New Cali

by Erik Schubach

  There were guards in the two towers, and four at the main doors. Disciples and Seekers were walking a patrol around the perimeter. It felt as if we were going to see the King and Queen back home with all the security.

  We moved to the entrance and Jayda murmured something in Spanish to one of the women at the doors. She nodded then nudged her chin and another Seeker ran inside. Camille slipped up to her and murmured something in her ear about English. The other acknowledged as Camille moved back beside us.

  I felt self-conscious standing there as all of the New Calians seemed to have their eyes on me. I felt a curiosity for them, like an animal with strange markings. It was all I could do from stopping myself from pulling my hair over my scarred cheek or pulling my hood back up.

  The other woman returned to her post, inclining her head to the first one and she stood tall and said with a tinge of excitement and envy in her voice, “The Prime, Eris, will see you now.”

  We were led into the building, and the interior was like a work of art, blending the old with the new in a seamless celebration of architecture. The craftsmen and artisans had created a masterpiece which rivaled the interior of any of the castles I have visited, and it had more... personality and life than the cold steel and glass tower that housed the government offices in Avalon.

  Emily inclined her head and dropped her hair again, making sure her feather hung prominently in view. She said, “Thank you fifth.” How did they know the rankings of each other in the Sect? Was it through their magic in their mind glow, or did it have to do with the feathers they wore on their gauntlets that looked similar to Emily's? I had so many questions.

  The woman stopped Em just before we entered some guarded doors, a hand resting on her arm as she scrutinized her, then she whispered as she looked at the other guards who were dutifully ignoring us, “Are you truly the Brightseeker?” Our blonde librarian nodded and the woman shook her head in wonder. “You look no older than my own daughter.”

  This got a twitch of the lip from Emily. “And I remember you being so much younger, Lula Stormchaser. Sneaking around the ruins with the other little ones, all curls, and sass.”

  The woman looked stunned. “You... you remember me?”

  Em smiled and said, “Who could forget those inquisitive brown eyes? You've become a power of your own too, looking half your age now.”

  Lula was all smiles for a moment then she looked back to the imposing doors before us and schooled her face. She just stepped forward and the Seekers pushed the doors open for her and we followed her in.

  The room was empty except a throne-like chair at the far end with side tables on either side of it, two men and a woman sat at the feet of the throne, wearing naught but togas, and two heavily armored and armed Seekers and a Disciple armed with a sickle-like weapon stood behind the chair. This was a receiving hall like the King and Queen had where they would receive their subjects and grant audiences.

  A high tinted window looked out toward the New Sierra Upheaval, too high for outside archers to target anyone inside the building.

  I almost panicked and to Camille I whispered, “We've no tithe.”

  She whispered back, “You bring our First back to us.”

  The doors behind us closed and I could feel that four Seekers had come into the room with us, and... my eyes flicked to the columns running through the room, holding up the vaulted ceiling thirty or forty feet above us. There were at least four more in the room with us, all holding their magics, their mind glows tightly, but that effort translated into the trickle of magics they restrained.

  Again, it was similar to the King's receiving hall. Was the Sect royalty? I was still at a loss as to their hierarchy. It didn't mesh with what Emily had described, and from what we've gleaned from Gael and the others, it was more a... religion now?

  Two women strode into the room from another door, in resplendent silver robes and armor, including ornate Valkyrie helmets with winged masks like the others. One also wore more silver wings on her shoulders pinning a silver cape to her back. I noted she had flowing blonde hair, only the second blonde New Calian I have seen, they had all shades of brown, black, or red like back home, blonde must be rare here too.

  Everyone hit the floor, prostrating themselves. I looked around, the guards were on the ground, hands stretched in front of themselves on the floor. Even our guides did the same. They all murmured, “Hallowed be Eris the Prime, ascended to reign supreme.”

  The two newcomers regarded us, still standing as the one with the cape sat almost aloof in the throne, the other woman standing next to the prone Disciple. Donovan and Emily followed my lead as I bowed my head and said, “Prime Seeker.”

  The other woman said something to her and Emily spoke up, “They do not disrespect her. They are not of our land or our people, and they speak English, so it would only be hospitable for us to do the same.”

  The woman opened her mouth but the Prime waved her off and leaned forward, elbows on her knees as she cocked her head. “So you're Emilathia Brightseeker? I've read so much about you. It seems reports of your demise may have been slightly exaggerated, First Seeker.”

  The other woman stepped forward a step and snapped out, “I am First Seeker, this woman abandoned her duties. She is not fit to wear the symbol.”

  Eris said, “Now now, Dianda, if that is true, then take it from her.”

  What was going on? My hand flexed, ready to draw Anadele at a moment's notice. As this Dianda snarled and stepped quickly up to Emily, her eyes flared brilliantly, and she started to move her hand forward to snatch Emily's silver feather, but as she visibly tried to tug her arm up, it didn't seem to move as I steadied myself when a big wave of magic rippled past.

  I looked to Emily and her eyes were glowing brilliantly too as she said in a cold and menacing, calm tone I've never heard from her before, “No one may touch my Insignias, child.”

  Eris clapped her hands like a delighted child and said, “Wonderful. You really are the lost First Seeker. It seems you've met your match Dianda dear, looks like you'll have to settle for Second Seeker now that someone worthy of standing at my side and spreading my truth is here.”

  The woman growled again as she looked at her own hand, then stalked back to her place, keeping a hateful eye on Emily the whole time. Had that been a battle of wills and minds?

  I noted this woman didn't seem enthralled by Eris like the other Seekers we have met so far, and she glared at her as if she had just been betrayed.

  Then she looked at Donovan and me and asked in a manner that told us she already knew, her people have likely relayed everything to her, “And who are these others you bring with you after so many years?”

  Emily moved forward a step and turned so she could look between the Prime and us. “Prime Seeker, this is Prime Techromancer Donovan of Wexbury from the lands of Sparo... my husband.”

  The woman clapped in delight again. “Oh wonderful, you've wed, and made a home for yourself in that dying land? Is that why you've finally come home to us, Sparo has fallen like all the other lands as I have foretold?”

  I spoke, giving Em a small smile, “On the contrary, Prime Seeker, Sparo thrives and grows. This is why we have accompanied Emilathia home, to beg audience with you and your people, and to set up trade routes and cultural exchange... and knowledge. An entire, intact library from the Before Times.”

  Eris stood bolt upright at that. “So the rumors of the Library of the Techromancy Scrolls was true!”

  Emily shook her head. “While the wealth of knowledge contained within the Great Library of Wexbury is substantial, it pales in comparison to the treasure she speaks of. It would take more than a lifetime to absorb all the knowledge contained there. I've only read a portion of the tomes within it, and yet it is already more than the sum of knowledge I have gained in the past forty years. More than that contained within our Hall of Knowledge.”

  The woman licked her lips as if she were salivating over
a particularly tempting slice of roast beef. Then she looked back at me, really eyeing me now as she gave me a smile which looked so familiar to me, one of a charlatan eyeing at a mark.

  “And you might be?”

  Emily said as she curtsied me, “Prime, this is Great Mother Laney of Sparo. She is co-ruler of the two peoples who live in the realms of Sparo. She organized the expedition which brought me home so our two peoples could meet. But we were attacked during the crossing, and her people are in need of the Sect's help and protection until a rescue party from Sparo can be launched.”

  My hand went into motion grabbing Anadele as I spun and slashed the arrow from the air that had struck my shoulder two seconds before I snapped back to myself.

  Again, Eris clapped her hands swiftly together and chuckled with glee as she said, “That was wonderful! She said you could do that, but I had to see it for myself. You anticipated the attack and blurred and ghosted as she told us. You can somehow sense the future. How delightful, an oracle? A medium or soothsayer?”

  She sat and cocked her head, the humor leaving her dark gray eyes. “It is said that the Cristea had possessed a way to divine the future before their magics started to fail them here. You are their kin? She tells us you are one of the Mountain Gypsies... our enemy. Is this true?”

  Donovan's eyes stopped bleeding sparks and he placed a hand on my sword arm to calm me. I allowed my own magics to fade, and the world dimmed around me as my amber magics went dormant again and I sheathed Anadele.

  I prompted, “You were testing me. This is no parlor trick and I do not perform on demand. Yes, I am half Mountain Gypsy.” Then her words sank in, chilling me to my bones. “You said that 'she' told you all of this? Who told you these things about me?”

  She said, “Oh did I not mention? We had a peculiar visitor who literally dropped in on us from the sky two days back, on the other side of Doctrina. She feigned the damsel in distress but fought back when the Seekers took her into custody. The first two who tried wound up dead. One by blade and the other by this magic that is unlike the Cristea's. It took three Seekers to calm her and leash her mind enough to come to bear witness to my divine grace. With her mind restrained she was quite willing to cooperate once she gazed upon me. She's told us all sorts of interesting tales, which is why I couldn't wait until you showed up in my hall, Laney of Wexbury, Killer of Kingdoms.”

  No no no... the Duchess was here? Helping them? I forced down the black pit of rage I kept caged in my magics so its black poison didn't corrupt me.

  She pouted. “Oh, where are my manners? I would be remiss if I didn't offer you refreshments after such a long trek.” She clapped twice and some servants in white veils strode in, eyes downcast, clear glass pitchers of water and glasses on trays.

  She waved her hand vaguely in our direction and the servants walked up to us, knelt and held the trays up toward us. They weren't just servants, they were acting like slaves and that incensed me, but I kept a calm face as I stated, “We're fine, thank you.”

  “Nonsense.” She clapped. “Girl!”

  The one in front of me poured a glass of water from one of the other servants' trays and offered the cup up to me with both hands, eyes downcast. This was some sort of show for our... I froze, both of the servant's delicate hands had ugly scars on the backs of them, a finger on her left hand twisted a little unnaturally from improper healing.

  I knew those scars. I had inflicted them myself, years ago. I grabbed her chin and lifted it so that she would meet my eyes. I would know those eyes anywhere, but instead of burning with cruel intelligence, hate, and a touch of insanity, they were dull, mindless, and blank. I pulled the veil aside to reveal her face as I said in a faraway voice, “Aelwen?” Not a shred of recognition showed in her eyes.

  She went back into her bow when I released her, still offering me the glass.

  I was at a loss, and Donovan and Emily were just staring between me and her in disbelief. Eris said, “On don't worry, she's quite tame now. Cured of her heretic ways. She's much more useful this way than dead on a pike on the walls, now that she has gazed upon my true face.”

  “I've got to say, it took more of us to overpower her odd magics than any of the Seekers were when I started my rise to power with a few select allies. Maybe after I've taught her humility for a few years, I could make a Disciple out of her and she could fight the Cristea witches for us with her outsider magics.”

  Emily snapped out, “You've impressed your will upon her! Took her free will! That is an act forbidden by the doctrines of the Knowledge Seeker Sect!”

  Eris cut her off as she stood. “You're going to be one of those goody-two-shoes who deigns to dictate my own morality to me? Enough of this charade then.” She roared out, “Kneel before your goddess!”

  Chapter 14 – Pretender

  Everything happened at once when the blinding glow from her eyes hit us. For a moment Eris seemed to grow to take up the enormity of the room, a sense of both rapture and the agony of painfully torturous guilt flooded my being, knowing we had not pleased her. I had an urge to kneel and beg her forgiveness because she was everything, but my magic took hold of hers and unraveled it, consuming it and making it ready for me to shape with my will. This was just like in my visions.

  Wait... my will! I growled and with invisible hands shredded the insidious tentacles of her power that were trying to worm into my mind.

  To my left, Emily roared right back at her, “You are a pretender! One of your moderate ability should never have become Prime.”

  An explosion of white-hot magic flared from Em, causing me to stagger as it struck all those in front of her. They all, to a one, including Eris, dropped to a knee.

  Em said, “You do not deserve to...”

  Then someone behind her struck her at the base of her skull with the base of a pike... hard. Her eyes rolled up and she pitched forward like a puppet whose strings had been cut. I was barely able to catch her before her head hit the floor. It was all my years of training in the practice yard that had honed my reflexes.

  I looked back at her attacker, one of the Seekers from the door. Donovan bellowed Emily's name in rage, and another powerful burst of raw, unfocused magic exploded from him. Columns all around us cracked and settled, the pressure of the magic was so great my ears popped, and the offending guard and one behind her were literally torn to shreds by the sheer amount of magic that ripped past them to blow the doors off their hinges, littering the corridor beyond with splinters.

  It was often said that he was the most powerful Prime Techromancer in all the realms. Some have questioned it over the years since Donovan was never showy with his magic. The only time he used it in public was the battle of the Northern Rift when all the able-bodied magic users from all the realms gathered for the most deciding battle of the war. But with so much magic being thrown at the Avalon forces at once, it was hard to tell how much he possessed.

  But now I knew. Rain was without a doubt, the most powerful Mountain Gypsy in modern times. And she performed mind-boggling feats, like freezing a quarter-mile of the Great Sea in but a moment. Donovan... was at her level. And for the first time since I met the gentle, smiling man, I was afraid of his power.

  He dropped to his knees and took Emily from me, his eyes still leaking so much power the sparks drizzling on my arms actually burned my skin like physical fire. I stood and spun, motioning with one hand to bat away incoming arrows with my magic, fired by the dozens of Seekers and Disciples who were pouring into the room now. And my other hand made a sweeping, gathering motion, pulling all the weapons I could taste in the space from the hands of the combatants, and slinging them aside.

  Eris looked frantic and afraid as she pulled a Disciple in front of her as the other Seekers did the same. She pointed. “Restrain them! Now!”

  I drew Anadele and realized she hadn't meant physically as first one then another mind touched me, then another and another. I stepped forward a step at a time, mak
ing my way toward their cowering ruler. Another and another mind wrapped around mine, like ropes constricting me and I slowed more and more.

  I could barely pull my feet forward as my magic frantically went about unraveling and devouring theirs. But too many minds were there, grabbing and clawing at me. I turned my head with great effort to see six Seekers standing around Donovan, and he had a strained look on his face before he slumped forward into unconsciousness.

  I turned back. Just two... more... steps... I started moving Anadele forward and another four minds piled on me, and the blade stopped just inches from Eris. Then she smirked and walked around my still form as she chuckled. I couldn't muscle through the mental restraints, and as I broke the hold of one mind, another would latch on in its place.

  Eris stopped in front of me. “So... the Killer of Kingdoms. You are formidable. Our magic seems to not grasp your mind securely.”

  Why did she keep calling me the Killer of Kingdoms? It was just the one, Avalon. My eyes moved aside like they were swimming in molasses and they locked on the servants. Aelwen thinks I stole her chance at ruling Sparo from her, twice. Her kingdom. Was this the name she and the Rogues and Marauders had given me?

  I noticed Camille had two Seekers holding her as well, with their eyes flaring, a dead Seeker at her feet. Also, two Disciples were being held by one bloodied Seeker each. What had happened there?

  Eris looked at Anadele. “So this is the God Slayer the babbling outsider had talked about? A blade so sharp it can cut through lightning?” She touched Anadele's blade with a finger and then cussed in Spanish holding her finger as blood flowed freely. She had cut it to the bone on Anadele's more than razor-sharp blade.

  The Gypsy metalworkers cannot explain why she is so sharp nor why she cannot be dulled nor broken. Something in her nature changed after I had fended off so many magic attacks, and then channeled so much raw energy through her at the Battle of the Monolith. I smirked slowly. Serves the woman right, I hope the cut took forever to heal.