Read Online Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maria V. Snyder
Tags: Fantasy - General
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energy faded after healing my own wound. I curled into a ball on
the ground and fell asleep.
When I woke, watery streaks of color painted the sky. Moon Man sat
cross-legged next to a fire, cooking a divine-smelling hunk of meat. My stomach
grumbled in anticipation.
I checked on the others. Marrok, Leif and Tauno still slept. Leif’s cut had
scabbed over, but I would need to heal Marrok’s and Tauno’s wounds. Moon Man
had tied the Daviian prisoner’s arms and legs with some jungle vines even though the
Vermin remained unconscious.
Moon Man gestured for me to join him. “Eat first before you heal them.” He
handed me a sliver of meat speared on a stick. When I sniffed at the offering, he
said, “Do not analyze it. It is hot and nourishing. That is all you need to know.”
“Why do you get to decide what I need to know? Why can’t you just give me the
information I ask for?” My frustration extended beyond the mystery meat.
“That would be too easy.”
“What’s wrong with easy? I can understand if the most stressful aspect of my life
was worrying about Bain’s next history test, but lives are at stake. Ferde could be
stealing another’s soul and I might have the power to stop him.”
“What do you want? For me to tell you to do this or do that and wa-lah!” Moon
Man flourished his hand in the air. “Instant success!”
“Yes. That is exactly what I want. Please, tell me.”
A thoughtful expression settled on his face. “When you were training to be the
Commander’s food taster, would you know what the poison My Love tasted like if
Valek had just described it to you?”
“Yes.” There was no mistaking the sour-apple taste.
“Would you trust your life on that knowledge? Or others?”
I opened my mouth to reply but paused. Now I couldn’t remember the poisons I
hadn’t tasted or smelled. But I’ll never forget the tartness of My Love, the rancid
orange flavor of Butterfly’s Dust, and the bitter thickness of White Fright.
“I’m talking about magic. Testing food for poisons is different.”
“Is it?”
I pounded my fist on the ground. “Do Story Weavers sign a contract or make a
blood oath to be difficult and stubborn and a pain in the ass?”
A serene smile spread on his face. “No. Each Story Weaver chooses how he will
guide his charges. Think about it, Yelena. You do not respond well to orders. Now
eat your meat before it gets cold.”
Stifling my desire to fling the food into the fire and prove the insufferably smug
Story Weaver right about my inability to take orders, I bit off a large chunk.
Spiced with pepper, the oily meat tasted like duck. Moon Man fed me two more
pieces before he would let me return to the sleeping men and heal them. Tired, I
snoozed by the fire.
When everyone had roused and gathered around the campfire to eat, we
discussed our next move.
“Do you think they would set more ambushes in the jungle? Leave more Warpers
in our path?” I asked Moon Man.
He considered my question. “It is possible. They left one at the camp who
sacrificed himself. This one was supposed to come back. Our spies have
determined the Daviian Vermin have about ten Warpers—eight now. Two are very
powerful, and the rest have various lesser talents.”
“The ambush leader had enough magic to create and hold a null shield.”
Moon Man turned the meat roasting over the fire. “A valid and alarming point.
Which means they might have been performing Kirakawa for some time.”
“What’s Kirakawa?” Leif asked.
“It is an ancient ritual. It has many steps and rites. When done correctly, it
transfers the life energy of one person to another. All living beings have the ability to
use magic, but most cannot connect to the power source. A person performing
Kirakawa will either increase their magical power or gain the ability to connect with
the power source, and therefore become a Warper.
“Their leader mentioned levels and a binding rite.
the ground and fell asleep.
When I woke, watery streaks of color painted the sky. Moon Man sat
cross-legged next to a fire, cooking a divine-smelling hunk of meat. My stomach
grumbled in anticipation.
I checked on the others. Marrok, Leif and Tauno still slept. Leif’s cut had
scabbed over, but I would need to heal Marrok’s and Tauno’s wounds. Moon Man
had tied the Daviian prisoner’s arms and legs with some jungle vines even though the
Vermin remained unconscious.
Moon Man gestured for me to join him. “Eat first before you heal them.” He
handed me a sliver of meat speared on a stick. When I sniffed at the offering, he
said, “Do not analyze it. It is hot and nourishing. That is all you need to know.”
“Why do you get to decide what I need to know? Why can’t you just give me the
information I ask for?” My frustration extended beyond the mystery meat.
“That would be too easy.”
“What’s wrong with easy? I can understand if the most stressful aspect of my life
was worrying about Bain’s next history test, but lives are at stake. Ferde could be
stealing another’s soul and I might have the power to stop him.”
“What do you want? For me to tell you to do this or do that and wa-lah!” Moon
Man flourished his hand in the air. “Instant success!”
“Yes. That is exactly what I want. Please, tell me.”
A thoughtful expression settled on his face. “When you were training to be the
Commander’s food taster, would you know what the poison My Love tasted like if
Valek had just described it to you?”
“Yes.” There was no mistaking the sour-apple taste.
“Would you trust your life on that knowledge? Or others?”
I opened my mouth to reply but paused. Now I couldn’t remember the poisons I
hadn’t tasted or smelled. But I’ll never forget the tartness of My Love, the rancid
orange flavor of Butterfly’s Dust, and the bitter thickness of White Fright.
“I’m talking about magic. Testing food for poisons is different.”
“Is it?”
I pounded my fist on the ground. “Do Story Weavers sign a contract or make a
blood oath to be difficult and stubborn and a pain in the ass?”
A serene smile spread on his face. “No. Each Story Weaver chooses how he will
guide his charges. Think about it, Yelena. You do not respond well to orders. Now
eat your meat before it gets cold.”
Stifling my desire to fling the food into the fire and prove the insufferably smug
Story Weaver right about my inability to take orders, I bit off a large chunk.
Spiced with pepper, the oily meat tasted like duck. Moon Man fed me two more
pieces before he would let me return to the sleeping men and heal them. Tired, I
snoozed by the fire.
When everyone had roused and gathered around the campfire to eat, we
discussed our next move.
“Do you think they would set more ambushes in the jungle? Leave more Warpers
in our path?” I asked Moon Man.
He considered my question. “It is possible. They left one at the camp who
sacrificed himself. This one was supposed to come back. Our spies have
determined the Daviian Vermin have about ten Warpers—eight now. Two are very
powerful, and the rest have various lesser talents.”
“The ambush leader had enough magic to create and hold a null shield.”
Moon Man turned the meat roasting over the fire. “A valid and alarming point.
Which means they might have been performing Kirakawa for some time.”
“What’s Kirakawa?” Leif asked.
“It is an ancient ritual. It has many steps and rites. When done correctly, it
transfers the life energy of one person to another. All living beings have the ability to
use magic, but most cannot connect to the power source. A person performing
Kirakawa will either increase their magical power or gain the ability to connect with
the power source, and therefore become a Warper.
“Their leader mentioned levels and a binding rite.
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