Maw of the Devourer, page 7
Was this how Ave felt about me? Riti thought. When I grew up so different from him? Maybe Ave would have preferred to raise Squall back then. Is this just parenthood? It was a weird thought to have, given her lack of raising a child from when it was a babe. Not to mention that she had only known Squall for a short amount of time so far.
Riti watched Squall grimace as his tutor smacked his wrist with a wooden sword and knocked the boy’s own sword from his grip. Even only knowing Squall for a few weeks, Riti had already started worrying about his future. It was her duty to prepare him for it, which was a given. But this whole ‘Chosen champion’ business was beyond her. The only thing that she could do was prepare him to succeed her as advisor to Melta. Stormrider expected that of her, right?
Ignoring how Stormrider brought him to her, normal Chosen were usually born to a random family. They presented the babe to the resident Chosen of the city shortly after their birth and the Chosen would raise their successor. Did Squall’s sudden arrival and age mean that Riti was going to die soon? Or was this whole Chosen Champion business unrelated to the normal process for the Chosen of Stormrider?
I was a special case, Riti thought. Succeeding her father at eighteen. Most Chosen succeeded their predecessors when they were a lot older, so Squall’s arrival did not mean her imminent death. Probably. It was hard not to think of the idea as nothing other than a consolation, but Riti shook her head and drove those self-pitying thoughts out of her mind. She needed to focus on Squall for now, regardless of what would come.
With a shake of her head, Riti left Squall to his lesson and made her way back to her office. When she opened the door, Seran greeted her with a glare that lasted an entire second. That was the equivalent of the woman screaming at Riti for dropping all her work on her since Squall’s arrival. Warranted, but still annoying. Riti strolled into her office and took one look at her desk. It looked empty. Seran must have not expected her to make time today and had left no work for her to do. Riti wouldn’t let that chance go.
Riti turned to leave, but hesitated at the door. It couldn’t hurt to ask; well, maybe it would hurt a little. “Seran, uh… I might need some advice. About Squall. You see, he’s reserved, and I was wondering if you knew about some way to help him open up to me…”
Okay, that hurt a lot.
“You need to give him time,” Seran said. “It has only been, what, a month? To experience so many changes all at once at his age; anyone would need some time to acclimate. So, give him that time.” Then, as if the Seran from the past couldn’t help herself, she lowered her voice. “Maybe he is just disappointed that of all the Chosen in the Alliance, Stormrider left him with you. I know that would be quite the shock.”
Seran ducked her head, and her paperwork suddenly engrossed her. It had been some time since her assistant had said anything of the like to her; when Seran had first started, they had been constant, but over the years the two of them had found a shaky peace between them. Even Riti kept herself professional most of the time. Nevertheless, hearing the weirdly polite insult felt almost comforting after so long. At least some things did not change.
Riti smiled at Seran’s discomfort and left her office before the woman recovered enough to realise that she was free to work. Seran could be right and Squall needed time—she probably was right; it would make sense. But waiting patiently had never been one of Riti’s strong suits. Luckily, she still had one more source of advice that had been a constant for years.
Riti made her way out of the mansion and strolled along the front lawn of the estate. She followed the wall until she saw Agil’s workshop; the two-story building was relatively small, but it had a working forge attached to one side of it. Riti let herself in the door, not bothering to knock, and searched through the interior for her friend. Agil kept the workshop tidy, even considering the horde of tables, each of which was covered in papers or various contraptions. After a quick search, Riti found her friend crouched behind a table at the far end of the workshop, a look of concentration on her face as she pushed at one leg. Satisfied, Agil nodded to herself and stood up—only to jump in surprise when she saw Riti next to her.
Agil kept her brown hair cut above the shoulders, and spectacles framed her intelligent eyes. It was easy to think of her as bookish, especially when Agil wore one of her old stained work coats—as she did now. She was half a head shorter than Riti, but had an air about her that seemed to ignore that difference.
Riti and Agil had been friends ever since they were children, after Governor Clargio had brought her to the estate to nurture her genius mind. Agil had been the only other person Riti’s age that had lived at the estate back then and Riti had all but forced their friendship. These days, Agil was her closest confidant and constant advisor. Having a friend who was a genius had helped her work as an advisor immensely.
“What do you want?” Agil asked.
Riti stumbled, feigning a grievous wound. “Can’t I visit a friend during my spare time?”
“You don’t stop by the workshop during the day anymore unless there’s something you want, so spit it out.”
“Ugh, fine.” Riti leant against the closest table and Agil joined her. “I need some advice. About Squall.”
Agil gave her a look. “You know as well as I do I am not… the best with people.” That was putting it lightly, but Agil had gotten better at dealing with people since she was younger. A little.
“I could use another perspective.” Riti shot Agil a hopeful look, and her friend sighed before motioning for her to continue. “Do you know of any way to make the boy open up to me? He’s just so quiet and reserved.”
Agil fell silent, idly tapping at the frame of her spectacles like she did when she was deep in thought. Riti let her be; she knew Agil needed time to think things over before she could properly respond. But that didn’t stop her foot from tapping impatiently. Storming foot. When Agil finally spoke, her words nearly made Riti laugh. “I think that he just needs time… What’s with the look?”
Agil squinted at her and Riti waved away her suspicious gaze. “Sorry, you’re not the first to suggest that.”
Agil’s left eye twitched, and she turned away from Riti. “Well then, maybe that’s your answer.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you. It just caught me by surprise. Any other ideas? I’m willing to try anything but wait—you know how bad I am at that.”
Agil turned back to her, but her face hadn’t softened. “Have you tried bonding over lessons?”
“I have, but he doesn’t seem to care for swords—”
“Not that. I meant the Sensing. I remember when Ave first taught you, it enthralled you despite your rebellious truancy.”
“Don’t remind me.” Riti twisted with embarrassment when she remembered how childish she had been in the past—and she’d been older than Squall back then. “But that’s brilliant, Agil!” Riti folded her friend into a big hug and Agil returned it slowly. “Sorry, but I need to go organise everything!”
There was no way that Squall could still be so dour when she was done with him!
***
The sea breeze rustled Riti’s hair, and she basked in it, taking in the scent of salt and the faint cries of the gulls that they left behind.
Riti stood on the deck of the Tidecaller, a stupidly named ship that was small, but fast. Ships and their crews spent seasons bound by contracts to serve her and, more officially, her office in case she had a need for a vessel. Everyone considered landing the contract an honour, since they could aid a Chosen—not to mention she paid well. And it helped that since most of the time Riti never had a need for them, so the crew could treat it as a paid extended shore leave.
The crew moved around Riti, adjusting sails and doing general sailor work. She had set herself up at the stern of the ship, close to the captain and the helmsman. Squall stood awkwardly near her and, despite her previous confidence, looked torn between boredom and unease. Seeing him so wary made her feel bad, but the simple joy of being out at sea swept away those worries. Riti had always loved being on a ship, even if she was hopeless at any functional tasks aboard a vessel, and her life rarely gave her a chance to step foot on the deck of one.
I thought he’d share my joy, Riti thought, but oh well. There’s more to my plan, anyway.
Once the Tidecaller had sailed a couple of hours away from Melta, the captain called for the sails to be raised and the anchor lowered. After the crew had scurried around and followed the orders, the captain turned to her with an almost imperceptible nod. The man then made himself scarce, along with the helmsman, to give Riti and Squall some privacy.
Riti turned to Squall and saw the boy clinging to the railing with white knuckles, looking pale. Okay, maybe being on a ship had had the opposite effect on the boy than what she had wanted. Storms, that was a point against her. But she had to push on, regardless; maybe giving him something else to focus on would make him feel better.
“Squall,” Riti said. The boy turned and tried to hide his discomfort. “I think it is time to reveal why we are out here today.” Riti paused dramatically, hoping—and failing—to see a spark of interest in the boy’s eyes. “You see, as Chosen of Stormrider, there are certain Blessings given to us.” Still no interest. “Uh, one is special to us Chosen few—the ability to Sense. Or at least that’s how we refer to it, and today I would like to teach you about it.”
There was finally a flicker of interest in the boy’s eyes and he even let out a soft grunt. “Hmm…”
“The Sensing refers to a Chosen of Stormrider’s ability to sense the currents and wind while close to her domain. For a lack of a better explanation, to Sense, you detach your mind from yourself and extend it outwards. The easiest way to do this is through meditation and achieving a calm state of mind. If you would.”
Riti motioned to the deck and sat down. Squall followed her lead slowly, looking a little confused. She talked him through some breathing exercises and ways to meditate, then asked him to Sense. Riti felt bad for asking the boy to try even when she knew he would fail—all Chosen took weeks to grasp the concept and put it into practice, herself included. But there were some traditions that were in place for a reason, as any attempt to Sense was practice, even if it would fail.
Riti reached out with her own Senses, feeling the wind snake through the air and the pull of the currents below the ship. It wasn’t like she actually touched or saw them, but Sensing felt like moving through the world while your body stayed still. Everything was indistinct, like looking through a thick fog and only seeing the shapes that made up the world, except for two points; the wind and currents.
They were like beacons of clarity in that hazy world, offering every intimate detail of their workings to those who took the time to watch and study them. Below, Riti could feel the ripples and movement in the water. She couldn’t Sense the fish that swam through the sea nor the rocks and reefs that cut upwards, but how they influenced the water with their presence. Above, Riti Sensed the gust of wind before it knocked into her face and tussled her hair.
It was a world, and experience, reserved for the Chosen of Stormrider. One that took determination and effort to see and achieve. And time, most of all.
“Oh.” Squall said softly.
Riti returned to herself and opened her eyes. Squall had his eyes closed, but his mouth hung ajar. “What is it?”
Squall shook himself and slowly opened his eyes, “I think I Sensed the wind…”
“What?” Riti said and the boy immediately ducked his head, shrinking in front of her. “Oh, sorry, I’m not mad or anything. Just surprised.” Squall had achieved the Sense in, what, fifteen minutes? It had taken her weeks of effort under the tutelage of a far better teacher than herself to accomplish that. “Are you sure? What was it like?”
“Uh, everything was weird and hard to see. But then I saw, no, felt, the wind before it hit me. I think.”
“Let’s try again. And tell me when you Sense something and what it’s like.”
Riti set about testing Squall, surprised each time when he accurately Sensed something that she verified herself. It was almost cute seeing the boy’s excitement slowly grow as she acknowledged his progress, even if he remained reserved by her standards. Unfortunately, the boy almost shouted when he answered her questions. She’d done the same and watching Squall only made her relive her past embarrassment. After an hour, Squall looked tired and Riti decided it was time to call it a day.
“I think we’ll leave it—”
“What is that?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“That thing in the distance.”
Riti reached out with her Senses, but found nothing. “Where is it?”
Squall lowered his voice and spoke hesitantly. “Very far, maybe days or weeks. I think. It’s like a big mess of wind, but different.”
An idea occurred to Riti, and she shook her head in wonder. “I think that might be the Storm and Stormrider.” Squall opened his eyes and frowned at her. “I’ve never heard of a Chosen being able to Sense her, but that’s the only thing that would make sense. That’s storming—ah, I mean… oh whatever—that’s something.”
Squall looked at her oddly, but didn’t seem to care about her cursing—luckily. It was something Riti needed to avoid doing in front of him, or at least that was what both Agil and Seran had lectured her about when the boy had first arrived. But the boy just seemed focussed on her revelation and didn’t care about her slip-up. She watched him as he closed his eyes, likely reaching out with his Senses, and nodded to himself slowly.
When Squall didn’t ask any further questions, Riti called for the captain and ordered their return to Melta. Squall’s revelation troubled her too much to enjoy the return journey.
***
When the Tidecaller docked in Melta, they found a crowd waiting for them.
Riti rolled her eyes at how the mass of people were clearly in the way of the harbour’s operations. Dock officials tried to shoo the crowd away, but more people trickled towards them. Riti knew the crowd had gathered for a chance to see Squall; they were mostly common citizens of Melta, likely having heard gossip about how Riti had left Melta for a brief journey.
Some, Riti could spy from the bow of the ship, were not her kind of people—the overly devout followers of Stormrider. Swirling wave pendants distinguished them from the rest of the crowd. They had made them in imitation of her and the other Chosen’s eyes. Not only were the fiercely devout the biggest sources of work for Riti, but they creeped her out with how they treated her as something more than she was. Like she was some kind of treasure to idolise. Storming fools, the lot of them.
Riti sighed and turned to make her way to the gangplank, only to find a concerned-looking Squall standing behind her. She followed his gaze to the crowd and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. They’re just here to get a glimpse of you before we get into the carriage. Just follow me and everything will be fine.”
Squall looked at her and nodded, though he didn’t appear convinced by the way his body shook. Riti moved to the gangplank and nodded her thanks to the captain of the Tidecaller as she passed him by. Striding down the gangplank, Riti felt relieved to find Maeve waiting for her. Half a dozen of her guards held back the crowd; they wouldn’t be able to stop the crowd if they actually tried to push their way towards them, but their presence was a comfort, regardless.
“Captain,” Riti said, “can you get us through this?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Maeve spared a glare for the crowd. “Your carriage is waiting nearby.”
Riti nodded to Maeve, and the woman signalled for the guards to form up around her and Squall. To her surprise, she felt a tugging on her sleeve and turned to see Squall holding it, his eyes downcast. It would have been endearing, if her heart didn’t ache at the way his hand trembled. Well, it was endearing regardless—but it would have been nicer if the boy’s reliance upon her wasn’t driven by fear.
The guards pushed their way through the crowd, which parted with only a slight amount of resistance. There were calls and cheers, and soon the cacophony drowned out Maeve’s orders. Still, the guards pushed onwards, and the carriage came into sight.
Just as Riti relaxed, a young woman pushed her way through the crowd and threw herself at the guard in front of Riti. The guard held the woman back, but the wave pendant around the woman’s neck jerked from side to side as she writhed in his grip. She stared at Squall, a fervent fire burning in her eyes. “You…! …Chosen!”
Riti turned and saw the fear in Squall’s eyes. She felt a sudden flash of rage at the woman. Luckily, before Riti could do something stupid, the guard threw her off and some of the less passionate members of the crowd held the woman at his request. Then they were free of the crowd.
Maeve ushered Riti into the carriage, followed by Squall, and her guards mounted their horses. The carriage lurched into motion and the din of the crowd slowly faded away. Riti looked at Squall and her heart ached. He hugged himself and shook so badly. To her eyes now, rather than the solemn young man that Squall often appeared, he was the frightened boy overwhelmed by the changes to his life.
Without thinking, Riti wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. Squall stiffened for a moment, but quickly settled into the hug. Slowly, he stopped shaking and—almost reluctantly—the boy pushed her away.
Squall looked at her, face flushed, and mumbled, “Thanks.”
***
Lyon shifted slightly, trying to move his leg so that it didn’t go numb.
Squished in Anton’s cart along with the rest of the cart’s contents, Lyon grimaced. Worse than the tight confines, the tarp pulled over him, and Solalyn left the cart stuffy and unbearable. Unfortunately, Anton had loaded the cart had with only enough room for Lyon to cradle his legs and bend his head to fit in. Solalyn contorted herself similarly and he could see the rising irritation on her face when the faint torch light filtered through the edges of the cart. Enduring would let them sneak into the estate undetected. He had to remind himself of that. Each passing moment caused an irrational desire to cut his way through the tarp and stomp his way onto the estate grounds. It spiked whenever the cart hit a bump and his head slammed into the side of the cart, forcing him to stifle a curse.
