They took the corridor back to the bedroom where the princess had been sleeping and entered a bathroom made entirely of cedar. The princess flicked her fingers and steaming water filled a tub large enough for several bathers. The water smelled of roses and cloves. Genevieve helped Mara take off her cloak and leathers, and guided her to a stool beside the bath with a bucket, a sponge, and a square bar of black-colored soap that had the aroma of cinnamon.
Hot water poured from the air above the bucket and splashed delightfully warm drops of water everywhere. Mara scrubbed off the grime and dried blood on her hands, remembering the feeling of the dagger slicing across Prince DeSabrian’s neck. She stepped under the stream of water and relished in the feeling of heat purifying her of malice. Under the sponge, her skin was ruddy and clean for the first time in weeks. But her heart felt filthy, filled with hatred. She dreamed of the day her hands would be covered with blood again, the blood of Regent Donoval. The man who murdered Talis.
After she finished soaking in the bath, Mara dried off and went to retrieve her clothes, but Genevieve stopped her, and handed her the dress. It felt strange wearing silk dresses again. At home, her mother had always insisted she wear silk and lace—and she hated every minute of the charade. But now she found herself enjoying the feeling of the silk against her skin. She was comfortable around Princess Genevieve and knew she had to act as a lady in order to get close to Regent Donoval.
“Might I have a purse or a bag to carry a few of my precious things?” Mara glanced at the dagger sitting on top of her old clothes.
“But of course, princess. Let’s find something in the dressing room.”
Mara scanned through a selection of silk purses and found a one that held the dagger and sheath nicely. Princess Genevieve changed into an embroidered lace gown that cinched up around her neck. She wore a string of tiny pearls and had a gold, spiked ring on each index finger. Golden light poured from her fingertips and the long strands of her hair lifted up and twisted into an intricate braid, then elemental mist washed over her hair and formed plaits of gold.
“May I?” Genevieve flourished her fingers at Mara’s short, wet hair.
Mara bowed and allowed the magic to work its way over to her head. Her hair sprouted in length down to her back and curled into ringlets, lifted and braided, and plaited with tiny strands of gold. In the reflection of the bath water, Mara found herself unable to believe what she saw: not a girl, but a young, alluring woman.
“You look ravishing, dear. You’ll have to fight off all those handsome princes.” At Genevieve’s words, Mara pictured stabbing and slicing strange men. She clutched the silk purse to her side and felt the dagger’s fierce, wrathful power.
Princess Genevieve aimed her hands at the white wall and a window appeared, showing a view of a broad, marble hallway filled with elegantly dressed people laughing and talking, some sipping drinks in long, thin glasses. The princess took Mara’s hand and they stepped into a portal very different than the ones Mara had experienced before.
She would find Regent Donoval tonight, and kill him.
13. MOTHER LODE
As Talis unfurled the Surineda Map he realized that Aurellia was only after a powerful crystal lodged in the heart of Ghaelstrom. And not just any crystal, but the most powerful crystal in the world. One that would provide Aurellia and his forces with near limitless power, so much power that he could defeat the Ancients of Vellia and rule the planet.
Whatever King Valeron had planned to deal with Aurellia was built on the false assumption that Aurellia had come to forge an alliance with the dragons. In reality all he cared about was bringing Talis and the Surineda Map down here to the depths in search of power. Since Aurellia had mastery over the power of the sun, the power of shadows, the power of the void, and of the elements, he could use such a crystal to channel an immense destructive force. Just like the power Talis felt wielding the black crystal against the Jiserian forces.
“Now focus your mind on this specific thought.” Aurellia’s voice was low and hideous, like if you were sleeping and a snake was slithering near your ears. “Remember the black crystal, remember the Goddess of the Sun, and picture gold in your mind, picture a black crystal, and bring those images together into seeking one special stone.”
Talis closed his eyes and concentrated on the images and brought in the memory of how the black crystal felt. A power surged through him—like lightning striking his spine and spreading through his limbs. In his mind he saw the gaping maw of a red-eyed creature lurking in the pitch-black of the universe. It devoured all life; it devoured planets; it devoured entire stars into the warping power of its dark abyss.
“There it is!” Aurellia shouted, and tapped the blinding flash of gold and black light amidst a sea of lesser lights on the Surineda Map. “Zoom in on the map, how can we find it? Where are we on the map?”
Talis felt a cold chill sink into his stomach at the thought of Aurellia possessing such a powerful crystal. Not only would he be unstoppable, but what use would he have of Talis after he had the stone’s power to command?
“What will you grant me if I help you find the stone?” Talis was glad he could keep his voice calm and deliberate, instead of revealing how uneasy he felt.
“What? You fool. Are you negotiating with me?” Contempt and impatience poured from Aurellia’s eyes. “Just do as you are commanded, loyal apprentice, and I might consider rewarding you.”
Before Talis could think, the words blurted out of his mouth. “And what if I won’t help you? You can’t kill me—you’d never get your crystal then. The Surineda Map won’t obey anyone else but me. Try finding the stone without my help.”
Rage seethed on Aurellia’s face and he stretched out a clenched hand towards Talis. “I need that crystal.”
“Well, I need my freedom and want to return to Naru with Mara and Nikulo unhurt. Break Nikulo’s and my bond of fealty to you, and swear to me you’ll allow us all to return to Naru.”
“You ask for too much… If I were to release you from the bond, would you not be my enemy? Why would you help me then?”
“Because I would give my word, and I do not break promises.” But I might lie to protect my friends.
“I suppose that once I have the crystal, I will have little use for you. You’ve sworn to me, but I can tell that in your heart you’re in no way loyal to me.” Aurellia sighed slyly and wagged his head from side-to-side. “You negotiate like Guardians of the Underworld, my old friend. I will release you and Nikulo from your fealty. However, I cannot guarantee your safe return to Naru. Even now, your friend Mara heads for Illumina, the capitol city of my people. And no portal spell can penetrate the magical shield around the landmass of the Kingdom of Zhael. My forces will soon attack by ship.
“It is done, I swear to the gods that I give you and your friend Nikulo your freedom back. You are no longer bound to me. I will also give a pledge not to harm you or your friends. The rest you seek is up to you.”
“How will I find my way back home?”
“You sound as whiny as a child… Think about it, find your own solution. If you are not sworn to me, then I can no longer aid you. Now find the crystal! Enough bantering about. Remember, if you don’t help me, I will return to the city above, to a place without the interference of the heart of Ghaelstrom, and tell Elder Relech to kill your friend Mara. This is not a game, fool.”
Talis knew he had no choice but to help him. At least he’d won his freedom from this monster without having to kill him or be involved in his fight for the Kingdom of Zhael. But of course he was already involved. Mara was on her way to the capitol city and Nikulo was probably on a ship someplace. He had to help them escape the coming war. Or was it too late?
At a nudge from Aurellia, Talis snapped out of his thoughts and focused his attention on the Surineda Map. He commanded it to zoom in to where they were and reveal his location. The stone was maybe only a few hundred paces away, farther down the tunnel, deeper into the heart of Ghaelst
rom. As Talis led the way, he made a silent prayer to the Goddess Nacrea, for the safety of Mara and Nikulo, and his pet lynx, Charna—a gift from the Goddess herself. Talis hope Nikulo was taking care of her—or was she still hunting and roaming free on that island?
Talis was determined to find crystals of his own—he needed the ability to channel the power of the sun and the power of the void to cast a portal spell back to Chandrix, and then again another back to his world. There was enough power down here to cast a million world portal spells. No wonder the Starwalkers had visited this planet. They’d found a source of fuel for their endless journey through the universe. But their mining efforts had ceased without the guidance of the Surineda Map.
“Here, the map shows we are near.” Aurellia leaned in over the map. “Go in closer, guide us, which way should we mine? We must be careful and not destroy the crystal.”
“This direction—where there is no tunnel—we must carve a new tunnel.” Talis zoomed in and confirmed that the direction of the crystal was down and at a sixty-degree angle to the tunnel they were in. “We need to mine down at this angle and in this direction. Can you do it?”
“Of course I can. But for how many feet…and will I hit the crystal?”
“No, this direction is to the right of the crystal—mine a tunnel about a hundred feet deep.” How would Aurellia bore a tunnel into the heavy metal and earth of the mine? Fire Magic?
Aurellia flourished his hands and the metal and earth in front of him melted away into a spiral of liquid and dust that he funneled away farther down into the tunnel off to the right. When the elements landed on the ground, steam hissed and filled the air with a metallic mist. Aurellia shot a burst of wind and the air cleared.
“Did you doubt my ability to mine the earth? How do you think these tunnels were made? I learned Earth Magic as a boy—child’s play for the youth of Vellia.”
The new tunnel was smaller, slightly taller than Talis, and a mass of crystals deep inside shimmered in the eerie green light of Aurellia’s orb. He’d dug the tunnel perfectly. Aurellia made his way to the end of the tunnel, dug deeper inside, and repeated the procedure several times. Finally the tunnel was complete. They crept down to the end and gazed at the enormous cluster of crystals with ore flecked everywhere inside.
“Is that gold inside?” Talis said, peering into one of the crystals.
“Yes, the balance of the universe is lodged within each of these stones. The dark power of the void and the power of the stars all mixed together in perfect harmony. This is what the Starwalkers sought. The black crystal the Goddess Nacrea gave you was similar to these stones, albeit smaller in power compared to these.”
Talis stretched out his feelings to sense an affinity with one of the stones. His hand moved over and he touched a mauve-hued crystal with gold flecks at the center. The power seared through him, stronger and wilder than the black crystal that the Goddess has given him. He had to possess it.
Aurellia found the largest one, the heart-stone, at the center of the cluster. He cast another spell and melted away the earth and ore around the crystal, and retrieved the stone from its ancient, primeval nest. The dark lord hesitantly reached out and paused for a few heartbeats over the stone. He muttered a word that Talis thought was from the ancient tongue, then grasped the crystal. Fiendish glee glazed over his eyes as the power of the stone surged through him.
His skin pulsed with shadows and light, and the wrinkles and gauntness of his face transformed into that of a man in his prime vitality. Ruddiness returned where a pale, ash color had once plagued his skin tone. He looked maniacally around as if trying to find enemies to kill with his newfound power. His eyes settled on Talis who raised his hands in submission.
“I’ve found your crystal for you. Is this the one?” Talis felt relief relax his body as Aurellia’s expression softened. “That’s good… Then we’ve found what you were looking for. Now I have a favor to ask. I will need crystals to cast a world portal spell—two, actually. And one for the Temple of the Sun, in Naru, since the crystal was shattered. Can you?”
At Talis’s gesture, Aurellia melted the area around the crystal that Talis had selected. The dark lord glanced back at the tunnel leading outside as if impatient to leave.
“Two more. These?” Talis waited as Aurellia freed two more stones from the earth, and put them inside his pack. Then Aurellia selected four more crystals, and placed them within the folds of his black robe.
“Eight stones and no more. Blessings to the gods, we will preserve this motherlode.” Aurellia bowed to the remaining crystals, and turned and trekked back up towards where they had come. When they left the newly created tunnel, Aurellia cast a spell and moved the ore and earth back into place, sealing the shaft so perfectly it was as if nothing had ever touched the wall.
Once again Aurellia cast the flying spell on Talis, and they soared up the vertical shaft and soon found themselves back in the vast chamber filled with frozen titans. Talis could barely keep up with the dark lord as he made his way back into the City of Ghaelstrom. Aurellia stopped before entering the city, and turned and faced Talis.
“I leave you now. Find your way, find your friends, return to your family. I wish you no harm—and I ask that you bear me no enmity in return.” Aurellia nodded to him, and allowed shadow hands to form around his figure, and he disappeared into the void of a portal.
Talis stared at the vanishing dark mist of the portal, and wondered if he would ever seen Aurellia again. He hoped not. Maybe now that his former master had the power he wanted, he would turn his sights away from Naru, away from Talis’s world, and stay here in Vellia. And now that the twin portals were closed, Aurellia and his forces would not have an easy time returning. Besides, Talis doubted there was anything left in his world that Aurellia wanted.
As he trudged through the narrow streets of the under-part of Ghaelstrom, Talis felt the heavy weight of exhaustion sink in, as if lead were poured into every step he took. When he slept—and he would sleep for a long time—he would let the haze of the dream world purify his mind of the pain and fatigue of his journey. Tomorrow he would worry about finding Mara and Nikulo. After the forgetfulness of sleep. If only the purity of peaceful dreams were unmarred by the vicious nightmares that often plagued him at night.
As a somnambulist lumbers aimlessly in the dark, somehow finding the right destination, Talis reached the cozy nest he’d stayed in the night before. The fire lit easily under the purifying flames that spiraled from his fingertips, illuminating the spare room in a soft glow infected by an angry mass of spidery shadows. Eyelids heavy and his body sinking into the plump chair, Talis saw the fire as a red and orange and blue blaze which melted images of Aurellia and his Elders: those laughing, haunting faces of the practitioners of Death Magic. Bringers of death and darkness to a world blinded by light.
And in the comforting darkness of the dream Talis found a glimmer of light coming towards him: a light, a wobble, the face of a girl crying, sobbing, and filled with rage. Mara clenched her hand around the dagger she’d stolen in the Underworld and it glowed with a grotesque green light. She was mumbling words that he couldn’t quite make out. Was she saying “why, why, why” or “die, die, die?” Talis sought to get closer to her, to comfort her, to hear what she was saying. Somehow his wish caused him to propel forward so close to her that he could see tears dripping over the pores of her cheek. He could smell the faint smell of roses and lavender—her smell—the smell he loved so much. Her voice was stronger now, clearer, and what she said frightened him to his core.
“Gods above and gods below, why did you let Talis die? How could you let them kill him!”
14. BEACHHEAD
The Builder had constructed ingenious devices mounted atop the deck of The Nacrea: catapults that shot the monstrous half-human, half-monster soldiers over the enemy battle-line, protected in a magical bubble. The creatures ravaged the enemy’s rear guard, ripping arms and legs and heads from the ill-prepared soldiers. The sk
y was a murderous mixture of sleet and mist and low, ominous clouds. The flying wizards of the Kingdom of Zhael soared over the smoking, stinking battlefield, shooting quick pulses of light and fire at the forty-foot tall creatures laying waste below.
Nikulo held Charna and together they stared at the mayhem below, his face frosty from the cold drizzle of the southern coast, transfixed as more and more of the abominations lit up into flames like matchsticks rolling across the beach. When the fire ignited their fur, the creatures would waylay the enemy soldiers, burning hair and singeing flesh and sending a sick stench into the air.
Aurellia’s vanguard had tricked them into a frontal assault, the enemy believing they would trap the undead soldiers back into the ocean. The remaining ships sailed forward at the right moment and flared into a blistering counter-attack from both flanks, and launched an aerial assault on the wizards. Within an hour the enemy’s ground troops were crushed like flour, and the wizards slain, enraptured, or fleeing back to the capitol.
The lynx let out a low growl and hissed as the creatures below roared and bellowed in pain from their wounds. Nikulo tried to comfort the cat, whispering in her ear that the battle was ending and things would calm down now. But he knew that far worse would be coming, especially after he spied on Elder Rolovian strategizing battle plans with Goleth, the Builder. Earlier in the conversation, Elder Raelles had argued that after four thousand years the Kingdom of Zhael would be weak after so many years of peace; that they’d find armies untempered by war and conflict. Today’s battle proved him right: the soldiers were weak and the wizards unprepared for such battle-hardened soldiers, sorcerers, and necromancers.
But many of the wizards escaped through portals, most likely returning to the capitol, the city Elder Rolovian called Illumina. Now that the beachhead was clear, the armies of Aurellia poured from the armada like ants scurrying from an attacked nest. Nikulo worried that once the battle began, there would be no safety to be found in open melee. He had tried to talk to his master, Elder Rolovian, about Mara and Talis, but the old sorcerer rebuffed his attempts at conversation. Nikulo felt a chill of realization that he might not ever see his friends again, or ever return home to his family.
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