Seshriyha

Chapter 2: To grow is to be in constant pain and struggle

It was not even a full minute past twilight when he stepped into his inner chambers that Murtagh was stopped short by the very disturbing sight of seeing the She-Spirit that he had only said but an hour ago that he did not want to ever see again. She reclined on his settee with an air of authority much like the first introduction that they had had. This time he was able to actually take in her features in a very different light. She was still just as short, but she had the figure of a voluptuous woman that was very alluring. But he also took note of the finely honed muscles that lay beneath her pale flesh, they were the muscles of a fighter; they seemed to sing a song of warning even as he beheld them. But her manner of dress was most arresting. A creation of flowing gauzy fabric in the richest blue he had ever laid eyes on, embroidered at the edges with a fine silver thread that seemed to shine much like that of the stars in the night sky. The cut was feminine, but somehow accentuated her quiet power, giving her the dominant role in any conversation or debate. And even as he took her in, he thought it very strange that he could discern so much of her presence just by observing her in the briefest of seconds, when it usually took him many weeks to discern as much in the ladies of the court. And her eyes, they were hazel with gold and yet they also seemed to emanate the same shade of fathomless blue as her dress. And she was smiling wickedly at him.

"And to think, Son of Morzan, that you had only just informed your King that you wished to never see me again, and yet there you stand, drinking me in like a man lost in the desert for weeks." She said this all very softly, and so very detached as to draw him back to the present realm.

"It is a first to find a woman so enjoying my inner chambers with such a countenance as though she were my wife." He replied just as softly as her, stepping in and closing his doors behind him.

"Indeed, all the world is mine. This is something you will accept."

"I'm not a good pupil. I doubt I will accept anything from you so easily."

"Then we shall have to change that as well." She was still smiling. Murtagh now stood over her, his height casting a shadow over her; the darkness only enhanced the emanating blue.

"Why have you come here?" He no longer wished to exchange any more pleasantries with her this night.

"I am here to inform you of the new training you will undergo under my tutelage. I will see you tomorrow in my Study before dawn. I'm certain you remember how to get there?"

"I never forget my wanderings."

"I'm certain you do not." Again, her wicked smile did not leave. It was as though she was hinting at something far deeper than he wanted to explore.

"I will be there before dawn tomorrow. Now may I have my privacy?" She sat up at last, standing within an inch of his body. They stood there in silence, as she looking him straight on in the face, her eyes scanning darkly into his own. He said nothing, nor did he back down, but waited to see what she would do.

"You know, I knew there was a good reason for the choices I have made. I do not regret a single one now that I am able to behold you in person, right here, this very night. I can promise you this Murtagh: Very soon, you will take my breath away." And with that incredibly forward oath, she slipped around him and headed towards the doors. As Murtagh turned to follow her, she gave her salutations for the night. "Goodnight Murtagh, Son of Selena."

The doors closed with an audible click, and Murtagh was for once alone. But he would get very little rest tonight. She had given his mind so much to ramble and grapple with that his dreams were sure to be wild and exotic, filled with confusion and curiosity unlike anything he had slept through before.

It was habit that guided Murtagh's body through the motions of predawn hygienic rituals. His mind was abnormally absent, still lost in the dark reaches of subconscious thought. His face spoiled into a sour look as he accepted his present circumstances just before reaching the point where her door would materialize, hopefully. And like the magic he was once again growing accustomed to, he was thrown off by his surroundings upon entering the threshold. Where he remembered rows of shelves full of disturbing grimoire was at present the trees of the Spine. I know this place. It was a resounding fact than a thought, but it rang clear as a spoken voice in the ether surrounding him. A carefully constructed mask of detachment hid the anxiety that grew with each heartbeat.

"You need to quiet your center." Turning sharply he saw her come forth from the towering trunks. He didn't respond but took in her dress. In the grey predawn aura, her gown was a delicate blending of resplendent white, descending into yellow, then gold, then a pale blue, and a hem of mint green and rich dark earth. Never in his life had he ever seen such expert dying.

"It is a gorgeous work of art, is it not?" She too looked at it, her hands stroking the silky texture with a reverence. "Think no more on its creation, soon enough you too will know how to fashion your desires into creation. Fairths are children's games. Come." Without a word of rebuttal he followed her up the steep hillside till they reached its peak. At the highest point of the Spine, Murtagh was able to see the Beor Mountains to the South, and Du Weldenvarden's green canopy to the North. It was directly East that he saw the white light of the suns corona just edging over the visible horizon.

"Have you ever taken the energy of the sun?" His confused expression was proof enough. "The sun is an immense source of energy. Just like darkness, there is always light somewhere in the world. And it is constantly being renewed, it will not die for many billions of millennia. You wonder where your king gets the strength to perform half the spells he is capable of? I am going to show you.

"Now," She stood behind him as she proceeded to manually align him correctly as she lectured. "the key to this is letting go, which requires the correct posture. Feet hip width apart, pelvis tucked, core supported from within, shoulders relaxed, neutral, and chin up, jaw loose, hands at your side open to capture every last ray of light produced by the sun.

"Right. You are much easier to work with than he was." She said this through a vexed sigh that was lined with satisfaction. "Much more pliant, you are. I want you to silence all thoughts, and listen not to the life around you, but energy. It will be a very distinct song, a rhythm more than a sound heard by ears. It will get louder as it burns its way across the soil till it reaches you. From there, all you need to is to let yourself get swept up in the euphoric rush. If you do not relinquish total control, you will not absorb a single thread of the energy you are aiming to collect. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Good, because it's coming. I will pull you back when the sun is completely risen. We shall see if you able to match the tales sung of you." He had no chance to respond as she had closed her eyes and positioned herself to embrace the sun. Turning to face the East once more, he too allowed his eyes to close and his thoughts to cease. He struggled to hear the energy that she had spoken of, and it was not until he remembered the one time he had focused on the wrong source of life when his father was still alive that he felt the familiar buzz. And with each successive moment it grew heavier, faster, louder. It was the moment he felt the light just warm his toes that the sound reached an all encompassing crescendo. It was in that moment that he felt in all at once; it was as though every particle of ether now revolved around his person with such intensity that it sent him beyond faintness. As the invasive pulse grew more aggressive, he fought with himself to let go of his barriers and allow it to sweep through him. Then, just like that, like the right piece of the puzzle lining up, he felt himself go lax, and was lit on fire. The heat spread rapidly through his flesh as deep as the marrow within his bones, it was on its own path, going against the racing of his heart. Both fear and euphoria warred within his mind until even that was consumed in the heat of morning light. Everything was open, every riddle was solved, every question was answered, and everything was made clear in an unrecorded span of time. Every became infinite, and gravity was a distant memory at the edges of his mind. And then, as quickly as it came, it left. Like the water drained from the baths, he felt reality weighing him down once more. Opening his eyes he saw that the sun was fully in the sky, already beginning its daily trek across the great expanse of sky. Looking to his left, he saw her glowing with the sun's stolen warmth; he had reason to believe that he too mirrored her aura.

What have you done? It was Thorn's first and blatantly disturbed question voiced to his rider.

I certainly don't know, but I know that I feel more alive than I ever have. Murtagh was just heading back to his quarters. After returning just as mystically as they came, she left him with explicit instructions to continue to do this every morning for the next three weeks. The prospect of not seeing her for another three weeks added an extra spring in his step.

It's really disturbing me. Whatever you did is really infectious.

Oh, my apologies, I didn't know you to be so sensitive.

Don't get smart with me. I outweigh you, remember?

No need for a reminder. It was before he had met her that during one of their training session Thorn had "accidentally" fallen on Murtagh. It took the King's healing to repair the shattered ribs and punctured lungs. The memory was never far when Thorn was around. Turning right, Murtagh thrust open the doors, sending the terrified maids from their work to hastily bow to higher rank. Murtagh waved a hand flippantly, a sign agreed upon that they were to continue their work as he strode through to freshen up before joining the Twins for further psychological play. Do you think I should warn the?

Have they ever been so kind to you?

You're right. Best we keep to ourselves. With a sadistic smile, he turned and headed for general sparring rooms to meet them at the appointed time.