Chapter Twenty Five

Advancement

Rhydian hid his smile as he sat upon a nearby stump, draining the water from his boots. He had been caught off guard when Inerys had pulled him into the water after her, but he was by no means upset. Confused, perhaps, for he wasn’t sure if he’d simply lost his own footing or if her advancement had brought her strength near level with his own. Which for any normal Adai, would have been impossible at her current Ascension. Though, he supposed she wasn’t one. What was normal for one species’ progression may not always be the case for another, he knew.

Much as she may now resemble one in passing, she was no Adai. Nor was she the halfbreed she’d once been. Her advancement had made that painfully evident.

The sharp angles of her face were more reminiscent of his finer featured, desert-dwelling kin, but with a distinct, almost feline quality. Particularly in the structure of her jawline and eyes. The latter now possessed slitted pupils and appeared more violet than blue in certain light, where the scarlet inclusions around the edge of the iris were more pronounced. Her hair, once a pale blonde, had faded to a crisp white with a curious under shading of black at the roots and nape. However, it was her pale, pristine skin with its silvery sheen that set her apart most.

She had been a woman worthy of admiration even before her Ascension, both in mind and body, but the last several weeks had molded her into something new. Rhydian had pushed her harder than most Talhavar students were at the Academy and she had endured it all with minimal complaint. Of course, after their long nights spent in both training and meditation, she often spent the following daylight hours sleeping like the dead. Which he supposed was to be expected. Anyone undergoing such rigorous conditioning would need ample time to recover at her Ascension.

However, he had noticed early on that Inerys required a much higher intake of both food and essence in order to maintain her energy levels. More so, on days where she leaned more into her unnatural physique. It had been part of the reason he’d secretly supplemented the drake’s blood with his own these last few weeks. He supposed it could have easily been a result of her condition, of her core overcompensating, but he wasn’t entirely convinced. Now that she had Ascended, he was eager to see if there was any improvement.

Though he had respectfully kept his back to the river while Ayduin assisted Inerys in her clean up, he still felt Ephaxus’ eyes from time to time. The great, white beast had laid himself out along the riverbank between them, exchanging a series of low knickers with Tanuzet, who appeared both intrigued by whatever conversation was passing between them, and occasionally annoyed. There had been a fair few indignant snorts shared between them and the fact that she had neglected to at least acknowledge him outside of drying his sodden clothes led Rhydian to believe he was the subject of said discussion. At least to some capacity.

According to Inerys, wyverns were terrible gossips. He wasn’t sure why the revelation had surprised him. It made sense, especially now that he paid more attention to their interactions. He could only imagine scandals they humored. Or fabricated.

Nosey creatures.

Setting his boots out in front of him for Tanuzet’s tending, he rolled his shoulders, along with his neck. The tension that had burdened him these last several days had finally eased with Inerys’ Ascension, leaving his shoulders loose and absent the weight of his worry. Seeing her in such a state for days on end had been difficult, even if Inerys had held out willingly and on his order. Her mental fortitude had been exceptional.

He smiled faintly, recalling the triumph in her eyes.

A victory well earned.

However, there was plenty yet to come. Going forward, there were too many unknowns, too many interested parties and motivations. Once the Council had a chance to examine her for themselves, would they ever let her leave their sight? In the right hands, Inerys could become a dangerous asset, especially when coupled with her wyvern. Any fool could see that. The threat alone may be enough for the Council to deem her too valuable to lose, even if it meant angering the Patriarch. Would they risk souring relations further between themselves and the Sanguine Court? Might war be declared, all over some poor girl who had had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

All because he had chosen to spare her life?

He had inadvertently given them a powerful bargaining chip.

And an even more powerful ally, if given the chance, he realized. There was every possibility that one of the Council members would choose to take her on as an apprentice. The only question was who. Much as he knew his father schemed, he was perhaps too obvious a choice. Karseer had been opposed to Inerys from the beginning, so her interest was unlikely. But then there was Katrielle Nysine. The lady of Dreams. Being sponsored by a Counselor was one thing, but it was another to become the direct pupil of one. With Inerys’ innate mental gifts, Katrielle could take her far with or without utilizing her blood domain. Both women were frightening enough as it was. He shuddered to think about what the two might accomplish together, if given the chance.

His jaw tightened as he stared at his boots. Perhaps he was only overthinking the situation. The Council members were an ambitious lot, but they weren’t fools. Though, he knew there was a certain arrogance that came with Ascension. Even he was guilty of it at times, but he hardly held a candle to the power they wielded. Political, physical or otherwise. Were it not dishonorable, a single member could wipe him from existence without a second thought, if they saw fit. Situations such as these had a tendency to put things into perspective and help temper one’s ego. Or blind stupidity. If the Council acted in bad faith when it came to Inerys' fate, he would have to handle things carefully if he wanted to make a difference and keep his hide intact.

Sighing, he rubbed at his brow, a full ache beginning to take root in his skull. He knew he would drive himself mad fretting over uncertainties and what-ifs. After all, there was nothing he could do at present beyond plan for what might come. He would have to think on the matter later, discuss it with Ayduin and decide where to go from there. His wayward thoughts had begun to sour the evening’s victory for him enough as it was.

Regardless of what the future might hold, tonight was a step forward. Inerys was healing, advancing, and that was something worth celebrating. He’d witnessed the force of her will twice now. First, as she'd fought for her life against Ezra's Inheritance on their flight to Kresia, then again as she grappled with her own Soul for days on end, condensing power and shaping her Soul to her needs. Anyone with such determination deserved congratulations and reprieve.

Inerys' laugh broke him from his thoughts. He spared a glance over his shoulder, spying the women as they stepped back onto the shore. Ephaxus rose to let them pass, adjusting his wings and making his way higher along the slope of the hill.

“Is it safe?” Rhydian called.

Ayduin waved him over, clad in nothing but a loose azure blouse and a pair of trousers that had been pulled up to her knees. With a wiggle of her fingers, she drew the last of the moisture from Inerys’ hair, the thin streams of water forming lazy, undulating bands around Ayduin’s forearm before she guided them into the creek. Inerys fluffed her two-toned hair with a grateful smile.

“I don’t think that trick will ever grow old,” she said.

She took a moment to inspect herself with an appreciative eye, dressed much the same as his partner, save for the maroon of her blouse. There was a slightly wider cast to her shoulders and hips and her muscle tone had grown more pronounced than it had been prior to her Ascension. She hadn’t grown any taller, but that wasn’t particularly surprising. More often than not, height was attained once an individual had reached a high enough Ascension to tailor their own body during their advancement.

Rhydian found his own gaze lingering. Having noticed, he quickly focused on her face as he approached. He would have to grow accustomed to the delicate dusting of starlight along her skin without gawking.

"Advancement looks good on you," he said.

"Thank you," Inerys said, cheeks tinting the faintest shade of pink, "It feels good. I finally feel like I can breathe again."

“Few things refresh you the way an Ascension does,” he said, “In your case, even more so, I’m sure”

“It’s incredible,” she murmured. "I would say I almost feel normal, but . . .I don't feel anything like once did. Comfortable, maybe?"

He turned an inquisitive eye on her arms. “May I?” He asked.

Nodding faintly, Inerys raised her right arm for his inspection. The glowing fractals along her skin had faded to thin, blue hairline fractures no wider than spider silk. Present, but muted. They no longer bled light into the air around her either, which was a good indication of her mending Soul. Their glow was faint, and in a way, reminded Rhydian of the lines drawn between the constellations in his old study books.

He noted her claws, long and black like polished obsidian despite being in their neutral position. Once, the sight of them had made his skin crawl and his fingers twitch toward his dagger. Talons like those belonged on wyverns, not young women or men, for that matter. However, now, he found he didn’t mind them so much. Perhaps it was the weeks spent training with her, perhaps it had something to do with the way they seemed to fit this new body of hers. Whatever the case, he gently lowered her arm and released it with an approving nod.

“So this is what a healthy vampire looks like,” he teased.

Ayduin rolled her eyes, only to chuckle when Inerys crossed her arms in a fashion that reminded him a bit too much of his partner. The two were spending far too much time together, he decided. Had braids not been an indication of rank and position among the Talhavar, he was certain they’d wear matching sets.

“I’m anxious to see how it holds up in our combat drills. We hardly had a chance to practice them before you began your advancement,” Ayduin said.

The young woman looked down at her hands, turning them over. There was a newfound grace to each movement, a subtle nod to her now enhanced mental core. She had been able to walk about and move with a practiced ease regardless of the changes to her body, as if she’d simply been built this way her entire life.

“Did you want to practice here and now?” She asked, biting her lower lip.

“Have you something else in mind?” His partner asked.

Inerys spared him a glance. “I’d like to go out on a run first, perhaps even work through a few stretches and conditioning exercises? Just to see if I still have the same coordination. I don’t want a repeat of the last time my cores shifted.”

“Fair enough,” she said, crossing her arms.

A faint suggestion of disappointment lined her tone, though she didn’t appear particularly perturbed.

Inerys grinned. “We could start down the hill and find our usual loop around the valley from here. Do you mind if we race the first lap?”

“Race?” Rhydian asked, brow high. “Are you sure you’re up for the challenge?”

Her excited smile spoke volumes, but he couldn’t resist a friendly prodding.

“If I win, do I get to push you back in the river?” She asked.

“You can try,” he cooed, then leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper, “It won’t be so easy the second time around.”

She too leaned in, a devious edge to her lips.

“Best keep up then, hmm?”

He chuckled. “There’s that post-Ascension pride. Shall I give you a head start?”

“How kind of you,” she said, flashing him half a smile before she practically threw herself down the mountain.

Rhydian stood for a stunned moment, wondering if he’d just made a mistake in agreeing to the terms of her victory.

“Looks like you might want to get moving,” Ayduin said, her amusement practically radiating from her and the onlooking wyverns.

Cursing softly under his breath, he cast them all a withering glare and leapt off with a reinforced push.