“You are appreciated,” I said. “I just don't understand why we have to go so slowly.”
“Because if we don't, the magic will kill you.”
Well, that shut me up.
“Now,” Death said primly, his tone satisfied, “shall we try again?”
I sighed, pushed thoughts of Taroc out of my mind, and focused on the tree. If you could even call it that. Out of all the ancient, monolithic trees in the forest, Death had chosen the thinnest birch barely past its sapling state. Practically a twig. I could have easily moved it with Earth or even Air Magic. Or by simply yanking it out of the ground. But I needed to use Death to make the tree move on its own.
Death could do many things, probably more than I imagined, but there were some things it absolutely could not do. Such as create life. I couldn't make a tree grow. I could, however, make it uproot itself and walk like a man. I just had to find its song and change the tune a bit.
There, within the sluggish drip of sap within the trunk, I felt a vibration. It was faster than that of mountains, but not as fast as the grass that grew beneath my feet. I dove deeper into the vibration, learning the heartbeat of the tree. The other side of the heartbeat. The cessation of it. But I didn't want to kill the tree, just compel it to do something it normally wouldn't do. That was why we were going so slow. Why this was harder than the elements. Elemental Magic works within the natural order of things. A mage harnesses its power but only to do what the element is meant to do—Fire burns, Air blows, and so forth. Death Magic goes against the natural inclination of things. Not death itself, mind you. That is a part of life for everyone and everything, even immortals. Death is natural. But this wasn't that.
That now familiar power swept through me. Connected to the tree, I could speed things up a bit. To help direct the magic, I lifted my hand, fingers downward, curled. The tree rose, moving straight upward, its roots pushing it out of the ground until it was twice its height.
My men gasped, but I continued to focus. My fingers undulated, and the tree roots followed suit, crawling over the soil like spiders. The tree shuddered. Moved. Then it danced. I spun with it, moving it to my music instead of the other way around. Leaves shivered and fell as branches bowed and lifted as graceful as the acrobats who had come to entertain us. The slim birch transformed into something divine. An unknown creature whose multitude of feet gave it the grace to rise and fall like water.
“Well done,” Death whispered. “Now put it back, Ember.”
I danced the tree back to its home, my hand working as if I were directing a marionette. In a way, I was. The tree went to the hole it had made, one surprisingly narrow, and the roots snaked within. Tiny tendrils went first, weaving back into the furrows they had left in the earth. Down and down, nothing disturbed by their passage. Thicker parts now, and even thicker, until the trunk settled into place, and I slowed the music back into the tree's true vibration.
With the rustle of settling leaves, I exhaled.
“Holy motherfucker,” Keltyr murmured. Then, “By my horns, Ember, that was fantastic!”
I grinned.
Rath and Xae looked more disturbed than impressed, but Death joined Kel in praising me, “You have done exceptionally well today, Ember. I knew you would do well, but this exceeds my expectations.”
“You keep saying that,” I said smugly.
“Don't get cocky, young one. It's far too soon for that.”
“The rock,” Xae murmured. “You moved pebbles during your last lesson. Just a little, but you did it.”
“Yes.” I frowned at Xae. “Why? What are you thinking?”
“I'm thinking the Corrupter's castle is made of stone.”
I grinned.
“Easy now, everyone,” Death said. “Don't go striking blows you're not ready for. Even when Ember becomes proficient enough to bring down a wall, that may not be a good way to go about attacking Aranren.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“He could reciprocate.”
I exchanged heavy looks with my men, then said, “He always does. That's the risk that must be taken.”
“No, it isn't. You still don't understand,” Death huffed. “My goal is to help you reach the point where it's no longer a case of throwing blows at each other and backing away. Once you master Death Magic, you'll be able to face the Corrupter and finish him. I'm preparing you for the final battle, Ember, not some skirmish that could have terrible repercussions.”
The men nodded. Kel grinned.
I asked, “How long will that take?”
“As long as it needs to.”
I grimaced as my men groaned.
