Read Etchings of Power (Aegis of the Gods) for Free Online

wrote or else she’ll mark it wrong.”
    Intense concentration creased Mirza’s brows.
    “What’s Mater?”
    Mirza squinted and stroked his stubble with his thumb. After a few more moments, he said, “Mater is the core elemental power which exists within everything. It makes up the three elements the gods represent and their individual essences.” He looked over for Ancel’s approval.
    “Go on,” Ancel encouraged.
    “Mater is more than just the elements driving our world. It drives all worlds,” Mirza said with an air of finality. His face lit up.
    Ancel smiled. That last bit was Teacher Calestis’s favorite saying. “Excellent. What’s the most important thing to practice and master before learning how to touch your Matersense?”
    “Control. Emotional and physical.”
    “Perfect. Now—”
    “Ancel,” Mirza said, his smooth voice becoming serious. “Why’re you back in the same class as me?”
    Ancel absently brushed his breast pocket. “I told you. I failed the end of term test. They decided I needed to take religion and principles again.”
    “They’re saying you failed it on purpose.”
    Ancel’s eyes became slits. “Who?”
    “The other students,” Mirza said before he quickly averted his gray eyes. “They’re saying you failed on purpose. Just so you could be in the same class where Irmina used to come meet you.”
    Ancel clenched his jaw, against both Mirza’s words and the image of Irmina’s golden brown eyes, her raven black hair, and her lithe form and shrugged. “They can say what they want. I failed. It’s as simple as that. And what did I tell you about saying her name?”
    “I, I’m sorry.” Mirza scrunched up his face and shook his head. “I mean, no, I’m not.”
    Ancel glared at his friend. His hands tightened on his reins.
    “Listen,” Mirza pleaded. “You’re my best friend. If I don’t tell you, then who will? You’ve always been the smartest of us all. You’d have to be, to become the youngest trainee since…well ever. But after she left, you stopped caring. I hate watching you throw everything away.”
    “You don’t know shit,” Ancel spat.
    “Burning shades, Ancel. I watch you every day. You practice the sword for the women. You bed as many as you can, and you daydream through class. That’s not who you are. It’s about time you moved on. She did. A year you said, remember? But you still pine over her. Now you risk failing classes again. All the things we dreamed about when we were young, playing at becoming Knights, of going off to join the legions, maybe one day crossing the Vallum of Light to help defend Granadia. It’s all there for you. Why—”
    “Just shut it,” Ancel said his voice like ice. Another chill wind kicked up. This time he didn’t shiver.
    A sudden multitude of colors like miniature rainbows swirled through Ancel’s vision as he stared toward Eldanhill. The hues appeared to jump across people and animals. They even stood out on the flock of birds in the near cloudless sky. He closed his eyes and rubbed his thumb and forefinger across his lids. When he opened his eyes, the colors were gone.
    Ancel glanced toward Mirza, but his friend showed no reaction to what he’d seen. Instead, Mirza drew his cloak around himself, and his eyes focused on the rutted road ahead. Mirza ground his teeth, obviously still upset.
    A soft coo made Ancel look toward the field to his right. Charra, his daggerpaw, loped through the short grass and shrubs. He stood as big as a bull, his head reaching almost to the withers of Ancel’s mare. His shaggy, whitish fur was stained brown with whatever mischief he’d gotten himself into. Charra shook his broad muzzle, sending slobber flying into the air. The soft bone hackles, which extended around his neck and down his back in a bushy mane, swished.
    “Where’ve you been, boy?” Ancel shouted, his mood a little lighter at seeing his pet.
    Charra’s golden-eyed gaze swept to Ancel as he responded with a