Page 15 of Feral Gods

Kaia stares at her hands as if seeing them for the first time. "If you're right... if I do have some latent magical ability... could that be why King Kres wants me back so badly? Could he somehow know?"

A prescient question that has occupied my thoughts as well.

"It's possible. The royal houses have always maintained extensive records of magical bloodlines, particularly those with significant potential.

If your ancestry connects to a powerful purna lineage, you might represent a resource they wish to control. "

"A resource," she repeats bitterly. "A tool. A weapon. Just another form of property."

"To them, perhaps." I move closer, careful to maintain a respectful distance despite my instinct to offer physical comfort.

"But your value extends far beyond whatever power you may or may not possess.

You've demonstrated intelligence, courage, and adaptability that would be remarkable in any being, regardless of magical potential. "

She looks up, surprise flickering across her features at my sincere praise.

For a moment, something unspoken passes between us—a connection deeper than mentor and student, more complex than protector and ward.

I feel an unexpected warmth in my chest, a stirring of emotions I had thought calcified by centuries of stone sleep.

The moment breaks as she turns back to the altar. "Show me the next sequence. If I have any ability that could help strengthen our defenses, I want to use it."

"This next set addresses magical tracking specifically," I explain, indicating a spiral pattern of interconnected glyphs near the altar's edge. "It's considerably more complex than the previous sequences. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't activate immediately."

Kaia studies the pattern with intense concentration, then begins the sequence, her fingers moving with surprising confidence from one sigil to the next.

As she touches the final symbol, something unexpected occurs—the blue glow that accompanied previous activations deepens to violet, then brightens to a brilliant magenta that illuminates the entire chamber.

The light pulses outward from the altar in concentric waves, far more powerful than any previous activation. I feel the magic resonate through the temple, rippling through the defensive matrix with a strength that surpasses my most optimistic expectations.

More concerning, I see the light reflected in Kaia's eyes—not as external illumination, but as an inner glow that suggests the magic is responding to something within her, drawing upon her essence rather than merely the temple's ambient energy.

"Kaia," I say cautiously, "are you feeling any unusual sensations? Dizziness, disorientation, tingling?"

"I feel..." She pauses, expression shifting to wonder. "Strong. Clear. Like I've been seeing the world through clouded glass until now."

The sigils continue to pulse with magenta light, their glow extending beyond the altar to trace intricate patterns across the chamber floor and walls—patterns that were previously invisible.

The temple is responding to her in ways I've never witnessed, revealing layers of magical architecture hidden for centuries.

"This is not a standard activation," I observe, fascinated despite my concern. "You're tapping into something deeper than the basic defensive matrix."

She doesn't appear to hear me, her attention fixed on the evolving patterns as her fingers continue to move across the altar's surface, no longer following the sequence I taught her but tracing new paths through the sigils as if guided by some innate knowledge.

"I can see them," she whispers. "The connections. The pathways. They're everywhere, like veins carrying light instead of blood."

The description sends a chill through me—it echoes how purna witches often describe their perception of magical currents.

Kaia is not merely activating pre-existing defenses; she is interacting with the fundamental magical structure of the sanctuary in ways that should be impossible for an untrained human.

I move closer, ready to intervene if necessary, but hesitant to interrupt a significant magical awakening. "Kaia, try to focus on the anti-tracking wards specifically. Visualize a shield surrounding the temple, blocking any attempt to locate you through magical means."

She nods, her movements becoming more deliberate. The magenta light coalesces around certain sigils, brightening until they seem to burn like stars against the stone. The air in the chamber grows heavy with power, pressing against my skin like the moment before a lightning strike.

Then, with a sound like distant thunder, the energy releases—a pulse of magic that sweeps outward through the temple walls and beyond, a shockwave of protective force that I feel resonate deep in my bones.

Kaia gasps, swaying slightly as the light fades from her eyes. I move swiftly to steady her, catching her elbow as she leans heavily against the altar.

"What... what just happened?" she asks, voice faint with exhaustion.

"You channeled a significant amount of magical energy," I explain, guiding her to sit on the stone steps surrounding the altar. "Far more than these sigils typically require. I believe you've established a much stronger anti-tracking ward than I anticipated."

"Is that good?"

"Very good from a defensive perspective," I assure her. "Though somewhat concerning in what it reveals about your latent abilities."

Before I can elaborate, the chamber door bursts open. Ravik stands in the entrance, wings partially extended in alarm, amber eyes scanning for threats. Behind him looms Thane, his massive form blocking the corridor beyond.

"What was that?" Ravik demands, gaze fixing on Kaia's exhausted figure. "We felt the magical surge throughout the entire temple."

"A successful strengthening of our anti-tracking defenses," I reply calmly, though I keep a supportive hand on Kaia's shoulder. "With unexpected amplification."

Thane pushes past Ravik into the chamber, crimson eyes narrowing as he examines the still-glowing sigils. "This wasn't your magic, Zephyr. This has a different... flavor."

"Indeed." I gesture toward Kaia. "Our human ward appears to possess considerably more magical potential than any of us anticipated."

Ravik's attention sharpens, his gaze intensifying as he studies Kaia with new awareness. "Explain."

"I was simply following the sequences Zephyr showed me," Kaia says, straightening despite her evident fatigue. "Then something... connected. I could see patterns I hadn't noticed before, pathways through the sigils that seemed to call to me."

"She activated the temple's deep defensive matrix," I elaborate. "A system typically accessible only to those with significant magical training and ability. And she amplified it beyond its designed parameters."

Thane circles the altar, examining the still-active sigils with professional assessment. "These are purna workings," he notes, indicating certain symbols. "Integrated into the original dark elf designs, but distinctly purna in execution."

"Yes," I confirm, deciding directness is now essential. "And I believe that explains Kaia's unusual affinity for them. I've found references in the archives suggesting she may have descended from a purna bloodline—possibly from the very Matriarch who crafted our curse."

The chamber grows utterly still. Kaia's face pales, while Ravik's expression darkens to something dangerous. Thane's reaction is the most surprising—a harsh bark of laughter that echoes against the stone walls.

"The irony is exquisite," he says, shaking his head. "We're awakened by the descendant of the witch who imprisoned us, only to find ourselves protecting her from her own kind."

"We don't know for certain," I caution, though my conviction grows stronger with each new piece of evidence. "The genealogical records are fragmentary at best."

"It would explain much," Ravik states, his voice unnervingly calm despite the tension evident in his rigid posture.

"Why the king pursues her so relentlessly.

Why Morwen would involve herself personally.

A descendant of Elowyn, potentially inheriting her significant power, would be a prize beyond measure to those who understand the implications. "

Kaia rises unsteadily to her feet, her earlier exhaustion seemingly forgotten in the face of this revelation. "I am not a prize to be claimed," she declares, a thread of steel entering her voice. "Not by King Kres, not by Morwen, and not by you three either."

"No," Ravik agrees, surprising me with his immediate support. "You are not a prize. But you are now something far more dangerous—a weapon that others will seek to control."

"I'm not a weapon either," she counters, though uncertainty flickers in her expression. "I don't even know how to use whatever... this is." She gestures to the fading sigils.

"Yet you channeled enough power to establish wards that should have required a full coven of trained practitioners," I point out gently. "Imagine what you might accomplish with proper instruction and practice."

Thane approaches her, his towering form casting her in shadow. "If you are truly of Elowyn's blood, you could potentially undo any working she created—including our curse, should Morwen manage to renew it."

The implication hangs heavy in the air. Kaia is not merely valuable as a magical bloodline; she represents our best defense against being returned to stone sleep.

Her value to us has increased exponentially with this discovery—a fact that visibly troubles her as she glances between our imposing forms.

"I didn't ask for this," she says quietly. "Any of it. I just wanted freedom from servitude."

"Few of us choose our burdens," Ravik observes, his tone softening slightly. "But we can choose how we bear them."