Darkness Rises: Age Of Magic - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Rise of Magic Book 6)

by CM Raymond

  “Ah, I see. Sorry I—”

  “And we are lovers.”

  “Oh. Right. That’s what I thought,” Hannah said, stifling a laugh. “He’s a little, well, old for you, isn’t he?”

  Mika tilted her head and grinned. “Olaf is several centuries older than me, Hannah, which is not a disadvantage. It is true that I was not his first love, but experience can really teach a man how to take care of a woman, if you know what I mean.”

  Hannah laughed. “Well, I guess that’s an advantage.”

  “It is. But I still manage to show the old man a thing or two.” She lifted a brow and smiled.

  Hannah turned her eyes toward Olaf, who was leading them toward the Rift. Ezekiel walked behind him, alongside Karl. Sal kept running around, clearly excited to be on the adventure.

  Heading directly to Urai would have saved several hours, but although they were concerned for Mika’s people, they still couldn’t be sure that the hell-monster’s goal was the small town to the north. Olaf had insisted, though with some hesitation, that they head west first and track the beast by its giant footprints.

  Hannah had seen them herself. If their size was any indication, finding this thing wouldn’t be too hard.

  The bear-man’s shoulders were broad, and his hair was dark and thick. If she had met him on the streets of Arcadia, she’d have thought he was no older than thirty-five or forty. The fact that he had been born before the Madness shocked her. She still had plenty of questions about Weres, but since they were approaching the Rift, her questions would have to wait for another time.

  “Scheisse,” Karl muttered, looking at the dark stain in the sky. “What the hell is this thing again?”

  Ezekiel cocked his head like he was thinking of an explanation simple enough for the rearick. “That is not an easy question to answer, Karl. But the Rift employs a power similar to what Hannah and I use when we teleport. We utilize our magic to jump from one spot to another. The Rift allows the Skrima to do the same thing, albeit in a much grander style.”

  “And the Oracle, she’s been holding this breach closed?”

  Ezekiel sighed. “Actually, how she does what she does is beyond me. Maybe Gregory could understand it. But the short of it is, just as the Rift was created with Etheric energy, she is repairing it with Etheric energy. It’s a cosmic game of tug-of-war. Lilith holds the door shut while her enemy on the other side tries to open it. But this takes a toll on her.”

  “Damn,” the rearick said. “Well, I’m sure glad we have a thing, er, I mean a lady like her on our side.”

  “Enough talk,” Olaf said grimly. “It is time to make haste. The Skrim has a significant lead. Granted, it will be laying waste to whatever is in its path, which will slow it down. That gives us a very sad advantage.” He glanced at Karl, his eyes surveying the rearick’s short legs. “Maybe you should ride the dragon, friend.”

  Karl’s face turned as red as Hannah’s eyes when she was throwing fire. “I’ll be fine. When my legs get to moving, ye might find yerselves on the back of the beast.”

  Sal trotted over and bumped Karl with his snout, nearly pushing him over.

  “No offense, bud, but a man has his pride.”

  Olaf nodded. “Make sure your pride can keep up.” With his eyes following the tracks in the soft ground, he took off toward the north. Taking long strides, Karl was right on his heels, grumbling about the abilities and worth of rearick.

  ****

  Once Hannah and her team left for the Rift, Gregory went straight to Lilith. He left the town with its ancient buildings and smiling faces behind him and descended into the tunnels. With their unnaturally smooth edges created by old-world technology, the corridors hewn deep into the mountainside were no less strange. But Gregory wasn’t thinking about that.

  His mind was on her.

  To say he was enamored of the Oracle would be an understatement.

  All his life, Gregory had heard his father speak about the technological wonders of the old world. In those days men could fly through the air on metal wings. They could communicate instantly around the world. And they had the technology to destroy planets.

  But he was in the presence of something that far surpassed even that. Lilith was a traveler from a distant world. Centuries old and brilliant beyond any comparison, she was as near to a god as anyone he would ever meet.

  And she needed his help.

  The thought of it was almost enough to make him sick.

  Despite everything he had been through in the past months, despite spending time daily with Hannah and Ezekiel and their power, he still hadn’t worked up the nerve for this. Before he entered the chamber, he briefly imagined the old Gregory standing in his shoes. That idiot would most certainly have passed out.

  He took a breath, then entered.

  “Gregory.” The machine greeted him in its tinny voice. “I was hoping you and I could speak alone. Welcome.”

  “He-hello, Madam Oracle.” Gregory started to bow, then thought that might be inappropriate. It left him stuck in a weird half-standing, half-hunched position.

  “Calling me Lilith will be the most efficient practice moving forward. Please make yourself comfortable. We can skip any formal introductions beyond that, since Ezekiel has told me a lot about you. He is quite impressed with your technical capabilities.”

  Gregory’s face burned as he moved toward the chair. “He tends to exaggerate.”

  She paused for a second as if thinking. “No, I do not think that is accurate. He does not lie to me, and based on his stories, your expertise has been well earned. You managed to maintain and pilot your airship halfway around the world, and now you claim to be able to assist me. Is this true?”

  He swallowed hard. “I believe so, Ora…Lilith. But first it would be helpful if I understood what currently powers you.”

  “Certainly. The technology I am housed in is run by an Etheric Engine. It is similar in principle to the nanocytes in your veins. The Engine draws upon and harnesses energy from the Etheric realm. But just as your technology needs recharging after extended use, my Engine has limited sustainability. Only, unlike magic users, I cannot simply ‘rest and recharge.’”

  He nodded, understanding most of what she was saying. “So, is it accurate that you only have several days’ worth of power remaining?”

  “Yes,” she said. “My original estimates projected a much longer life for my power source, but after WWDE and the collapse of the old world, using my Engine to power New Romanov was the most practical option. Even then I should have been able to maintain sufficient energy for centuries, but the Rift has made that unfeasible. The energy output required to keep it from opening farther is prodigious. I have lived a long life, most of it trapped within this metal frame. I do not fear death as I once did, but there is still so much work for me to do, so many wrongs for me to correct. So if you could find a way to sustain my life, I would appreciate it.”

  “Well, I have one idea.” He reached into the folds of his cloak and produced a fully charged amphorald about the size of his fist. “I was hoping these could work.”

  “Fascinating,” she said. “Ezekiel mentioned these amphoralds, and I was hoping to be able to analyze one. Please place it on that tray to your right.”

  Gregory saw a metal tray sitting on a nearby shelf. Hovering over it was some form of light, although it predated magitech. When he put the amphorald down, the light began to glow red and the tray made a whirring sound.

  “While my analysis is being run, would you explain to me the process by which these are created?”

  “Sure,” Gregory said, his eyes lingering on the machine. He was beginning to feel more at ease—this was an area he felt quite comfortable discussing. “They are mined in the mountain range south of Arcadia. As far as I know, that is the only amphorald deposit in the world. A magic user takes one of these stones in their hand and channels their magic into it. Then, with the right equipment, that energy can be released in a controlled manne
r. Magitech is far less versatile than pure magic—there are only so many ways to draw the energy back out of the amphorald—but it allows someone without magical abilities to do magical things.”

  “Interesting.” The machine chimed. “My analysis is complete, and there were several inaccuracies in your assessment.”

  Gregory was shocked. He almost corrected her before remembering that it was the Oracle he was talking too, not some ragtag member of the BBB.

  “I’m sorry?” was all he could squeak out.

  “Your errors are not your fault. They are simply misunderstandings drawn from the superstitions of the Arcadian people. You see, I was perplexed when Ezekiel first explained magitech to me. My geological records of your planet’s resources are quite extensive, and I know of no such mineral as an amphorald, or any other material that can absorb, store, and then release pure Etheric energy.”

  “Then what is that?” Gregory asked.

  “It is a common gemstone, similar to an emerald. They are found all over the world, and are of very little practical significance. Or they were, until your people discovered that they could be changed.”

  Gregory’s brow was knit in thought. “Changed? You mean beyond simply powering them?”

  “Correct. When your magic users channel their power into the stones, they actually rearrange their molecular structure and create a new element previously unheard of on your planet. It is an act of alchemy, a similar process to when a magician turns wood into glass or rock into mush. You are changing these common gemstones into something unique—the amphorald. Only then can the gem store energy as you have described.”

  It took Gregory only a second to process her words. It made sense that Arcadian magic users had unknowingly altered the amphoralds’ core structure. But if what the Oracle said was true…

  He shifted his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. “I’ve powered these crystals. On numerous occasions. That means that I must have altered them. But I’ve always struggled to change even the simplest of objects. I am shit at physical magic.”

  “Apparently that is not the case. That’s twice now that you’ve underestimated your gifts in my presence. Imagine what you could accomplish if your self-assessment were more accurate?”

  That comment made Gregory pause. He had been called a failure all his life. And now, by possibly the greatest intelligence on the planet, he was confronted with the truth.

  He had to fight back tears.

  Clearing his throat, he asked, “So am I right in assuming that the amphoralds could sustain you?”

  Lilith paused for a fraction of a second as she ran thousands of calculations. “Yes and no. Your theory is sound, but we would have to design a way to connect their power to mine. I should have sufficient material lying around to make that happen with your help, though it will take time. However, the power I expend is far greater than your magitech. Even a hundred such amphoralds would only preserve me for an extra week or two at best.”

  He smiled. “It just so happens that I know where we can find a thousand of these stones, powered and ready to go. Plus, I think I can cut down on the time it will take to design a new core for you. But I’m going to need some help.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Three steps into the Archangelskan forest, Laurel felt thoroughly disoriented. She knew exactly where she was and how to return to New Romanov. Spatial orientation wasn’t her issue. But in the forest itself, with all its foreign flora and fauna, she had no true bearings in the way that other druids would have.

  The Dark Forest was the only home she had ever known. She had learned to connect with nature, but that ability grew weaker the farther from home she traveled. Baseek hadn’t been bad. The wilds of that land were close enough to her own. Variations there were slight enough that she could form a strong connection with its plants and animals. Archangelsk was radically different.

  It would take time for her to build a bond with this place.

  She had noticed the difference when they were fighting the first Skrim. It was like there had been a slight resistance to her magic. A delay, almost, as if the plants and she were speaking a different language.

  When she and Gregory had gone on their late-night waltz through the woods, she had been too busy fending off lycanthropes to really pay attention to the natural world around her. Even though Olaf had warned her again to stay out of the woods before he left, she couldn’t miss the opportunity to better get to know this place.

  That way, when the next fight came she would be prepared.

  Sinking to her knees, she felt the warm wet moss drench her pant legs. Back in the Forest, the Chieftain had often spoken about man’s control over nature, and the cruelty inherent in that. He had told them that long ago humans had used technology to radically change climates all over the world, and the death and destruction that came along with those changes had been cataclysmic. It was one of the reasons the druids were taught at such an early age to respect nature, lest their power hurt the world they were meant to protect.

  She bent over and placed her hands on the moss, rubbing her palms back and forth and letting the cottony green growth tickle her skin. “Oh, hello,” she greeted it. If she wanted nature to listen to her, she needed to listen to it. The damp carpet covering the forest’s floor would be a good place to start the introduction.

  Her cloak rustled as Devin poked her head out and leapt to the ground. She stood on her hind legs twitching her nose at her human.

  Laurel giggled. “I wasn’t talking to you, Devin. But I have to say, it is better than ever to have you with me. You and these arm bracers are the only connection I have left with my old life.”

  The squirrel opened its tiny mouth and let out a screech, then turned and sprinted off into the woods.

  Laurel laughed. “So much for my comfort animal.”

  Turning her attention back to the moss, Laurel continued to explore its damp warmth. She looked closely, inspecting its intricacies, then she closed her eyes and focused on the simple plant. Behind her lids her eyes flashed green, and she could feel the energy inside her connecting with that of the soft carpet beneath her. A smile spread over her lips.

  No problem, she thought. Opening her eyes, she took in the landscape and realized that there were thousands of species surrounding her. One down.

  Rising from the moss, she walked in the direction Devin had run. Laurel made sure to keep checking behind her, memorizing the way back to New Romanov.

  Fingers sliding against the branched stems of a clump of ferns, Laurel called to it and felt its power answer her. It made sense, since it was said that the plants, with their jagged, little edges, were some of the oldest leafy beings on the planet. She had grown up among these ferns’ cousins, thousands of miles away.

  Her head jerked up at the sound of rustling brush to her right. She turned and drew her weapon, the rope blade uncoiled and ready for action. She held her breath, hoping she wasn’t about to prove Olaf right—again. Just before she decided to make a break for the city, a creature with black beady eyes and pointed teeth jumped out of the brush.

  “Shit, Devin,” she said with a grin. “Can’t you announce yourself?”

  Tilting her head, the squirrel dropped an enormous acorn at Laurel’s feet and chirped in delight.

  “Glad you found some dinner, sweetie, while someone else around here is doing all the work.” Laurel tapped her foot and feigned disappointment, but she knew the animal would not buy the ruse.

  Devin hunkered down on her furry white chest and pushed the acorn toward Laurel with her nose.

  “For me?” Laurel asked with her hands over her heart. She bent to pick up the acorn, but before she could, a blur of motion cut between her and Devin. A small gray creature swarmed up a nearby trunk and onto the closest branch. When she looked back, the acorn was gone. “What the hell?”

  Devin let out a screech and followed the gray furry blur up the tree.

  That critter is screwed, Laurel though
t.

  Shading her eyes with her hand, she scanned the branches looking for the thief, and for her familiar. With the acorn in its mouth, the animal climbed around from the back of the trunk and sat on a limb about thirty feet over her head. She squinted and then let out a little curse. “Another squirrel.” She laughed.

  Hot on the gray squirrel’s tail, Devin climbed onto the limb and hopped toward the bandit. A few feet away she hunched down, her tail flicking back and forth. Laurel had seen this pose many times, and she knew that the other creature had no idea what he had gotten himself into. Before Devin could leap at her adversary, the gray creature spun and ran for the end of the giant limb.

  Laurel laughed as Devin gave chase. She couldn’t contain herself; this display of animal ridiculousness was precisely what she had needed to raise her spirits.

  The squirrels picked up their pace, and Devin, obviously the stronger of the two, was gaining. The branch started to bow under their weight. What came next shocked the druid. Getting to the end, the thief jumped, as squirrels do. But this squirrel was jumping into nothing. The next closest limb was many yards away.

  Devin, never being one to back away from animal justice, leapt right after him.

  Laurel held her breath.

  In mid-air, the Archangelsk squirrel stretched its limbs to their full extent. Gasping, Laurel saw flaps of skin extend like wings, which caught the air. The thing started to drift.

  “No shit! A flying fucking squirrel!”

  Devin was not equipped for flying. Physics took over and Laurel’s dear friend plummeted to the ground, landing with a thud. The other squirrel pulled its wings in and snatched at a branch of the adjacent tree. Holding the acorn over his head, he chirped in victory and dashed down the trunk and into the forest.

  “Devin,” Laurel yelled, running over to her friend, who was lying on the ground with her tiny front leg pulled up against her breast. Pulling Devin into her arms, Laurel whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll fix you right up.”

  Devin went limp as Laurel’s eyes flashed green. She poured her healing power into the little animal, and in a second Devin was up on Laurel’s shoulder.