Read Online The Fifth Vertex (The Sigilord Chronicles) by Kevin Hoffman - Free Book Online
Authors: Kevin Hoffman
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would be swollen and any number of hideous colors tomorrow. A tiny bit of blood dripped from her nose. It ran down over her top lip and touched the front of her teeth. The blood smelled like hot iron—like power . She licked the blood from her teeth, secretly hoping more would come.
She looked up and saw Anderis staring at her, a smug smile on his face. Did he see me licking the blood? she wondered.
"Look around, tell me what you see," her new teacher said, resting his hands on his hips.
She did as she was told and took in the desolate scenery. "Nothing," she said.
"That borders on another lie," he wagged a finger at her. "Look around and tell me what you see that is important to you."
She sighed, kicked at the snow and took another long, hard look at the dead world around her. She was about to repeat her previous answer when she did notice things, important things. These were the kinds of things she noticed everywhere she went.
"I do see something," she began. "There's a broken tree branch behind you that has an end sharp enough to use as a weapon. I can see the wagon ruts in the road even with the snow on top. The trees are taller far to the south so the climate is better there. There are two kinds of poisonous berries nearby and three edible ones. We are a half day's jog from Naredis."
"What does all that have in common?" Anderis asked, beaming with pride.
"It all helps me survive," she replied without hesitation. "Everywhere I go I know the exits, the entrances, the dangers and safe spots. These things tell me how I could kill you and run away."
Anderis nodded, ignoring her comment about murder. "Now close your eyes and tell me what you feel ."
She did as she was told, again thinking this was a foolish exercise. Eyes closed, she listened to the snow-dampened quiet of the mountainside. She heard the wind blow and the beat of her own heart.
"Stop listening and feel ," Anderis said.
She felt the thump-thump of her heartbeat. Before long it became the thump-thump-thump-thump of two heartbeats, beating out of sync. Without knowing how, she knew the second heartbeat belonged to Anderis. She could feel the blood coursing through his veins as easily as she could her own.
She gasped aloud when she realized what was happening. A moment later she felt another heartbeat, this one beating much more rapidly.
"A rabbit," she said. "I can feel a rabbit. I don't know how I know it's a rabbit, but it's a rabbit, and a big one. It has a strong, fast heart."
"Keep your eyes closed and point to it," Anderis said.
Cailix thrust her finger out without hesitation. She knew exactly where the rabbit was. "There," she said. "Maybe ten meters."
Anderis chuckled. "Do you know it took my last pupil a month to learn this simple technique?"
"You need to pick better pupils," Cailix quipped, opening her eyes.
"Indeed I do," he said, stepping closer. "Now for the real lesson. Why do we feel no remorse in the killing of these rabbits?"
"Because people eat rabbits," she replied. "That's a stupid question."
"Is it? You have remarkably little patience for one who has survived so many trials. Men kill animals for food, but also for pelts, hides, bone, all sorts of things. But man also destroys and kills without using anything of the corpse. Why?"
"War. Men fight wars."
"And?"
"Murder. People kill each other."
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Why do people kill each other?"
"That's another stupid question. People kill each other because they're mean, or stupid, or both. And some people just deserve to be killed," said Cailix, hoping Anderis would know the last bit was meant for him.
Anderis shook his head and paced back and forth for a moment before continuing. He seemed like a different person entirely when teaching, completely unlike the murderous brute that slaughtered the monks for a map.
"It is much more basic than that, so simple that none ever stop to think about it. We kill rabbits because we need to eat. We kill
She looked up and saw Anderis staring at her, a smug smile on his face. Did he see me licking the blood? she wondered.
"Look around, tell me what you see," her new teacher said, resting his hands on his hips.
She did as she was told and took in the desolate scenery. "Nothing," she said.
"That borders on another lie," he wagged a finger at her. "Look around and tell me what you see that is important to you."
She sighed, kicked at the snow and took another long, hard look at the dead world around her. She was about to repeat her previous answer when she did notice things, important things. These were the kinds of things she noticed everywhere she went.
"I do see something," she began. "There's a broken tree branch behind you that has an end sharp enough to use as a weapon. I can see the wagon ruts in the road even with the snow on top. The trees are taller far to the south so the climate is better there. There are two kinds of poisonous berries nearby and three edible ones. We are a half day's jog from Naredis."
"What does all that have in common?" Anderis asked, beaming with pride.
"It all helps me survive," she replied without hesitation. "Everywhere I go I know the exits, the entrances, the dangers and safe spots. These things tell me how I could kill you and run away."
Anderis nodded, ignoring her comment about murder. "Now close your eyes and tell me what you feel ."
She did as she was told, again thinking this was a foolish exercise. Eyes closed, she listened to the snow-dampened quiet of the mountainside. She heard the wind blow and the beat of her own heart.
"Stop listening and feel ," Anderis said.
She felt the thump-thump of her heartbeat. Before long it became the thump-thump-thump-thump of two heartbeats, beating out of sync. Without knowing how, she knew the second heartbeat belonged to Anderis. She could feel the blood coursing through his veins as easily as she could her own.
She gasped aloud when she realized what was happening. A moment later she felt another heartbeat, this one beating much more rapidly.
"A rabbit," she said. "I can feel a rabbit. I don't know how I know it's a rabbit, but it's a rabbit, and a big one. It has a strong, fast heart."
"Keep your eyes closed and point to it," Anderis said.
Cailix thrust her finger out without hesitation. She knew exactly where the rabbit was. "There," she said. "Maybe ten meters."
Anderis chuckled. "Do you know it took my last pupil a month to learn this simple technique?"
"You need to pick better pupils," Cailix quipped, opening her eyes.
"Indeed I do," he said, stepping closer. "Now for the real lesson. Why do we feel no remorse in the killing of these rabbits?"
"Because people eat rabbits," she replied. "That's a stupid question."
"Is it? You have remarkably little patience for one who has survived so many trials. Men kill animals for food, but also for pelts, hides, bone, all sorts of things. But man also destroys and kills without using anything of the corpse. Why?"
"War. Men fight wars."
"And?"
"Murder. People kill each other."
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Why do people kill each other?"
"That's another stupid question. People kill each other because they're mean, or stupid, or both. And some people just deserve to be killed," said Cailix, hoping Anderis would know the last bit was meant for him.
Anderis shook his head and paced back and forth for a moment before continuing. He seemed like a different person entirely when teaching, completely unlike the murderous brute that slaughtered the monks for a map.
"It is much more basic than that, so simple that none ever stop to think about it. We kill rabbits because we need to eat. We kill
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