Shadowrun 43 - Fallen Angels

by Stephen Kenson

  Kellan focused on cloaking Orion in a shield of protection against any magic Morningstar might use against him. So when the spirit lashed out at the elf with a sweeping hand that trailed a scythelike arc of mystic force in its wake, it dashed against the combined power of her and Lothan's spell defense, leaving Orion unharmed. He struck again with his sword, but this time Morningstar was prepared for the attack, apparently drawing upon Midnight's considerable agility and skill in hand-to-hand combat.

  "Why didn't its true name compel it?" Lothan asked, brow furrowed, concentrating on the defense spell. "It should have been enough to banish it." He and Kellan looked at each other almost simultaneously. "The amulet!"

  At that moment, the clouds split, and another massive bolt of lightning struck. This one hit Lothan directly. His magical shields sent most of the energy flowing around him and into the ground, but the troll mage was blasted to his knees by the force of the strike, and he nearly lost his staff. Morningstar dodged and weaved around Orion's attack. He managed to tag Midnight with a shallow cut along the shoulder, but the injury immediately began to heal.

  "Orion!" Kellan shouted. "The amulet!"

  Morningstar turned on Kellan, eyes burning with fury, and the moment's distraction was just long enough for Orion to lunge in and grab the amulet hanging around Midnight's neck with his free hand. With a howl of rage, the spirit flung out Midnight's hand, and an invisible force sent Orion flying like he'd been struck by a car. But the adept managed to hold onto the amulet, and the golden chain snapped, the two ends of it fluttering from his closed fist as he flew back, hit the edge of the ridge and rolled. He dropped his sword, but kept hold of the amulet as his free hand clawed for purchase in the rocky soil.

  Kellan ran to Orion, as Morningstar, arms raised, shouted to the sky above. Kellan extended her defenses, bracing for another lightning strike, hoping she could protect them both against it. Then shots thundered in the dark as Akimura emptied his pistol's clip into Midnight. The rounds could do little more than distract the spirit, but that distraction apparently was enough to spoil whatever magic it had been planning. As Kellan reached Orion's side, he opened his hand and held out the amulet as she pulled him up onto solid ground.

  "Are you alright?"

  He shook his head, clutching his side with his free hand. "I will be," he said through clenched teeth. "Just do what needs to be done."

  Kellan snatched up the amulet as Akimura's pistol clicked on empty. He ejected the spent clip and jammed in another, but the delay cost him. Morningstar lashed out again, and he, too, went flying from the force of the magical blow.

  "Seterin'ranshae!" Kellan called out, brandishing the amulet like a talisman. The words she'd heard in her vision seemed to spring fully formed into her head. "By the power of your name, by the power of this token, by the power of my will, you are bound! I command you . . . begone! Begone from that body, and from this world, forever more!"

  "No!" the spirit and Midnight cried out as one, and suddenly Morningstar surged forward, its elven host crumpling to the ground. The spirit appeared in the form Kellan had last seen it: skin rocky and scaly, open maw filled with teeth, gnarled hands tipped with claws, eyes burning with hate and power. It swooped toward Kellan like a bird of prey, but stopped just out of reach, held back by the power of her will, joined with the magic of the banishing ritual and the amulet holding a portion of its essence.

  I. . . will. . . not... be .. . banished! Morningstar howled in Kellan's mind. She could feel tremendous pressure—all the energy of the spirit bent on destroying her, defying her attempt to cast it from the material world. It fought like a cornered animal.

  "You will! she countered, pushing back with all her might. But even as she strained to impose her will on the spirit, Kellan wasn't sure it would be enough. Morningstar was like a raging beast, barely contained, and she didn't know how long she could hold it.

  Lothan shook off the effects of the lightning strike, raising his head to see Kellan locked in magical combat with the spirit's astral form. The blazing Morningstar hovered before her, fiery wings spread, burning gaze trained on her. Kellan stood firm, holding the glowing jade amulet out in front of her, eyes narrowed in concentration, but it was like a tree standing against the fury of a storm. He felt a surge of pride in her abilities, but next to the unleashed power of Morningstar, she looked so small. . . .

  Lothan, a voice whispered in his thoughts. Lothan. ... It took a moment for the mage to recognize the voice when separated from Midnight's voice—Morningstar was speaking to him directly. Lothan levered himself to his feet, leaning on his staff.

  Lothan, the spirit repeated. Aid me, and you will be rewarded. I have power such as you have only imagined. I know secrets of the netherworlds, of realms beyond mortal imagination. I will grant you knowledge beyond your wildest dreams!

  Images filled his mind, of standing atop the highest pinnacles in the metroplex, commanding legions of spirits; reclining in a thronelike chair, surrounded by rare tomes and objets d'art; of fine wines, rare delicacies, the touch of a beautiful woman. . . . Lothan glanced in the gilt-edged mirror beside his throne and saw the handsome, distinguished, human face looking back at him, so very like the face of his father, but with the bearing of a king. All he needed to do was strike the amulet from Kellan's hand—or, better yet, take it for himself. . . .

  "Ahhh!" Kellan cried out, dropping to one knee in front of Morningstar. She thrust out both hands in front of her to ward off the spirit, directing all of her will against it, slowing pushing back to her feet. Lothan took one lumbering step toward her, feeling the bulk of his metahuman body, the creak and ache of every joint, his age in the depths of each bone. How he hated the cruel humor of nature! How fondly he recalled his childhood, before the Awakening twisted his body as the price for his power.

  I could restore you, were it your wish, said the voice in his thoughts. You could be human, young and handsome. It is within my power.

  Lothan was no fool. He knew the spirit would say anything, promise anything, in order to save itself. He also knew such spirits were treacherous. They would go back on their word unless bound with certain rituals, and even then they would seek to use the letter of the agreement to escape from it, to find an opportunity to turn on their erstwhile "ally."

  But with the amulet, and knowledge of Morn-ingstar's true name, there was a good chance Lothan could bind the spirit, enslave it to his will like any other servitor, and freely command its powers. Such power would be his, and his alone, to wield. He would need to subvert Kellan's attempt to banish Morningstar, and then prevent her from ever doing so again. Of course, if he succeeded, would that matter?

  In only a few steps, the troll towered over Kellan, who was barely maintaining her stance, wavering before the onslaught of the unleashed spirit shining like a fallen star before her, almost too bright to look at.

  "Lothan . . ." Kellan breathed, looking up at him— no longer the lost girl G-Dogg brought to him, her face now lined with determination and experience, creased with pain and effort. Lothan reached out for the amulet with one massive hand, closing his fist over Kellan's.

  "Not safely is such a servant taken on," he muttered. Then he intoned, voice carrying over the thunder and rain.

  "By the power of this token, by the power of my will, and by the power of your name, Seterin'ranshae, thou art banished forevermore! Leave this world and trouble it no longer! We command thee, begonel"

  As a surge of fresh power flowed into the struggle, Kellan straightened and pressed with all of her remaining will. Morningstar shrieked like a damned soul, recoiling from the combined power of the two magicians. Its shape flickered between its two forms, fiery wings folded in around it like a cloak, hands reaching out, as if pleading, trying to find anything to hold on to as it was pulled into an invisible vortex.

  No, please! It cried out. Please! I will give you anything you wish—anything! I will serve and obey you, please, I beg of you, do not. . . Noooooooo!

&
nbsp; The spirit's remaining pleas were cut off in a wailing cry as its astral form collapsed, swirling like glowing smoke drawn into a vent. White-gold streamers of light formed a whirlpool in the air, then suddenly winked out in a flash and a final booming crack of thunder from the clouds overhead.

  Kellan slumped against Lothan's side, the amulet dangling from her hand by its broken chain. The jade stone was charred and cracked. A thin trickle of smoke rose from it, dispersed by the steady rain. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and exhaustion.

  "Is it . . . ?"

  "It's over," Lothan replied. "It's gone."

  Kellan raised her head and surveyed the area scarred by lightning, brushing rain-soaked strands of hair out of her eyes. Suddenly, her head whipped around.

  "Oh, frag, where's Midnight?"

  With the rain still coming down, the mountain slope was treacherous, but a slim shadow moved alongside the ridge, out of sight of the cave mouth, toward the northwestern side of the mountain. From there it would be a slow climb down to the relative safety of the tree line and a long trek back to civilization, but she still had contacts and connections, arrangements for a safe haven and an opportunity to recoup. From there it would just be a matter of time.

  "Leaving so soon, Aerwin?" The voice stopped Midnight in her tracks as surely as the sound of a pistol being cocked. Toshiro Akimura stood nearby on the ridge, his weapon trained on her. She straightened up, hands held loosely out to her sides, and smiled, knowing Akimura could see as well as she despite the darkness. She slowly shook her head.

  "That gun's empty, Silk, and we both know it."

  "Are you sure of that?" he replied flatly.

  "Don't be a fool," she said. "You know I've made arrangements, should anything happen."

  "Things worse than you've already done?"

  She only smirked. "You can't even imagine."

  "Maybe I just don't care."

  "You know I won't believe that," Midnight said. "We've both worked the shadows for too long. It wasn't personal, it was just business. I'm sure we can make a deal. . . ."

  When Midnight whipped out the small holdout pistol, there were three shots in rapid succession. The first two caught her in the shoulder and arm, scattering sprays of blood in the rain. The third slammed into her midsection. She stumbled back a step, booted feet finding no purchase on the slick, wet slope; her arms windmilled, grasping at nothing, and she fell.

  Toshiro Akimura stepped up to the edge of the slope, looking down into the darkness as a flash of lightning illuminated the still form lying far below. He slowly holstered the gun, rainwater running down his face and dripping from his nose and chin.

  "You understand," he said into the darkness. "Nothing personal." Then he glanced up at the sky and sighed. "Rest easy, Marc, Mustang. Rest easy."

  Epilogue

  G-Dogg taped the box closed and rapped a hand on the top. "That takes care of that," he said. "Anything else, Jackie?" G-Dogg taped the box closed and rapped a hand on the top. "That takes care of that," he said. "Anything else, Jackie?"

  The decker glanced over from where she was taking stock of the boxes, bags and furniture stacked up in the middle of the main room of the apartment. Her hair was pulled back, and instead of her usual slick street or business wear, she was dressed in a well-worn tee-shirt and jeans. She shook her head.

  "I think that's it," she said. "Looks like we're ready to load up this stuff."

  G-Dogg stacked the box on top of two others and crouched down to lift them all in his burly arms. "I notice Lothan didn't come by to help you move," he grunted.

  "Lothan's rarely around when there's any kind of heavy lifting to be done," Jackie said with a smile, "but he is coming by my new place later to help out with some of the finishing touches."

  "Magical security?" Kellan observed, stepping through the open door of the apartment with Orion in tow. Jackie nodded in response as Orion picked up a box and followed G-Dogg downstairs to where Silver Max waited with the truck. Kellan took a look around the now almost empty apartment, stripped to the walls and ready to be cleaned.

  "Still can't believe you're giving up this place," she told Jackie, who only shrugged.

  "It was time for me to move on," she said. "It's not a good idea to get too settled in this business, and my new place will keep people guessing."

  "It's sure not as nice as this one," Kellan noted, and Jackie shrugged it off again.

  "It's got other features that I need at the moment," was all she said, and Kellan decided not to press the matter. She got the distinct feeling that Jackie's move involved more than just a desire for a change of scenery, but the decker didn't volunteer any information, so Kellan didn't ask. She was frankly appreciative of the fact that Jackie trusted her enough to help her relocate; she knew the decker liked to keep her offline life as private as possible.

  "So," Jackie asked, changing the subject, "how long before you and Orion are looking for a place?"

  Kellan shrugged, blushing pink. "I don't think we're ready for anything like that yet," she said, and the decker laughed.

  They each grabbed a box and headed down to the truck, passing G-Dogg and Orion on their way back up. The ork and elf were talking about recent conflicts between the gangs of the Seattle Barrens like any other two guys would talk sports scores. It seemed the war between the Spikes and the Ancients had heated up again, and G-Dogg was betting the Spikes were going to do some real damage this time, with Orion countering that the Ancients were probably getting help from someone of influence inside Tir Tairngire, since the elven nation had an interest in maintaining an underground pipeline into south Seattle. G-Dogg wondered if both gangs would recognize the growing threat of the Hellhounds, who claimed 405, and settle things out of mutual gain, or do enough damage to each other for the Hellhounds to make a move against one or both gangs.

  Silver Max was down curbside with the truck, though when they go there, he was in the middle of checking over the sleek racing bike parked just in front of the truck's cab. The dwarf looked over the bike's engine with an expert eye, nodding to himself as he followed the twists and turns of the pipes and valves.

  When G-Dogg and Orion came back down carrying Jackie's small couch, the elf called out over his shoulder.

  "What do you think, Max? Can you fix it up?"

  "Oh yeah," the dwarf replied, a smile splitting his bearded face. "The '59 Yamaha body is solid, you just need some new points and a tune-up, maybe an overhaul. I could probably put a nice charger in there for you, too." The rigger was clearly eager to tear into a new engine, take it apart and put it back together better than he found it. Orion grinned, helping G-Dogg heft the couch into the truck.

  "Sounds wiz," he said. "Wouldn't mind helping you out with it."

  "You're on."

  In fairly short order, the truck was loaded up, Jackie's old apartment locked up, and they were on their way to her new place. Kellan and G-Dogg rode in the cab with Silver Max, following Jackie, while Orion followed close behind the truck. Along the way, they filled Max in on their adventures in Tir Tairngire, the dwarf observing that he could have gotten them through the storm over the Cascades if he had been flying the VTOL, and saying he was sorry that he missed the whole caper.

  James Telestrian had been appreciative enough to arrange passage from Tir Tairngire back to Seattle in exchange for everything the runners learned, all copies of Marc Thierault's notes, and the promise of their silence on matters concerning Midnight and Morningstar. If the Tir government took any note of the "unusual meteorological phenomena" in the Cascade Mountains, no one chose to comment on it, leaving it as just another oddity of the Awakened world.

  In the dim light of his study, Lothan finished entering the last of the data via the wireless keyboard, and tapped the command for the computer to encrypt and save the file to his personal datastore behind a protected password. He leaned back in his heavy chair with a creak of old leather. While he would never entirely trust computers, he had to admit they we
re far more secure than actually writing things down. The heavy encryption would keep the information safer than a locked box.

  He had written down everything he could remember from Marc Thierault's ritual and experiment notes, and included his own observations of the spirit Morningstar, and, of course, its true name. Lothan had agreed to turn over the original datable to Telestrian and to keep quiet about what he'd seen and learned during their excursion into Tir Tairngire, but he wasn't fool enough to simply forget about it. One never knew when such information would come in handy, after all.

  The troll mage sighed heavily as he lifted the ruined jade amulet from the table in front of him, letting it dangle by its broken chain. It looked like a toy in his massive fist. The stone was cracked and charred, and only the faintest magical aura still clung to it. After Morningstar was banished, the necklace had apparently lost all magical power, and Kellan decided she wanted to bury it in the cave where her father had fallen; her way of honoring the man she never really knew, and putting the past behind her to move on to the future. She'd asked Lothan to teach her how to enchant a new amulet, something that could be truly hers.

  She didn't know that Lothan had unearthed the amulet when he stayed behind to seal up the cave, or that he brought it back with him to Seattle. There was no need for her to know. Lothan understood Kellan's desire to put the past to rest, but he was too practical to allow such a potential resource to lie buried under earth and rock—not when there still might be a use for the lingering astral traces within the gold and jade.

  Sighing again, Lothan opened the small teakwood box on the table in front of him, gently depositing the amulet within, folding its chain on top. He shut the lid and waved one hand over the box, causing a faint golden glow to flicker around it for a moment. Then, with another wave of his hand, he sent the box floating through the air to slide into an empty spot on the shelves lining the walls of his study, filled with books and the accumulated trinkets of a lifetime studying magic in the shadows. The computer signaled it had completed the encryption of the file, and Lothan looked at the message window for a moment before clicking it closed and shutting down the display. That's that. He rose from his chair, pausing for a moment in the doorway to turn off the light before closing the door, and consigning the room and its contents to the shadows.