I can think of none more worthy to look after the people; I will not let you fall; I just pray she will make the right decision; go now and bring me back a knight; it was not the dress I was admiring; now, the war begins...
Over the next few days Raliena had time to digest the events of the past few weeks. She saw little of Zinib and he kept his distance from her. He had a bandaged arm that he kept in a linen sling from where she had burnt him. It had been much easier to do then the first time and she spent a lot of time practicing with Lozni and Yaline on how to use it in a fight.
Lozni told her that it was a misconception that she could only use her powers with her hands, any part of her that is in contact with a person could be used, which is especially useful in a fight, only it was far easier to focus on her hands and the glowing that accompanied it was easier to hide.
After discussing with Jaya and Yaline how strong Raliena was, Lozni told them that Raliena’s was too much power to give to any Sinner, even Zinib, and told them of how she had fought the Sinner off with an ease that even she would have struggled with.
They all agreed that Raliena did not need to be pledged and plans moved on to how they were going to remove Dergen from Verxia.
Yaline was angered on hearing about what Zinib had done but Jaya had managed to calm her enough to stop her from going to find him and giving him another wound to worry about.
“He should not have been here in the first place.” Yaline said during a break in their sparring. She was an able swordswoman and both she and Raliena were sweating from the exertion.
“You seem to hate him more than most.” Raliena commented, taking a large gulp of cold water Lozni handed her.
“I hate what he is.” Yaline replied.
“We have all had experiences with Sinners in some way.” Lozni explained; setting herself down on the log that was placed in the clearing for them to sit on. “It was part of our culture for a very long time, even after the Lagania was destroyed.”
“I lived in village where a Sinner had settled and made himself leader.” Yaline began. “He took my sister for his lover and when she bore him a son, he stole the child away and left her, no doubt knowing that he would be a Sinner also.”
Yaline threw the mug she was drinking from on the floor in frustration.
“My sister and I learnt to fight so that we could search for the Sinner and my nephew as no one else in the village had the courage to stand up to him. When we found them many years later the boy had turned into his father’s son, as is the nature of the Sinners. The boy had killed his father and taken a town of his own. They had found an Armon and only one could have her so, once his father was out of the way, he threatened the girl’s family unless she bound with him. The town’s people lived in fear of him and his Armon, my nephew. He was only a boy.”
Raliena was silent, shocked by the story. Now she knew why Yaline hated Zinib so much.
“What happened to him?” Raliena asked quietly.
“My sister killed his Armon hoping it would restore him to the sweet innocent that was her son. It did not work and when the boy found out he tried to have her killed too. His own mother!” Yaline had tears in her eyes as she continued. “I managed to get her out before she could watch the town turn on him instead, but she never recovered from it. When we returned to our own village my family did the best they could, but it was too much and she ended her own pain.”
“The Sinners are cursed with their own hunger for power.” Lozni said softly. “There was nothing that could be done, even if the boy had stayed with your sister.”
Yaline nodded. “The Sinners are a disease, which is why we must stop them.”
She picked up her sword again and held it ready for another bout. Raliena stood up taking her own sword, recognising the need for Yaline to let off some steam.
After one long day training, Raliena returned to her tent once the light began to fade. When she reached it she noticed the lantern inside had been lit.
She hesitated a moment then remembered that no one outside the camp could see them and stepped inside to find Zinib sat on her bed waiting.
“What do you want?” She said accusingly, and put her food down on the table the Lagania provided for the tent, keeping her sword belt on.
Zinib dangled the chain he had been fiddling with in front of her face. The gold and silver links reflected the light of the lamp.
Raliena felt momentarily threatened before she remembered it had to be of her own free will.
“It was your mother’s, and now it is yours whether you pledge or not.” Zinib said still dangling it between them.
“I do not want it.” Raliena replied curtly.
Zinib sighed and crumpled the chain in his hand.
“I loved her, and I was good to her.” He looked up at Raliena with sad eyes. The first real emotion she had seen him have since they met. “I never forced her when you were conceived.”
Raliena shuffled her feet, suddenly uncomfortable. She had not thought about what things a Master Sinner could make an Armon do; only what they couldn’t.
“But she still ran from what you were.”
“It was complicated and became too intense.” Zinib replied looking away again. “I never meant for her to die and would have stopped her leaving if I could, but she was just as determined as you have turned out to be.”
Zinib looked at his daughter properly for the first time and not as the Armon the Lagania needed her to be.
“I wish it did not have to be you.” He said finally and stood up looking defeated. “But perhaps it is fitting that it is.”
Zinib took a long look at Raliena then placed the chain on the table.
“It will always be your choice, as it was hers.” He said before walking slowly to the opening of the tent.
He stopped when Raliena put her hand out. She remembered something Lozni had said about the Sinners being cursed and felt a pang of pity for him. Raliena did not look at Zinib but placed her hand on his injured arm and healed the burn she had made there.
He sighed in relief and clutched his wrist when she was finished.