strength…five times, I think?”
“Six, actually,” said Kylon.
“Six,” said Caina. “Then you released all the spells, circled through that ravine, and rejoined us here.”
“And you saw the…glow the entire time?” said Kylon.
Caina shook her head. “Almost. You disappeared for a little while. How far did you go?”
“About a mile, I think,” said Kylon. “Maybe a little further. I didn’t want to go too far in case you came under attack. And you saw the…glow the entire time?”
“A mile, then,” said Caina. “The sight of a valikarion extends for a mile.”
“It might go further,” said Kylon. “I am not particularly powerful, and my spells are not that potent. If Nasser wandered off with the Staff, perhaps you could see that from a greater distance.”
“No,” said Caina. “Nasser shouldn’t wander off with that.” She shrugged. “When we reach Istarinmul, perhaps I will be able to see a wraithblood laboratory from a distance, or a Mirror of Worlds. That could be useful.”
“Then these experiments of yours have a practical point?” said Morgant.
“Yes,” said Caina. “It occurs to me that I need to carry an enspelled object with me. Something marked with a powerful spell, but one that doesn’t do anything.”
“What use would that serve?” said Morgant.
“A beacon,” said Kylon.
“Aye,” said Caina. “Drop that in a man’s pocket, and I could follow him anywhere. Through a crowd, through the spectators at a gladiatorial game or a chariot race, anywhere. Even a wall wouldn’t hide the aura. I could follow him through floors and stairs and houses. So long as he stayed within a mile, he couldn’t get away.” She looked at Morgant. “That would have been useful when I was trying to find you.”
Morgant snorted. “It would work, I suppose. Though as I recall, you saw the Kyracian sweating and fighting in a loincloth, and you went running off after him. Rather a nice bit of foretelling, wasn’t it?”
Kylon scowled, but Caina answered before he could speak.
“I went after him,” said Caina, “and you went after me. Now what did that foretell?”
“That I’m damned fool, if nothing else,” said Morgant. “Come along, Kyracian. It’s time we had a look around. It would be a grim fate, if an amusing one, if we were taken by bandits while you and the Balarigar were playing games.”
Kylon looked at Caina.
“For once, he’s right,” said Caina.
“Just don’t talk too much,” said Kylon.
“The young should be honored to listen to the speech of their elders,” said Morgant.
“That’s why he never stops talking,” said Caina. “He’s so old that he has forgotten how to shut up. If you go with him, you can cut down any foes that are drawn by his rambling.”
Morgant gave her a sour look.
Kylon laughed. “As usual, you are right.” Caina handed him the reins to his horse, and he swung up into the saddle. For a man who had spent much of his life aboard a ship, he rode quite well.
“Tell me, Kyracian,” said Morgant. “Did I ever tell you about the time I killed a Kyracian thalarchon?”
“Please don’t.”
“Well,” said Morgant, “it would have been about a hundred and sixty-five years ago. I happened to be in Istarinmul, and…”
Kylon sighed. Morgant’s voice trailed off as he followed Kylon into the hills, still talking.
Caina rode alone for a while, watching the glow from Morgant’s weapons and Kylon’s valikon until they vanished from sight. As she had guessed, they disappeared after about a mile, which seemed to be the effective range of a valikarion’s sight. The valikon’s glow remained visible for several moments longer. Likely the spells upon the valikon were far more potent than those upon Morgant’s scimitar and dagger. She glanced at the pyrikon bracelet around her left wrist. Her mortal eyes saw the ghostsilver, but the sixth sense of the valikarion saw the steady power of the spirit
“Six, actually,” said Kylon.
“Six,” said Caina. “Then you released all the spells, circled through that ravine, and rejoined us here.”
“And you saw the…glow the entire time?” said Kylon.
Caina shook her head. “Almost. You disappeared for a little while. How far did you go?”
“About a mile, I think,” said Kylon. “Maybe a little further. I didn’t want to go too far in case you came under attack. And you saw the…glow the entire time?”
“A mile, then,” said Caina. “The sight of a valikarion extends for a mile.”
“It might go further,” said Kylon. “I am not particularly powerful, and my spells are not that potent. If Nasser wandered off with the Staff, perhaps you could see that from a greater distance.”
“No,” said Caina. “Nasser shouldn’t wander off with that.” She shrugged. “When we reach Istarinmul, perhaps I will be able to see a wraithblood laboratory from a distance, or a Mirror of Worlds. That could be useful.”
“Then these experiments of yours have a practical point?” said Morgant.
“Yes,” said Caina. “It occurs to me that I need to carry an enspelled object with me. Something marked with a powerful spell, but one that doesn’t do anything.”
“What use would that serve?” said Morgant.
“A beacon,” said Kylon.
“Aye,” said Caina. “Drop that in a man’s pocket, and I could follow him anywhere. Through a crowd, through the spectators at a gladiatorial game or a chariot race, anywhere. Even a wall wouldn’t hide the aura. I could follow him through floors and stairs and houses. So long as he stayed within a mile, he couldn’t get away.” She looked at Morgant. “That would have been useful when I was trying to find you.”
Morgant snorted. “It would work, I suppose. Though as I recall, you saw the Kyracian sweating and fighting in a loincloth, and you went running off after him. Rather a nice bit of foretelling, wasn’t it?”
Kylon scowled, but Caina answered before he could speak.
“I went after him,” said Caina, “and you went after me. Now what did that foretell?”
“That I’m damned fool, if nothing else,” said Morgant. “Come along, Kyracian. It’s time we had a look around. It would be a grim fate, if an amusing one, if we were taken by bandits while you and the Balarigar were playing games.”
Kylon looked at Caina.
“For once, he’s right,” said Caina.
“Just don’t talk too much,” said Kylon.
“The young should be honored to listen to the speech of their elders,” said Morgant.
“That’s why he never stops talking,” said Caina. “He’s so old that he has forgotten how to shut up. If you go with him, you can cut down any foes that are drawn by his rambling.”
Morgant gave her a sour look.
Kylon laughed. “As usual, you are right.” Caina handed him the reins to his horse, and he swung up into the saddle. For a man who had spent much of his life aboard a ship, he rode quite well.
“Tell me, Kyracian,” said Morgant. “Did I ever tell you about the time I killed a Kyracian thalarchon?”
“Please don’t.”
“Well,” said Morgant, “it would have been about a hundred and sixty-five years ago. I happened to be in Istarinmul, and…”
Kylon sighed. Morgant’s voice trailed off as he followed Kylon into the hills, still talking.
Caina rode alone for a while, watching the glow from Morgant’s weapons and Kylon’s valikon until they vanished from sight. As she had guessed, they disappeared after about a mile, which seemed to be the effective range of a valikarion’s sight. The valikon’s glow remained visible for several moments longer. Likely the spells upon the valikon were far more potent than those upon Morgant’s scimitar and dagger. She glanced at the pyrikon bracelet around her left wrist. Her mortal eyes saw the ghostsilver, but the sixth sense of the valikarion saw the steady power of the spirit
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