Chapter Forty-Two

Good Work

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On the landing one flight down from the topmost floor of the tower, Kazia emerged from a portal on the arm of an Alchemist she only knew in passing. He didn't seem to like her much, but Amelys had asked him to bring her up. She thanked him as she stepped away, which he answered only with a terse nod.

The floor above held the Temple of Contemplation. Since Kazia didn't practice traditional Contemplation, she hadn't had the occasion to visit here yet. She ascended the last flight of stairs quietly, already feeling as if she were intruding before she'd even reached the arched entryway.

The room she stepped into was vast, comprising the entire tower floor.

It was circular, with its lofty ceiling vaulted with arches on massive pillars connecting to the brown agate tiled floor. The room was lit only by flame, keeping the space dim and shadowy. The walls were lined with three levels of recessed alcoves, all currently empty, each lit within by a candle set into a smaller recess in the wall.

On the other end of the room, across from the entrance, stood an altar alight with candles where those who were religious could burn incense and pray. The central floor was wide and open, the space only broken here and there by tall pillars topped with flaming braziers.

In the center of the room, Tamyn stood before a group of seven children, Neiphi among them, all dressed in loose trousers and tunics, with no shoes. They stood with their knees bent and their hands overhead in the air, pressing their palms together.

A young boy began to tremble in his pose, and Tamyn went to him, pressing a hand gently over a curve in his posture. When his back straightened, the trembling ceased, and Tamyn gave a light murmur of encouragement.

With another soft word from their teacher, the children all stood up straight, their hands sweeping outward in a slow arc back down to their sides, then they all sat on the straw mats beneath them, folding their legs.

After another few moments, they all stood, gathering their mats and saying hushed goodbyes to Tamyn before filing silently out of the Temple, pausing to retrieve their shoes beside the doorway. Neiphi gave Kazia a curious look of surprise, but Kazia held a finger over her lips.

“Good work,” she whispered. “See you in the lab.”

Neiphi smiled and nodded as she followed the other children down the stairs, where the Alchemist who had brought Kazia up waited to take them all back down.

Peering across the room, Kazia saw that Tamyn had retreated to one of the alcoves in the side wall and now sat on a cushion within it with closed eyes and folded legs. She removed her shoes, then padded across the floor toward him, the silk of the loose Caedran dress she wore swishing softly over her bare feet. She was surprised at how warm the stone tile felt. When she reached him, she quietly sat on the floor outside his alcove, but said nothing.

He opened his eyes and smiled gently, then looked around the Temple. There was no one else present since a class had been in session, but others might arrive at any time now.

“Did you listen?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

Kazia nodded.

“It was difficult,” she answered softly. “But Zhen was with him. He sounded... sad... but generally alright. I don't think they've been too hard on him.”

Tamyn drew a deep breath and released it with a smile.

“Now I wish I had listened,” he admitted.

“He and Kel seem distrustful of each other.”

“We've kept things from both of them. Perhaps we shouldn't have.”

“I don't know,” Kazia said. “I did warn Kel to be a bit wary of Abrizhen. I know we all want to trust him, but back under Gorvan's watch, we really don't know if he'll be swayed at all.”

Tamyn nodded sadly. They sat in silence for a long moment. Kazia leaned back on her hands and looked around, studying the Temple's architecture.

It was so peaceful here. It felt sacred. She thought that even if she couldn't practice traditional contemplation, it might be nice to just sit here sometimes, as long as she didn't have to climb all those stairs to get here.

“Is there something else on your mind?” Tamyn asked.

“You know I've been working on my ethereal energy. Mistress Amelys thinks that your Contemplation method might be beneficial. I might like to sit in on your classes, if you'll have me.”

Tamyn frowned.

“I'm not sure that I can recommend it to you,” he said contritely. “This method works by placing the body into stress positions, which causes a release of chemicals from the brain that assist one into the altered state of consciousness. I've always thought it might be too similar to... unpleasant experiences of your past.”

Kazia considered this, but then drew a breath of determination.

“I see what you mean,” she said, “but I'd be willing to give it a try.”

“Perhaps not in a group class though,” he suggested, “in case it goes badly. There may be something else I can do that might help, if you trust me.”

“Of course,” she answered enthusiastically.

Tamyn handed her a cushion from within his alcove. “Sit here in front of me, facing away, and fold your legs up like mine, feet up on your thighs like this, hands on your knees. This is the most basic position.”

Kazia followed his instructions, tucking her legs up under her skirt and arranging it over the cushion. When she got her feet into place, she immediately saw what he meant by 'stress position' as she felt the stretch through her legs. If this was the most basic, what must the more complicated poses feel like? But this way of sitting caused her spine to straighten, and her pelvis to balance almost effortlessly. Within a few moments, her body adjusted and relaxed into the posture, and she felt quite comfortable.

“I'm going to touch you, is that alright?” he asked softly.

Kazia turned her head to glance at him over her shoulder and nodded.

“Face front,” he said.

He placed two fingers at the base of her neck, then stroked them gently down her back, and chuckled.

“Are you still wearing corsets under Caedran dresses?” he laughed.

Kazia sighed. “Only a light one, but I haven't been able to give them up. I feel... safer, I guess? I can't explain it.”

“I understand completely,” he said, his voice low and taking on a compassionate tone as he pulled his fingers back up to her neck and then down again. “I was born with a condition that made my bones and muscles soft. For most of my childhood I had to wear a brace that was much like... well, it basically was a corset.”

Taken aback, Kazia began to turn her head again before remembering to keep her face front.

“When I grew strong enough not to need it any longer, it took some adjustment, mentally. I felt... exposed. I missed it for a long time.”

“Is that why you practice this form?”

“Mhm. My early tutors thought it would be beneficial.”

“It would seem they were right. I would never imagine you had endured such a thing.”

Tamyn began to press his fingers into various points along her spine, and she felt a buzzing sensation as he released a small amount of ethereal energy along with each press. The ligaments in her spine began to relax, and this combined with Tamyn's soft voice to lull her into a drowse.

“So,” Tamyn said quietly, “why have you become so determined to access your ethereal energy?”

“So that I can cast my own portal up here instead of relying on Alchemists who don't like me,” Kazia laughed.

“No, Kazia, while we're doing this, I need you to think deeply about your true reasons.”

Kazia sighed, closing her eyes.

“I don't want to be a burden on anyone,” she admitted. “I'm so grateful to everyone for protecting me, but ever since I went to Valesk and was captured – that woman, Yilina, called me pathetic, and she wasn't wrong.”

As Kazia spoke, her voice became increasingly vehement as she dragged the fear from the deepest part of her heart and it just made her so angry.

“Those Alchemists took me down and I could barely put up a fight. Now Kel and Zhen are both there with those reprehensible, treacherous monsters, and there's nothing I can do to help them. Kel is doing so much to try to set all of this mess right, and what am I doing? Hiding? I can't-”

“Kazia, open your eyes. Look at your hands.”

Kazia drew a deep, calming breath, and slowly opened her eyes.

Both hands, where they rested on her knees, were awash in ethereal energy.

 

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