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The air still smelled like the rain, and the Rhythm of Anxiety pounded in Venli's gemheart as if it were stretched into cloth and beaten like a drum.
Timbre offered her support with soothing hums, but that did little to quash Venli's fear; in fact, the constant reminder of the spren's presence, and the danger that wrought, only made it harder to attune anything else.
And today, Venli was venturing further into the chasmfiend's nest. She was to present herself to the Lady Leshwi and hope that the Fused would consider her suitable to serve as her Voice.
A Knight Radiant in disguise, working her way deeper into the inner circles of those who would see her dead. Venli wondered if throughout all the desolations past, was there ever another in this position? The thought of being the first Radiant to slip under Odium's nose both thrilled and terrified her.
Venli only had a sword with no hilt to defend herself with; the tighter she gripped it in her desperation, the deeper the blade bit into her skin and bled her.
But she would wield it.
Leshwi's spire rose up from the stone like a solitary whitespine quill. Newly constructed, it had just passed its first test of surviving the lashing winds of the highstorm. And so as the last of the storm's riddens dissolved to mist, Venli began her climb up the wood scaffolding staircase.
She was told that Leshwi would only accept a Voice that met her in the sky.
One step, two steps, three… Oh, these stairs were spaced tall from each other. Even with her long legs, Venli had to march her ascent. With both feet now planted on that third step, Venli glanced down and felt queasy.
There was no railing to hold onto.
Venli considered cutting her losses. Would it matter which of the Fused she served, so long as she could organize her dissenters behind their back? But Leshwi had a reputation for being one that had maintained her sanity through the millennia. And she hadn't sneered upon the Listeners, the way much of the other Fused had. It had to be Leshwi.
With a string of rhythms, Timbre offered that Venli could still grip the stone walls with her hands as the spire rose with her. The stone would not leave her to face this alone. Neither would Timbre.
Venli took the advice and ascended while facing the spire's wall, hands planted on the stone. She dared attune Peace and timed her steps to the lull of the rhythm. She wondered if Odium's secretspren patrolled this high.
The top of the spire opened to a chamber with only two walls, the rest open to the horizon. No railings, of course. A strong enough gust of wind could send Venli flailing off the edge if she strayed from the center.
Leshwi floated as she inspected the chamber's sparse effects, but the rhythm in her humming conveyed her indifference.
She is pretending that she wasn't waiting upon my arrival, Venli realized with a thrill. Because it would be considered beneath one of the Fused to do such a thing for a lowly Regal.
Venli attuned Subservience and bowed deeply. "My Lady, I present myself to you with the hope that I may serve under you as your Voice."
There was no need for Venli to list the reasons she would be qualified for such a position; envoyform was the qualification.
"You may rise," said Leshwi.
Venli did so, though she kept her head bowed.
"Stand at the ledge and look outside," said Leshwi to Command, pointing at the open end where the chamber was stumble away from a free-fall.
Venli hesitated, and the old Rhythm of Skepticism threatened her. But the Fused never gave orders twice.
If I fall, I may heal, Venli thought, trying to reassure herself.
But Timbre didn't think the flicker of stormlight in Venli's gemheart would be enough to save her from such a catastrophic fall. She warned Venli not to overestimate what her radiance could accomplish at only the First Ideal.
Not helpful!
But Venli swallowed her fear and approached the edge with ginger steps. The Highstorm had passed. Its winds couldn't catch her.
"Closer," Leshwi ordered.
Venli inched forward. She squeezed her eyes shut, so she would not make herself sick.
"No, face it with open eyes."
Venli forced herself to look, and it was…beautiful. In the far distance, the highstorm retreated and left a painted trail of orange, purple, and blue clouded sky behind it.
The land rolled out in waves of soft green as the grasses emerged from their hiding. Scattered brush glittered with fresh dew that nourished exposed roots and coaxed foliage into bloom. Singers, now appearing the size of Venli's thumb, wove in and out of their dwellings, the patterned curves of which were carved by the winds themselves, moving through the land in pulsing paths as its lifeblood.
This was all that Eshonai had wanted to see; Venli had taken this from her sister and dared to rejoice in such beauty in her place.
Venli gasped and stumbled backwards, holding one hand to her heart where Timbre pulsed reassurance.
Behind her, Leshwi attuned Derision.
Venli spun around. She spoke quickly to Subservience, "I would be honored to serve you in your quarters, great one."
"You are trembling at the knees, Last Listener."
"I am not accustomed to such majesty. I am overwhelmed by the sight, yes, but the novelty will not overstay."
"Do not lie to me—you were terrified."
Venli started to protest further, but Timbre warned that the Fused would not tolerate further bumbling explanations. Leshwi could simply throw Venli off the ledge if she tired of her. Venli stuttered, "Yes, it did frighten me, but only because I felt that I wasn't meant to be there."
"Then you are not fit to serve as my Voice. Even with the stone raised so high to meet your feet here in the skies, you tremble."
"As any other singer would. I will learn to overcome," Venli said. She forcibly remained attuned to Subservience. But truthfully, she was annoyed. It felt as though this "test" was rigged to begin with. What sane singer wouldn't fear the easy death of stumbling out this unnatural tower? And Venli was doing excellent, until she was struck by a grief that the Fused could never know of. She had to keep that guarded and hidden the way she did Timbre.
"In another's service, perhaps. But not under me."
"Please—"
"You forget who you are speaking to, Last Listener." Leshwi waved her away dismissively.
That gesture, that human gesture, was an insult. It assumed that Venli was too daft to understand Leshwi's rhythms, the equivalent of a human stretching their words for a small child in a sing-song voice.
Venli attuned Derision as well. And then she began to move. Hardly thinking.
Venli thought Timbre would scold her for what she was about to do, but instead the spren harmonized with her, cheering her bravery as Venli ran back to the ledge. Venli was a Knight Radiant. And Timbre a small god, nestled inside her. Strength before weakness! That was her oath!
And Venli could show Leshwi that she was strong. She would show her with a feat even more impressive than what Leshwi had commanded.
At the ledge, Venli dipped to a crouch. In one, fluid movement she sent herself over, legs dangling in open air, gripping the stone edge with only her fingers to keep herself from plummeting.
"I am not afraid!" she shouted to Conceit.
Her Regal form granted her the strength to hold her own weight with ease. Venli's gemheart sang to Exultation. Though one of Odium's rhythms, it felt the most right to her in that moment. A joy that came from her triumph.
But the stone she gripped was still wet with the highstorm, made up of the smoothest—and slickest—marble, and Venli began to slip.
Panic spiked her chest. And Timbre, too, was afraid. I've gone and destroyed everything, again, Venli thought to Agony. Why was Timbre despairing as well, feeling as though she let her fledgling radiant down? This is what Venli did—failing others.
Venli only plummeted for a few harrowing seconds before a sharp yank halted her, sending her reeling with whiplash. Leshwi had taken to the skies and held Venli by the scruff of her dress like a mother axehound would her pup.
"That was foolish, Last Listener," said Leshwi to Reprimand.
Venli couldn't find words. She attuned Relief in their place. Then she made a point to hum Subservience, before Leshwi considered dropping her for her ingratitude.
"I suppose that where you lack common sense, you make up for with passion," Leshwi mused. She let go of Venli, and to Venli's shock, she remained suspended in air.
Venli flailed her arms and legs, both mortified and fascinated by her weightlessness.
Leshwi nudged Venli back towards the solid ground of her chamber. "Come now, I will not have my new Voice making a fool of herself in the open skies.
"Great One!" Venli gasped. With another guiding push from Leshwi, they were back inside, and gravity returned to her. Venli had never been more grateful to feel the stone beneath her feet.
Leshwi attuned Satisfaction. "You've changed my mind. That is a rare thing—don't go expecting anymore of it from myself or the other Fused."
Venli bowed her head. "I will serve well and do my utmost to not let your mercy be in vain."
"Tell me, I'm not going to find another quite like yourself, aren't I?"
No, Timbre hummed, beaming within Venli like the brightest ray of sunshine, she will not.