Free Serpent of Fire by D. K. Holmberg Page A

Tan recognized was healthy, but he hated how it kept them apart.
    He touched her hand and kissed her cheek. “Rest then. I’ll return when I can.”
    Her strained smile told him that she doubted it would be tonight.
    Tan grabbed his warrior sword off one of the hooks along the wall and strapped it to his waist before stepping out of the wagon and into the clearing. The wagons were set in a wide circle, now numbering over one hundred representing over a dozen families. A few families had joined after the Par-shon attack, and Amia thought a few more might still be making their way toward Ethea.
    The smoldering remains of the fire pulled on him, drawing his attention. Tan ignored it and stepped onto a shaping of wind, lifting him into the air. Honl augmented the shaping, carrying him into the sky. Once there, Tan added the warrior shaping, mixing spirit into it.
    There was one place he knew to reach golud to better understand why they had summoned. Never before had golud reached out to him.
    As he pulled the shaping toward him, lightning carried him soundlessly toward Ethea, where he emerged in the center of the university. It had changed a lot since falling. Each day brought new changes, the walls rising quickly now, aided by golud working with the shapers—particularly with Ferran—and now the university created a wide horseshoe shape around the yard, with the undamaged shaper circle at the heart of it.
    The warm air created by Honl swirled around him, though there were snatches of cooler air coming from ara, who carried the scent of the city, that of the broken remains of the university, the dust still mixing into the air, the lingering remnants of fire that had raged throughout the city, that of metal being forged, of the horses passing along the streets, the sweat of those working and living here, and a few sweeter smells like the flowers growing in squares or bread and pastries from bakeries. Ara carried with it the vibrant and alive scents of life from the city.
    Tan expected to be alone, but Ferran was there, dark eyes studying the ground, his face screwed up in concentration.
    “Master Ferran,” Tan said, stepping off the circle and toward Ferran, who tipped his head.
    He was a thin man, but moved with a rigid strength. He wore a long jacket and loose pants, more casual and open than the hooded cloak Tan had seen him wearing when they first met. He had a serious face and deep, thoughtful eyes. “Athan. I hoped you would come.”
    Tan hesitated. “This is not golud?”
    “This is golud. I did not know why they summoned at first, but they say that Maelen requested they keep watch.” He met Tan’s eyes. “That is you?”
    He hadn’t released that the draasin shared his name with the other elementals. “That’s what the draasin call me, yes.”
    Ferran nodded. “Fitting. A warrior’s title.”
    “Not so much a title. More like a reference to an annoying creature.”
    Ferran surprised him by laughing. “I imagine that to the draasin, many creatures are annoying. Only those with their respect receive attention. Fewer still receive names.”
    “That’s one way of looking at it,” Tan said.
    “You asked golud to keep watch?”
    “I’ve asked all the elementals to keep watch,” he said. But hadn’t it only been over the draasin? He would know if Asgar or Sashari were in danger, wouldn’t he?
    Tan focused on fire, feeling the warmth of the stones, the draw of flames in hearths throughout the city, and then reached toward the fire bond. It became easier each time he did it. There, distantly beneath the city, he sensed Asgar and Sashari, both resting silently. Knowing that they were safe, he chose not to disturb them. Distantly, Asboel still hunted.
    “What has golud found?” Tan asked.
    Ferran nodded to the north. “You don’t hear them?”
    “I hear golud, but I still struggle understanding.” He couldn’t explain it any better than that. “I recognized the summons, but not what they