Wine of the Gods 26: Embassy Read Online Free PDF

eyebrows. "Giving birth is one of the big steps up in power. Becoming a grandmother is another."
    "I know that."
    "And Teri is about to become a grandmother years ahead of Jade. As the sole, and Senior Waning Half Moon, Teri will be the unchallengeable leader of the Pyramid."
    "No matter that Arrow just skipped about five years of her life?"
    "She'll be the first Crescent Moon of that age group." Sunset shrugged. "She may regret it in the long run. Now go away."

***
    Rior stayed away for three days, then returned and hunted down the men.
    "Let's go down to the beach and I'll show you some male type magic. Don't let on to the witches that you're getting trained, until you're strong enough that they have to respect you, and not just kill you."
    Because your mage gene is so similar to the One power gene that I'll bet all the exercises I learned for mine will work. Pity there aren't eight of you. The Compass exercises the men do are incredibly strong. We'll just have to try it with just four at a time.
    Mag eyed him. "You talk about helping them get their friends out of jail. How about getting us out of this jail?"
    "When you learn enough magic to get through the protections they have on their corridor, you can free yourselves—and never be captured by them again."
    Mag growled. "We helped them make that corridor. We repaired our ship and sailed northwest, found Asia and a place with a corridor to Karista. They used that to get the other end to Karista. Then they didn't need us any more. But they kept us anyway."
    Ajay nodded. "Be careful, or they'll decide to keep you as well."
    Rior showed his teeth. "Well, there's kept, and then there's leading. We'll see how clever I am—or am not—one of these days."
    Mag grinned. "Indeed. Let me show you something." He turned north, up the coast. The ground rose, the water color deepened to show the deeper water . . . and beyond a rocky headland, a ship.
    "Cove Islands design. The finest little two masted brigantine in the world. We work on her a little bit everyday."
    Rior eyed the wreck anchored in the tiny bay. "Storm damage?"
    "Battle." Mag glowered. "These mages . . . they were stronger than us, trained. They didn't fire a shot. They were Sea Kings, and water obeyed them. I didn't know I could do that."
    "We know now." Bender kicked a rock. "For all the good it does us."
    "We need to step a new mast, buy new sails . . . find the time to do more on the hull." Mag sighed. "The only ship I've ever commanded, and that only because the officers were killed. But once there was nothing but Dregs aboard, she became our ship."
    Rior nodded. There was a long spar bound to the stump of the foremast. Two sails furled on the aft mast—that was the main mast on a brigantine, wasn't it? Bah, stupid lessons from so long ago, she . . . he really hated it when dry boring lessons were suddenly useful.
    "I wonder what you can do with magic?"
    "We can work wood. But just a little, every day."
    "I see. Has anyone ever explained collecting power to you?" Rior raised his eyebrows at the puzzled looks and shaken heads. "High time you learned, then."
     
    The ship repairs went faster, then, the mages nearly drunk on power . . . he'd swear they picked up even more power once they were out on the ship. They collapsed around dawn, and he went ashore for fruit to replenish their physical energy.
    I don't think I'll teach them about Compasses, just yet. I'll consolidate my place first. Then show them how to increase their power.
    "Rest for a couple of days, then we'll see about a new mast. The way you five work wood, I think we just need to find a tall enough tree."
    He left them there, and walked back to the tiny village. That worked well. Almost too well. They're quite strong, and that natural affinity for wood working . . . I can't quite see how to harness it. Maybe those imprisoned wizards would be more useful. I should take another look at this special prison of theirs.
     
    He watched the return of the