‘Not all of you will have the mind for it, but no harm in letting you try having a frevmat for a week or two.’”

“Me little critter won’t come out of me bag,” Ben commented, searching his pack for his frevmat. Not finding it, Ben shrugged and fiddled with the hilt of his short sword. “Fat Pat here downright denied the chance to pick one.”

Pat shrugged his chunky shoulders and his head seemed to float as an odd protrusion of his torso. “Grandda always spoke against it. His wisdom and experience is quite a bit greater than mine; I will trust it. I politely suggest you do as well. ‘Nothing but trouble, frevmats,’ my Grandda is always saying. ‘Never trust a man with half his soul wandering around outside his body.’ One must agree with him; the arrangement is wholly unnatural.”

“It’s time for you to display your desire for danger,” Caleb shouted. He was back from the Healer’s Ward, alive, but with a bandage wrapped tightly around his chest. “As cadets, you will soon be dispatched to deal with threats to the smallfolk that live near the castle. The tasks require brave knights and proven warriors. Today, in order to prove to us your mettle and your worth, you must defeat a monster. If you fell the fiend, you are to recover a golden coin from the aforementioned monster to bring back to us. If you fail, then, I’m afraid there is not much for us to do but scrape you off the cave floor. You will be too far into the wood to call for assistance, and most likely, you will die a horrible death. But before you soil your armor, know that you will not face the trial alone. You will face your foe alongside your fellow Faction recruits. Ready yourself, recruits.”

Will approached the Warrior General timidly. “Sorry about earlier.”

“For what? That was a wicked strike, shattering my sword, my ribs, and my self-esteem in one blow. Not bad for a recruit greener than grass,” Caleb said laughing. “It’s official now, though.”

“What’s official?”

“You. You’re now my protégé. I’ll help you become the Warrior you were born to be, and you will replace me as General when I’m enlisted. But even after the Academy, I will guard your flank. Anything you need, simply send word. I’ll be there, and there’s my oath. My word is one not given lightly, and my honor is worth my weight in gold.”

“Gratitude,” Will said, solemnly. “Are not you supposed to do that already, as a Warrior helping a fellow Warrior?”

“You saw how great a lie that sentiment is in the Range. The system is broken, Brightflame. Trust only a select few, and when you shake their hands, count your fingers afterwards.”

Will nodded solemnly. The two stood in silence for a time. Vale weaved between Caleb’s legs purring.

“Caleb, I just noticed something.”

“What is it?”

“I have Vale; he makes a good companion, not to mention he can help in fighting when grows bigger. Why don’t you have a frevmat?”

“Will, I found having a frevmat too complicated. Worth presented me with the same project as you. I couldn’t deal with the responsibility of taking care of another creature for rest of my life. I returned my ‘frevmat’ at the project’s end.”

“I see,” Will said. “I suppose it’s not for everyone. Wait a minute. Isn’t that just what you promised to do for me? Take care of me and all that?”