The Chronicles of Lorrek Box Set

by Kelly Blanchard

  3

  While the others refreshed themselves and conversed with the king of Athorim, Lorrek retired early to his chambers. He had wanted to meet with Princess Anelm to ensure she was well after their last encounter, yet Caleth informed him that she was away tending to business, so Lorrek saw no need to continue visiting. He had other work to do.

  Once in his chambers, he took out the scroll he had conjured. The ancient language of the kelliph remained unreadable to him, but not for long. With the knowledge of the kelliphs’ history and with a simple understanding of the language of Athorim, Lorrek levitated the scroll in the air then dove into the realm of magic, searching the evolution of Athorim’s language and tracing it back to the original kelliph language.

  With a more fundamental understanding of the language, Lorrek spread his senses throughout the magical realm for any trace of the kelliph culture elsewhere, especially in Elloi. As he did this, he pulled to himself all the stories, tales, and legends of the kelliphs. Many things came to him, but he kept seeing mention of a group custodians—all male—assigned to protect a sacred item. It was said they were not allowed to let women near it because they believed women were of weaker spirit. These custodians traveled often, never visiting the same place twice, and never staying in one place too long. At least that was their routine until recently, Lorrek discovered as he came upon the group.

  In the magic realm, Lorrek walked through the remains of this group. They had chosen a secure building, as always, with a main front door and a hidden back door, which they locked from the inside. Of the five custodians, two stood armed by the sacred item, which was locked away under multiple locks and magic spells. One man kept watch with the front door always in sight and a rifle in hand, and the other two stood over a table, looking over a map, discussing their next stop.

  And that was where they made their last stand.

  In the magic realm, Lorrek could see bursts of a magical signature first at the back door, blasting it off its hinges, and then striking each individual, turning each person into stone. He recognized the purple signature as Mordora’s, but another white signature caught his attention. He moved through the room until he came to the box which locked away the forbidden relic, and it reeked of magic. White tentacles of light reached out of the box.

  Lorrek saw the past figure of Mordora entering the room through the back door, and she approached the box. He stared at her face and saw her entranced, eyes fixed on the box. The white tentacles reached out to her, wrapping itself around her, and coaxing her toward it.

  Her hands stretched out to the box and opened it with ease.

  A blinding light overtook Lorrek, so he had to pull back, but he paused the vision and forced himself to look around to see what had happened in that final moment.

  In a light almost as bright as the sun, he saw the stone custodians crumble into dust. Lorrek turned his gaze back to the box, willed his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the light, and he looked inside.

  The bracelet of Rykeldan laid there, and Mordora had clamped it onto her wrist.

  Lorrek tore his gaze off the bracelet to look at her face. What are you thinking, Mordora? This isn’t like you. However, he received no answer, so he focused on the bracelet she now wore.

  It was seamless. It appeared to be made in a similar design to the handblade. If it behaved like a handblade, then a secret word would unlock the bracelet, yet Lorrek suspected the only people who had known that word lay scattered as dust. The only other way of obtaining it was if a magic user could get close enough to grab hold of the bracelet on Mordora’s wrist then phase it through her arm. Yet Lorrek recalled how Radella said something protected Mordora fiercely, and he suspected it was this magic.

  “Lorrek.”

  Hearing his name in the real world, Lorrek yanked himself back to his body and stumbled back as he returned to the present moment.

  A headache crashed upon him, and he groaned, lifting his hand to press the heel of his palm against his temple. He forced his eyes open to see who had disturbed him, and he saw Vixen standing there with arms crossed. At the sight of her, he straightened and tried to hide the wince of the headache splitting his head.

  Vixen saw his pain and knew he had overexerted himself with magic. She unfolded her arms, went to the refreshment table and poured a drink, then brought it over to Lorrek. When he took it from her and drank, she asked, “What did you discover?”

  He sighed as he lowered the now-empty cup and set it on a nearby table while he wandered to find a place to sit. Finding a chair, he sank into it and sighed again before finally looking up at Vixen. “Mordora indeed wears the bracelet, and I’m not sure how to remove it, and those who knew that are dead. No magic user can get close to it without the magic in the bracelet sensing them and unleashing a powerful blast.” He shook his head as he lifted his hand to cover his eyes. He didn’t know a solution right now. If he hadn’t just given himself a headache, maybe he could figure it out, but they were short on time.

  Vixen sat in a chair across from him, watching him, and weighing her words. “What do you think we should do?”

  Lorrek let out a dry laugh as he dropped his hand from his face, and again he shook his head. “I know not.” He locked eyes with Vixen. “Why must I always be the one with a solution? Why must I always fix everyone else’s problems? I tried that and lost Loroth, Father, Honroth, and almost you. Atheta won’t come back, and neither will Theran. Therth refuses to have any dealings with the family anymore. Inecha is dead. Mordora is mad. Whenever I have interfered, it has led to people getting hurt or killed. I am tired of it, tired of saving people from themselves, tired of trying to save the world...and worlds. I don’t have the answers for everything. I am not all powerful.”

  While he ranted, Vixen remained silent. This was the first time she had ever heard him vent, and she supposed after all these years of heartache, even he would crack. She clasped her hands together and leaned forward. “You don’t have to do this alone. Let us help you.”

  He stared at her then shook his head. “How? What solution do you have which I have not already considered?”

  Vixen shifted to the edge of her chair. “You recall the Guardians of Jechorm and how they wear those suits, which gives each Guardian a magical power unique unto themselves?” When Lorrek nodded, Vixen went on. “Before you came to Jechorm looking for me, I was working with a group of Guardians. One of them had the ability to unlock anything. If magical beings cannot get close to the bracelet of Rykeldan without it blasting them, do you think a Guardian could? Technically they’re not magical.”

  Upon hearing this suggestion, Lorrek let out a heavy sigh then shook his head. “I know not. I would assume the power in the bracelet would still detect the magic in the Guardian’s suits, but I cannot be certain.”

  “We should give it a try, at least.”

  However, Lorrek’s face darkened as he stared at nothing.

  Vixen tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “Lorrek?” When he looked at her, she understood. “It’s Theran, isn’t it?”

  Again, Lorrek sighed but nodded. Unable to remain still, he rose to his feet and began pacing but measured each step just as he measured his tone and words in order to speak calmly. “He is in Jechorm. That is all I know.”

  “Are you ready to face your brother again?”

  For a second, Lorrek shook his head, but he quickly stopped himself and froze as he contemplated this. Finally, he shifted his eyes to Vixen and gave her a curt nod as he pulled back his shoulders. “We will go to Jechorm to find this…Guardian you mentioned and determine if your theory is correct. Tell the others to meet me here, and I will take all of us to Jechorm in the morning.” He dismissed her with a gesture as he conjured images of Jechorm, the Guardians, and the trail of Mordora’s magic signature. He wanted to fully comprehend all the different ways this could unfold before he went on.

  Vixen noticed how he had never answered her question, but she also recognized a
dismissal when she saw one. Part of her wanted to stand her ground and force Lorrek to confront what he refused to face, but she knew she needed to give him some time. They both knew the chances of running into Theran while in Jechorm were high, and Lorrek needed to deal with this fact, so Vixen quietly rose to her feet and stepped out of the room.

  Walking through the corridor of Athorim’s palace, Vixen reflected on the royal brothers of Cuskelom. Theran was the oldest and most reckless of the family, while Lorrek was the youngest and most responsible. The twins, Honroth and Heldon, were in the middle. While Heldon had followed Theran’s example and was oftentimes made the fool, Honroth had attended to political manners, which made him fit for kingship later on. Lorrek remained in the background, pulling Theran and Heldon out of trouble countless times and resolving issues before they had the chance to escalate.

  But all that changed when Lorrek disappeared, and the safety net he had provided was gone. As the only one who believed Lorrek still lived, Theran went searching for him. In the absence of his eldest brother and after the death of their father, Honroth ascended to the throne, and he assigned Vixen to find Theran and accompany him. She had spent ten years wandering the lands with Theran, fighting alongside him, arguing with him, saving his life and being saved by him, so she came to know him well.

  And then Lorrek had returned, and events had unraveled too quickly for Vixen to make sense of them all. She still wasn’t sure what all had happened, but maybe one day, someone would tell give her the other pieces of the puzzle leading up to the Battle of Cuskelom and after it.

  Shaking her head, she walked at a brisk pace to Radella to tell her Lorrek’s plan.

  4

  Once Vixen had fetched Radella and Jaegar, Lorrek summarized the plan for them, and he magicked them to Jechorm, but he let Vixen take the lead since she knew the Guardian they sought. Vixen asked where Ceras was, and they were directed to a tall, spacious building, so they headed that way—walking through buildings and over catwalks between buildings, to reach their destination.

  Lorrek fell behind, walking in silence as he took in his surroundings. He didn’t want to be here and had to fight the strong urge to make himself invisible or magick away. He didn’t know why, but he dreaded running into Theran even though they parted on reasonably good terms. Theran was his older brother and had become more protective of him in recent years, and now Lorrek was doing what he always did—trying to unravel others’ problems—and he suspected Theran would have something to say about that.

  “Lorrek?” A familiar voice caused Lorrek to halt and wince.

  He didn’t want to look. He wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard his name being called and walk on, but he had already stopped. He took a deep breath and turned to face Theran who still wore his black Guardian armor.

  Lorrek nodded to him and addressed him with a measured tone. “Theran.”

  His eldest brother marched up to him. While Theran was pleased to see Lorrek again and smiled behind his visor, wanting to embrace him in a hug, he refrained and came to a stop in front of him. “What are you doing here?” Then he noticed those accompanying Lorrek—namely Vixen—and his attention snapped to her. “Vixen! You’re alive!” He moved as if to hug her but forced himself to stop, dropping his arms. “I…” It was always awkward explaining the abilities of his suit, which caused him to break anything, including bones, by a mere touch. Instead, he settled for a smile he hoped she could hear from beneath his helmet. “Vixen, it is good to see you. I had heard you were near death. New vest, I see.” He nodded to the black scaled corset she wore.

  Vixen stepped away from Radella and Jaegar to greet Theran, and she nodded. “Aye. Lorrek crafted it for me to replace my former one.”

  “What are you doing here?” Theran furrowed his brows, glimpsing over the entire party.

  “We seek Guardian Zoyra. We need her help. Does she still wear her armor?” Vixen lifted her brows, and Theran nodded.

  “Aye, she does. She and Haiken are some of the few who’ve remained employed as Guardians of Jechorm. The others have surrendered their suits and adapted to life as actual humans.” Theran sounded pleased with this development. It was a vast improvement from when he had first come to Jechorm before the Battle of Cuskelom.

  “Do you know where she is?” Vixen asked.

  “Yes…she’s Ceras’ chief advisor. I will take you to her.” Theran motioned for them to follow as he set a brisk pace. “But why do you need her help?”

  “We need her to unlock something which magical users cannot go near,” Jaegar answered, glad he was able to finally contribute to the conversation despite being quite distracted by his surreal surroundings. He had never been to Jechorm before or seen technology like this. He wanted to spend all day exploring and learning what everything was and how it worked, but he focused on the task at hand. Maybe he could return some other time.

  Theran frowned when he heard what Jaegar had said. He also noticed how silent Lorrek had fallen and how his little brother was content with walking behind everyone else. Theran needed to speak with him when he found the opportunity, but it sounded as though these four had a mysterious task in mind.

  They walked swiftly through the corridors and high-rises. Those who saw them stepped out of the way and gave them a wide berth. Lorrek supposed they recognized the fearsome armor of Theran and did not want to be close to him. Some acknowledged the strange entourage with a bow of their heads while others just scurried away.

  At last they came to a huge room with glass walls and multiple levels. Vixen’s gaze skimmed all the different levels, noticing people working on holographic computers. People walked around wearing technology, constantly connected to the system. Some carried tablets to check off items. Others wore glasses and manipulated holographic images in the air. People conversed, oversaw, and directed others’ actions.

  “This is the central hub of security of Jechorm,” Theran explained as they walked through the room. “Now that Guardians are more of a rarity, they have turned to their real technology to keep an eye on things. Ceras oversees this.” He motioned up a stairway to where the former assassin stood on a catwalk, hands on the railing, overlooking the activity.

  Ceras saw the movement from their entrance and pulled her gaze from watching on the screen as a police swat team went into a house to arrest a suspect and bring him in for questioning.

  When Ceras realized who had just arrived, a bright smile lit her face. “Vixen!” She pushed away from the railing and hastened down the steps, coming to Vixen and embracing her tightly. “You’re alive! I was so worried because I hadn’t heard anything.” She pulled back, holding Vixen at arm’s length to inspect her, and she raised a brow. “New vest?”

  Vixen nodded. “Long story, but we need to talk. We’re short on time.” She looked around. “And we need Zoyra.”

  Ceras furrowed her brows when she heard the urgency in her friend’s voice, but she nodded and stepped back, tapping on her ear, speaking into a device there. “Zoyra, report to my office immediately.” Then she looked at Vixen and her entourage. “Follow me.”

  She led the way up the stairs, past everyone’s workstations, into a glass office above the rest. Once they all piled in, Ceras went to her desk, picked up a small device, pointed it to the windows, and immediately the windows turned white. “We have more privacy this way.” She set the remote down. “Please, have a seat.” She motioned to the chairs even though there were less chairs than there were people. Ceras walked around her desk and sat down just as the door opened. “Ah, Zoyra, thank you for coming. You recall Vixen, correct?” Ceras motioned toward Vixen. “She needs your help.” With that, Ceras sat back to let the assassin take the lead, and she was quite curious to hear what her friend had to say.

  Vixen turned when Zoyra entered the room, and she noticed that the Guardian still wore her suit. That meant she still had her magical power. “Zoyra, I am glad to see you are well. We need your help. A friend of ours has gone rogue and put on
a magical bracelet with unbelievable powers. No magic user can get close enough to her to remove the bracelet because the power in the bracelet recognizes the threat and blasts them. However, your magic is different, and technically you are not magical, so we suspect that you will be able to slip in undetected and unlock the bracelet from around her wrist, thus removing it. Will you help us?”

  While Vixen was speaking, Zoyra pulled off her helmet, letting her dark, curly hair bounce just past her shoulders, and she tucked her helmet beneath her arm, locking her dark eyes onto Vixen as she listened to every word. Then she nodded. “Of course. This is a unique opportunity to go beyond Jechorm, and I would be happy to help.”

  At least something was going their way. Lorrek nodded. “Many thanks. If you are ready, I will take us to her last known location.” He reached out his hands, so he could magick them all away.

  Theran stepped forward. “I’m coming with.”

  Lorrek frowned and shook his head. “To do so, you will need to grab hold of me, thus breaking my hand. I cannot heal myself, as you well know.”

  “I could heal you,” Jaegar spoke up.

  Theran finally looked at him. “And who are you?”

  “Prince Jaegar of Ceraleo.” Jaegar reached out his hand to shake Theran’s but then realized that would be a mistake, so he retracted it.

  “That’s beyond the ocean,” Theran noted.

  “Indeed. I like to travel.” Jaegar smiled.

  “Good.” Theran set his unrelenting gaze upon Lorrek once more. “I am your eldest brother, and I searched for you for a decade, and though we saw each other a year ago, it was very brief. I am finished being separated from my family. It is time we were together again.”

  Lorrek sighed. He didn’t want to deal with this, but he also didn’t want to argue. He met Theran’s gaze firmly. “May I remove you from the suit, at least?”