Tear of Ice

Chapter 10

A knock came to our door, I look up at it.

“Time to head out, you two.” Rio’s voice calls from the other side of the door. I scramble to my feet and get dressed, rushing to open the door. Seeing Rio in his usually furred robe and long sleeves with the waist tie undone. He smiled at us as he took our key from Lia and pointed down the hall and stairs. Lia took off first, and when I went to follow her Rio grabbed my shoulder, leaning in a bit as he whispered.

“We all need to talk.”

At that he followed after Lia and I had no choice but to just follow after him. When we made it down to the foyer of the Abent Guild, again he returned our keys to the lady at the desk before she gave him another key. He gestures for us to follow him into the far back room of the building, where there was a larger door that he unlocked with the key he’d just got, the door opening to reveal a large stable hall full of horses and carts. At the end of it was our cart and a man feeding the horses.

Rio makes his way to and tilts his head to the cart. Before talking to the guy for a little bit and waving him goodbye. He climbs into the driver’s seat and cracks the reins, and the horses begin to walk.

“So the first thing is getting outside of Lostwick. Then heading east to the Ferry base.”

We nodded to him as I sat in the cart quietly, the horses walking quietly through the exit of Lostwick. He waves bye to the guards and has the horses speed up a bit once we were out of sight. I simply watched as the large city slowly began to get further and further away. Lia sat beside me, both of us quiet until Rio spoke up.

“So, Wiesse is your hex.”

I froze and quickly looked up at Rio’s back as he led us.

“Now, before you go all dramatic on me, I already knew. The only Hex that can control ice and frost is Wiesse. So there can be only one answer.”

I sat up more and turned towards him, “So you knew where I came from this whole time?”

“Of course, The Neigless Forest is the only place where Wiesse’s power is seen. And let alone, Wiesse has only ever had one Loraine under her. Quite easy to narrow it down.”

“And you’re only now bothering to talk about it?” Lia questioned him as she looked up.

“Would you have answered my questions if I asked before?”

We both went silent at that, only for him to reply- “Exactly.”

“Besides,” he continued, “I can only assume it’s important if Wiesse’s only Loraine is not in her forest and with one of her children no less.”

I grab the bar that separates the cart from the driver's seat and pull myself over it. “You know a lot about Wiesse. I thought her name was dead outside of the forest.”

He snorts, "Hardly; the Guecedand lost a whole village to her Loraine. Of course they keep tabs on Wiesse. And Kreidd worships all of the Hexes. I’m assuming since you’re heading there that it might be important to know." He leans back. "And as a traveller, I learn a lot.”

“And you’re definitely not from Kreidd.” My arms lean against the bar as I try to get more comfortable.

“How do you know that?” He looks down at me a bit and raises an eyebrow with an amused smile.

“You obviously look like you have Loraine heritage in you. The white hair and all. You would be praised there even if you couldn’t do magic. So why leave the good life?”

He laughs at that, “True, and since you sound like you’re speaking from experience there. Why did you leave Kreidd?”

I looked away in silence. I feel Lia lean on my back as he continues on, changing the subject. “I mean, it’s easy to tell you’re pretty new to this Loraine thing too.”

“Oh really?” I groan.

“Well your technique is far more… emotionally charged than most Loraines. Which is not good, since you are carrying all of Wiesse’s power.”

“You know a lot for ‘just a traveller’. Hard to think of you as just that when you know so much.” Lia says with annoyance in her voice. He laughs at that.

“I suppose I owe you an explanation on that end.” He watches the horse trot along for a moment and rolls his shoulder. “When I said you reminded me of my siblings, I meant it. You’re acting kinda like how they acted when they first were learning their powers.”

“That doesn’t explain much, you know.” Lia retorted once more.

He sighs, “Alright, long story short. I’m a bit of a noble in Itrora. And in Itrora, being a Loraine gives you political power. So imagine me being a magicless boy with 6 magical siblings and having to attend 8 hour training days.” I blink at him incredulously.

“W-wait, you’re literal royalty? Then why the hell are you out here?”

“I reiterate, imagine being a magicless boy in a magical family, in a country that values that magic as political power.” He looked back over at them with a raised eyebrow. “Tell me why I would want to leave that ‘good life’.”

I looked away a bit and sigh, "That still doesn't explain why you know so much about Wiesse."

"In Itrora," he starts, while readjusting his sitting position, "We are required to actually study the history of the Hexes. To understand and channel what made Hourn into what it is now. After all, the Hexes are practical gods. Eventually, someone would get curious."

"So Itrora is like Kreidd? Religiously tied to the Hexes and obsessive over them?" He chuckles at my question.

"Oh no. Kreidd is full of religious narcissists Who think their way of praising the Hexes is the 'correct' way and attempt to force this rigid belief of theirs onto Cosave and Itrora and even the Guecedand. But Cosave didn't exactly take well to that."

Lia hums. "What do you mean?"

"Oh right, you both don't know. Cosave and Kreidd at the moment are currently on the brink of war. And it's sure to shake all of Hourn."

A war? I scoff and look away. Lia hopped up beside me to listen to Rio more.

"And as an Itro royal, I would like nothing more than to see if Cosave's military might crush Kreidd and their fanatical craze."

"But I thought you didn't care about the Hexes or Loraines?" Lia asked.

"I don't mind appreciating our history. I don't like it when the state uses the implications of history to incite some imbalance amongst the people. And just because Itrora is pretty doesn't mean it's much better." He hums as he leads the horses allowing them to slow down a bit.

"Well, whatever happens to Kreidd is Kreidd's problem. We're getting in and getting out. That's it." I cut him off.

“Getting in for what? I highly doubt whatever you’re trying to do in Kreidd will be easily done. You can barely use the magic you were blessed with.” Rio had a point as I looked forward, focusing on the horses.

He sighs, “Come on. Sit beside me.” He slows the horses down a bit, as he holds the reins with one hand and pats the space on the driver’s seat beside him.

I stand fully and grab his shoulder, pushing myself up and over the barrier between him and the cart. When I finally sat I readjusted myself as he then tugs on the reins once more, the horses speeding back up.

“Hold out your arm.” He does so, and I copy his movement, my arm bouncing a bit from the terrain.

“Let it relax, don’t stiffen your hand.”

“What are you making me do?”

“Let your hand relax, keep your arm up.” I sigh and do as he says, slowly my fingers shake and slowly coil downwards. “What now?”

“My arm feels tired, and I feel stupid.” I deadpan.

“Is your hand loose?” I nod and he hums.

“This will sound a bit vague. But remember something. Whenever you used the ice before. Remember how that felt but- Keep calm.”

I sigh as I quietly follow along with his teaching. I try to think as rationally as I can. Whenever the ice and frost would linger on my fingertips, usually it was through moments of pure panic and emotion. After trying for a little while, I sighed and lowered my arm.

"This isn’t working." I complain.

He hums, "Considering your Hex is the rarest one on Hourn, I can understand why it would be a bit harder to properly channel her power."

"So why bother trying to teach me?"

"Wiesse or not, you're still just an untrained Loraine. And releasing you into Kreidd is begging for trouble."

I lean back, crossing my arms. "Well then, I guess conventional training isn't going to work. Besides, we don't have the time for it."

He chuckles, turning the horses gently as the cart leans with a wide turn. Lia holding onto the barrier.

"Then how about this? Lia?" She hums in reply, "You use the power a lot. Don't you have any specific Wiesse Tips?"

She shook her head. "I already considered trying to help Carmine myself, but I think Wiesse’s powers work differently through the Wolf Ringer than they do through me."

For a while we all sat there, my annoyance palpable as I look away from them. I hated this, being unable to properly use my powers unlike any other Loraine in all of Hourn.

She should've taught me. Everything, anything. Grandma should have taught me something.

"Perhaps it's based on how well you represent Wiesse."

I turn to Rio, lifting an eyebrow.

"I mean you are the sole receiver of everything Wiesse has to offer. So wouldn't it be easier to use her power by embodying her ideals?" He shrugs a bit.

I sigh, leaning back. “I will sacrifice just as she. For my love is bigger than I.” the mantra fell from my lips, and I felt Lia’s gaze on me.

Rio was quiet, but I know he heard me as he simply continued to move us forward, leaving me alone to my thoughts as I looked away. Watching as the large fields with scattered trees of the Guecedand pass us by. It’s literally barely been a week since the attack. Since I nearly lost everything I’ve ever had. I look back down at my hands and eventually I sigh.

“Tell me some more of those exercises your siblings did. I could still try them.”

Rio grinned as he adjusted himself. “You can try some of these too, Lia.” She nods as he clears his throat.

“So we are at least trying to get you to conjure up some ice. Just don’t destroy the cart, it’s expensive.” I snorted

“Ok, so how do I do that? Think of something that connects to Wiesse?”

“Something along those lines, but I guess just try to force it this time. Remember the goal is to make ice."

"Of course." I hold my hand out to the side of the cart, letting out a sigh as I calm myself as much as I can.

I thought about all of the stories of Wiesse Grandma told me. About how the Hexes lived and their family ties and how we echo those ties at the forest. About the history and the war that led up to Hexes and people separating. That led to Wiesse’s initial sacrifice for her family. How she died and reduced herself into a measly tear or how her loved ones and her name proceeded to die out with the movement of time. Only living in her forest with the wolves, her children.

Wiesse represents family and sacrifice ever so clearly, Grandma and Icarus embodied that to the very end. My other hand runs over the scars once more as I felt the coolness wash over my arm and pulse into my hand. I spread my fingers once, and nothing happened. I do it again, and particles of frost appear on my fingertips. I swipe my hand over the empty landscape beside us and a small line of blue begins to drag behind us.

“You’re doing it, Carmine!” Lia rushes to the side of the cart that I’m drawing the line of ice in the ground. As I focus on feeling the cold in my hands, trying to really drill how it feels and how I did it in my head. But then after a while my hand felt even colder than usual. When I looked at it the crystal blue ice was dragging down past my palm and I swiped my hand away in a panic. The line of frost ends with a spike as I look at the ice crystals covering half my hand.

I hold my wrist and take a deep breath, trying to not panic about it anymore than I already am.

“You’re handling it well.” Rio commented as he pats my shoulder.

“Not the first time this has happened.” It begins to calm down and break away in frost. I clench my hand as I wait for the coolness to leave completely.

“Still, you actually did that at will this time. That’s good.” Lia nuzzled my head and it made me smile.

“That’s a good starting point, that’s enough to know you have the awareness to do it better with practice.” He leans back, relaxing a bit more.

“Now let’s try to do more specific techniques.”

I nod as I hold out my hand, stretching my fingers and cracking my knuckles. Ready to try to get better at this. To finally be able to make some progress.

Ready to finally be closer to what Grandma wanted me to be.