Beyond?

by Andur

  “I cast a high class healing spell on him. It's self-triggering and draws upon the energy of the target. While it does so, it disables your ability to use magic in order to avoid any interference. This makes him unable to protect himself against the mana stream's energy. I also added the mana stream as a secondary source of energy to ensure that he doesn't die by chance. The seal around the sphere is just to ensure that he stays in there... as long as the stream exists.”

  “You mean forever!?” Jeremiah gasps and I turn to find him carrying Ivy in a princess carry. She has a big bump on her forehead and her leg looks broken.

  I look up to the vortex of energy and squint my eyes. “Didn't he say himself that the vortex will exist as long as we don't destroy the planet?”

  113. ~Return.~

  “Life is an endless, unavoidable up and down. Once you are the one who is standing on top of the hill it doesn't matter which direction you take, all paths lead you downwards.”

  -Serenzar, the God-King.

  Free City States of Nict, Tri

  Stella

  Finally, I can see my children again. I enter the big garden area around the Zait's main house with Azir at my side. He is a little grumpy since Serenzar escaped us, but I've no doubt that it'll get better with time.

  It took us a day to clean up the huge mess which was left behind by Serenzar's attack. Unfortunately his girlfriend managed to save him from our hands.

  I wonder who she is. When I fought her she was perfectly able to stand up to my new technique. The hardened scales which I created on my body deflected my opponent's magic and physical attacks didn't do any harm to me. Still, I've yet to learn how to deal with troublesome opponents.

  The black haired woman was able to turn herself immaterial and avoided all my attacks by doing so. Whenever one of my attacks was about to hit her, she simply dove into a shadow and reappeared somewhere else.

  In the end I even resorted to rune magic, but my spells weren't able to harm her either. The stalemate between us was only broken when the dragon used his unbelievable aura to subdue the fighting parties.

  Thankfully Azir is a very strong mind mage. He wasn't bothered at all by the dragon's power. Maybe I should finally ask him to teach me few strong spells to cover my weak points?

  When we returned to the surface the battle was already over. A few dozen of Serenzar's warships managed to escape our fortresses, but we used the drones which we held in reserve and satellites to take them down.

  The palace is in ruins though. It will also take a lot of work to repair the city, even if it wasn't the target of the attack. Having a thousand ships come crashing down all over the city is akin to being the target of long range artillery spells. At least the two fortresses which were taken down managed to get clear of the city and fly over the fields on the outskirts of the city before they crashed.

  We find Yoran lying on a bench. Azir's father has a book in his hands and is reading it to the three youngsters. Upon seeing us he stops reading and stands up, smiling with a forced expression. “I am so glad that you are back.”

  Sariel jumps up and runs over to us, hugging Azir's leg. “You are back! It was so boring without you! Grandfather isn't teaching us anything. He knows almost nothing about high tier magic.” Her eyes wander back to Yoran, looking at him as if he is really pathetic. “Grandfather can't even properly calculate the numbers on his tax report!”

  I see pearls of sweat appearing on Yoran's forehead. Azir's father seems to have a problem in dealing with his grandchildren. “Why don't we go and play with the kittens? Each of you can choose one.”

  “Can I have a nightmare?” Zadkiel looks up to Yoran with hope in his face.

  Yoran avoids a straight answer. “M... Maybe a little later. Those are a little big for you and they have a bad temper. Why don't you try it with a kitten first. Once they get attached to someone they are really easy to handle.”

  Now it is Zana's turn to get up and hug me. She looks distressed and clings to my robe. “Do I have to stay here now? But I want to be with you.”

  Yoran sighs. “I am sorry. Valda asked her if she wants to stay with us from now on. The repairs on the city are going well and there isn't as much to do as before. Now she's asking me every full hour if she can't stay with the twins.”

  I pat her head. “Who said that? You can stay wherever you want. And does it really matter? With the stepper disc it's just ten metres from our house to here.”

  Zana's eyes lit up and she hurries to hug Azir too, but freezes upon looking up to him. “Dad, are you sick? There are many red dots on your face. And your horn is missing, did you lose it?”

  Azir shakes his head. “No, I just learned that some things can't be treated with magic.”

  Instead of being satisfied with the answer she keeps looking up to him with question marks above her head.

  After a moment he sighs and scratches himself. “It's nothing, I just got exposed to a little too much mana. They had to treat me against the side effects. It's just itching and will be gone in a few days.”

  “A little?” I ask, looking up and down his body. “You jumped into a spiralling energy vortex which was formed by no less than six mana streams. Be glad that the only thing which started to grow on you are a few scales! Not to speak about your eyes! I don't think that they will turn back to grey.”

  The healers had to cut the scales out of Azir's skin and heal him while using an old artefact to stop the changes from becoming permanent. It took them three hours, but they couldn't do anything about his iris, which changed its colour from grey to silver.

  Yoran raises his eyebrows. “It seems like it's worth to tell a tale about the battle at the capital. Do you have time to share the entire story with me?”

  “Of course.” Azir continues to scratch himself. “But do you think that we could talk about this while I get to bath in a pool? The itching is killing me.”

  Azir's father shakes his head. “I am afraid that we don't have a pool. There is nobody in the family who would have a use for such a thing.”

  Azir turns to me with pleading eyes. “Please? I know you can do it.”

  Rolling my eyes I ask Yoran for an appropriate place to create a pool for Azir. I am no expert in creation magic, which is the name for the magical branch to build structures and buildings. But making a hole in the ground and backing it with marble is within my capabilities.

  A few minutes later we are joined by Valda, Quarma and Valeria who were organizing something to eat and drink for the kids.

  While we talk about the state of the capital the children discover that they can't swim, so Azir has to start teaching them. He is the one who requested the pool after all.

  It turned out that our fortresses are more than a match for Serenzar's ships. The first encounter we fought with the invaders involved unfinished, hastily assembled weapon platforms. I refuse to call them fortresses since they obviously were much weaker than the properly built ones. A real fortress takes several weeks to be finished after all.

  Our military came forth with a plan to shift most of our fortresses over to the second continent and leave just the ones in Nict which are absolutely necessary for defense.

  They believe that Serenzar used almost all of his forces for the invasion on the main continent. That belief is strongly supported by the intelligence which we got from our agents on the second continent.

  After months of slowly sneaking their way into the second continent's society they are fairly sure that Serenzar's grip on his subjects is strong, but not without flaw. He is feared as a ruler and treated akin to a god by his subjects.

  But that's only because he can control the minds of people with his amulet. Our agents reported that there are many of Serenzar's subjects who are unhappy with his regime of absolute control.

  Their reports hint at the possibility that striking directly at Serenzar yields a high possibility of ending the war. Without their iconic god-king, the second continent's war efforts would plummet
into nothingness since various groups would start to struggle for power. There is their military, their priests, and the merchant guild to say the least.

  A strong and decisive reaction from our side should force Serenza's empire into a defensive position and if we can get our hands on him the war should be as good as over.

  After taking a look at all the evidence even Lucas came to the opinion that we are able to outperform Serenzar's war machinery by utilizing the powers of the Gejene.

  Originally the huge invasion fleet should have been our end, but the trap which was laid by Nict, Dwem and Quinn worked so well that the tide was turned in our favour.

  Listening to the military's report was a hideous task.

  Especially since Louise was holding hands with the military analyst, whose name was George after all.

  She finally acknowledged his feelings when he showed up in the Emperor's Vault while we were treating our wounded. Admittedly, he arrived after everything was over, but he fought on the surface until everything was settled there. Then he descended alone into the catacombs, avoiding the traps and dealing with the guardians on his own. Just to find out if Louise is okay.

  114. ~Getaway.~

  “Medicine! Medicine! I am selling the best medicine from Quinn! It cures the flu and other sicknesses! Just one gold!” A merchant waves a package towards the crowd. He is standing on a podium and tries to advertise his goods.

  The citizens of Mono seem to be hard working people, so he doesn't understand why no one is interested in his goods. According to his research Nict was supposed to be a backward country with almost no technology.

  The merchant from Quinn shakes his head. “I don't understand this. Nobody is interested in my medicine. If this country is really so far behind, then shouldn't there be lots and lots of people who need my products?” He glances doubtfully at the package in his hand. “Maybe they have some kind of rule against dealing with people from other nations? But I heard from a colleague that they are buying his art and tableware because it looks exotic. They are paying good money.”

  “But it's easier to go to the hospital, Mister.” A boy, not older than ten, calls out to the merchant. He has a lollipop in his hand and looks up to the merchant with curious eyes. “Is it true that you are from a faraway country?”

  The merchant gets off of his podium to face the boy properly. “Yes, it's true. But what are you talking about a hospital? Are they able to treat the illnesses I spoke of?”

  “Sure. It's actually only a short walk around that corner!” The boy points down the street and starts running with the merchant following him.

  After a short walk the merchant finds himself in front of a big building with a mage sign in front of it. “Boy, doesn't this house belong to those wizards?”

  “Yes, the gods are managing all hospitals. Don't they do the same where you come from?” The boy licks on his lollipop, looking up to the merchant.

  “Ahem, but they'll surely charge something for their services. For how much do I have to sell my medicine?” The merchant asks, already calculating how low he can go with his price.

  The boy looks at the merchant with a horrified expression. “The gods would never do such a thing as to take money for healing the common folk! Everyone who is in pain can go to them and they put you back together in no time. But I think they are taking money from the other gods. I once saw a Siorda walking in there and he had to give a pouch with gold for the hospital's services.”

  After a short pause the kid shrugs his shoulders and continues. “But that's just between the gods. If you belong to the common folk they heal you without questions.” Then the child turns away and disappears in the crowd, having lost his interest in the merchant.

  The merchant stands there for several moments. Then he drops the package with medicine onto the ground and starts stomping on it.

  -Story of a travelling Merchant.

  Second Continent, Jont-Capital

  Azir

  Another impact shakes the flying fortress from which Lucas is commandeering the attack on the enemy's capital. It took us a little more than three months to concentrate our forces for this battle. Stella and Sola are also here, watching the battle with me from the rear.

  Even though we are a little behind the units which are leading the attack, we sometimes get hit by artillery spells. But it's nothing which our barrier can't handle.

  We chose to watch the battle from the fortress' observatory tower. All of the room's walls are made out of glass. It grants us a nice three hundred and sixty degree view on the entire scene. In the middle of the room is Lucas with his military advisers. They are arguing about something while looking down on a light sculpture which shows a strategic map of the area.

  I start chewing on my fingernail, observing the situation. Twenty-four of our fortresses are advancing in a tight formation. This makes it possible for them to overlap their barriers and turn into a wall of magical power. We developed this strategy to attack positions with high strategical value. It doesn't really matter if Serenzar's ships have the advantage in speed. As long as we have the initiative and are able to run amok in their country, we can force them to fight us. And yet...

  “Why do you look so concerned, Azir?” Stella takes my hand and looks up to me.

  Her action takes my attention away from the battle. “Ah... it's probably nothing. I just think that everything is going too smoothly. I don't like it if something is too easy.”

  Lucas looks up from his map. “You should be less doubtful, Azir. Finally it goes our way for once. Don't we deserve to be the ones who deal a punch to our enemies? So far we only defended. It's time for Serenzar to learn that we can kick back, even if it's just destroying his palace. A shame that we don't have the forces to conquer this place.”

  I tilt my head, watching as the remaining defending ships are swept away. I use the newly awakened power within my eyes to search the area for sources of magical power, but there is nothing extraordinary. Ever since I bathed in the energy vortex my senses got even better. Now I can sense even the tiniest formations of magic and filter them out if I put my mind to it. It may sound like a neglectable upgrade, but it's actually not. With my new power I can rival my mother's ability to look through things. I can even unravel the mysteries of layered magical circuits without taking them apart. It's the dream of every technomage.

  One of the generals looks up from the map. “Should we send down troops to capture Serenzar alive?”

  Lucas shakes his head. “That structure is too huge. I don't want to waste our people's lives on a pointless hunt. He is a capable mage, if he wants to run away we can't stop him. Just commence with the bombardment and look out for something which hints at Serenzar's whereabouts. He'll show himself soon enough.”

  “Yes.” He will surely show up to defend his precious capital. He isn't the type to hide while his work is being ruined. At least I can deduce that from our meeting in the Emperor's Vault.

  Second Continent, Jont-Capital

  Random citizen

  I am hiding with my family in a bush near the main road. When the fighting began we fled from the city and headed for a small hill on the city's outskirts. But since there were so many people running for their lives we were delayed and didn't get away far enough in time.

  In hope of being ignored by the floating structures we took cover in the underwood of this hill.

  “*Sniff*, dear... what did the god-king do? We don't deserve this.” My wife cries at my side, clinging to our daughter.

  “I don't know.” I hug them in order to console them. If any of those balls of energy fly the wrong way we are all dead, but hiding here is surely safer than being mistaken for combatants while we are on the run.

  Suddenly a pair of people appears on the road, just a few metres away from us. They wear the robes of low class mages, servants of the god-king. I instinctively hold my hands onto my wife's and daughter's mouths to keep them from making noise. Then I close my eyes and pray that we are n
ot found.

  “You can teleport? No, that's not important right now! They are destroying it!” A male voice cries out. Because the voice sounds really desperate I can't help it and take a peek at them. If they look at their vicinity a little closer they'll find us. The leaves of our bush are a good cover against spectators from the sky, but not from the ground.

  There is a man with brown hair and a black haired woman on the street. They aren't facing towards us, so I can't see their faces.

  The man gestures at the palace, which is in the process of being blown apart. “So much work! Can't they appreciate the beauty of this piece of art!?”

  “It was ugly anyway. Be glad that it's gone. We would have had to flee anyway sooner or later.” The woman at his side sighs in relief. She has her tail wound around his waist while holding a bundle in her arms. From the shape it looks like an egg.

  “I can't! I simply can't leave the troops on their own. So many refused the order to disband. Running away while they fight a last battle is wrong.” Being undisturbed by her comment the man steps forward, but is held back by her tail. He turns towards the woman. “Let go. I can't watch this.”

  “Hic...” The woman's sobbing reaches my ears. “You really want to go and fight a lost battle to die a futile death? Don't you love me?”

  The man freezes. “Don't do that.”

  “Haven't I saved your life? Don't we love each other? I know that you are much older than me and probably have lived long enough. But can't you stay with me for at least one lifetime? With us?” She holds the bundle out towards the man.