by Ben Hale
"You weren't the only one targeted," Hawk said.
"I know," Gerik said with an angry grunt. "Everyone on the high council is missing at least one member of their family. I am fortunate mine have been returned alive. Chancellor Anderson has seen his wife and son delivered dead to his doorstep. They only have his daughter to control him now. He shouldn't have resisted so much."
"Why haven't any of you reported this to the public?"
"What good would it do?" Gerik said. His voice was resigned. "Ranson and the Harbingers have people in every branch of the Magtherian. By the time we realized how much they had taken over it was too late."
"Do you know what he is after?" Hawk asked.
"To control the aurens," Gerik said. "Why else would he be telling them his home was struck by an auren weapon? Or pass the vote to bring magic public? With the vote decided, the people are looking to the manner they should come out of hiding. Now Ranson is using the attack, the murders, and the conflict to stoke the people's fears into anger. If he succeeds, the revelation of the mage world will result in the death of many aurens."
"That is not all he seeks," Hawk said.
Gerik turned to face him. "What else does he intend?"
"He has the Sword of Elseerian."
Gerik's face turned white, making him appear even older. "He wants to use Draeken's army? But the fiends would slaughter the world. It's what they were created for."
"The fiends are gone, Chancellor," Hawk said quietly.
"How can you know that?" Gerik demanded.
Hawk told him about the events following the Sword's theft, and how only a few thousand fiends had exited the portal.
"And once they were destroyed . . . nothing came out? If that's true then we have nothing to fear."
Hawk hesitated. Was there any potential danger to revealing what truly lay behind the portal? He wasn't certain there was, but he couldn't plan for what he did not know. Either way, Hawk needed an ally in the Spirus, and Chancellor Gerik would be invaluable.
"The fiends may be gone . . . but the source that created them remains," Hawk said slowly.
Gerik's eye cleared in an instant as he stared at him. "What source?" His voice had become hard and brittle.
"I believe that Draeken used an entity known as the Dark to create his army."
"What do you mean . . . the Dark?"
"After the last of the fiends emerged, another figure came through the portal. He called himself Ducalik, servant to Draeken, master of flesh and the Dark. He brought forth the fog."
"What did the Dark do?" Gerik asked. His gaze was distant and calculating.
Hawk felt the urge to shudder as he recalled the power. "The Dark extinguished every light, and then robbed my allies of their reason. They became . . . Darkened, and sought to kill those who were still fighting the intrusive fear." He didn't add that it had even overcome him, and almost forced him to kill Tess. He also didn't voice that the few that had survived the encounter were still Darkened, and their consciousness appeared gone forever.
Gerik stared at the waterfall in front them, his gaze unfocused. "How . . . powerful do you believe this Dark to be?"
"According to Ducalik, the Dark would consume the planet."
Gerik released a long sigh and appeared to gather himself. "Then we cannot allow the Harbingers to keep the Sword. The anniversary of Draeken's defeat is only two months away. If they release this evil, auren and mage alike will be extinguished."
"That is why I wanted to speak with you," Hawk said.
Gerik frowned at him. "You want me to join the Guild."
"I do."
Gerik turned away and didn't respond. Then he said, "I am aware of the Guild—and that you are the Guildmaster—but only because Ranson has sought to destroy you."
"The Guild has existed for a sentenium," Hawk said. "And its sole purpose is to protect the peace between aurens and mages. We have faced a number of threats, but none compare to Ranson and the Harbingers."
"I will consider your proposal," Gerik said.
"Spoken like a politician."
"Like a cautious man," Gerik corrected. "My children were taken the last time I disobeyed him."
"When you decide, don't use the mage net to contact me," Hawk said. Reaching into his cloak, he withdrew a folded paper crane. Of its own accord the bird flew to Gerik.
"An origami message?" Gerik's eyebrows shot up. "That's an old one."
"That's exactly why we should use it," Hawk said. "Technology mages can't track it, and a light bending spell will keep it from being spotted. This one has been enchanted to find its way back to me."
Gerik pocketed the crane and smiled. "You are cunning, Guildmaster, I give you that." He rose to his feet. "I will contact you soon."
"Don't delay," Hawk said. "We don't have much time."
Gerik nodded and turned away. Before he'd gone ten steps Hawk stood and called after him.
"One more thing," Hawk said, causing Gerik to turn. "Have you ever seen anyone giving orders to Ranson?"
"You mean like a superior?" Gerik asked.
Like a Master. Hawk nodded.
"Never," Gerik replied. "But then, Ranson has never cared for one." His brow furrowed. "Are you saying there is another greater than he?"
"I am," Hawk said.
"Then we truly have reason to fear," Gerik said. "Ranson is dangerous enough. I cannot imagine one more powerful than him."
"They call him the Master," Hawk said. "And it's possible that he wields a unique magic."
"A unique?" Gerik exclaimed in surprise. "Of what kind?"
"I know not," Hawk said. "The color and power are unknown to me."
"That is puzzling . . . and disturbing." Gerik said. "I'm sure you know how dangerous unique's can be."
"I am aware."
"Then I will keep my eyes open," Gerik said, and inclined his head. "Watch your back, Guildmaster."
"Chancellor," Hawk said with a curt bow.
Gerik turned and slipped away, leaving Hawk alone in the park. A moment later Ritsu dropped from her perch above them.
"Do you trust him?" she murmured.
"For now," Hawk said. "If we don't find out where the Harbingers are keeping the Sword, we are all lost. Gerik has the motivation and the position—and he has always sought to serve our people."
"He didn't bring anyone else," Ritsu said. "So it appears he trusts you."
"Let's just hope he decides to join us," Hawk replied.
Ritsu merely issued a grunt of agreement. Hawk didn't respond, and after a minute she departed. Hawk remained in the park until darkness had swallowed it. Then he evaporated into the night.
Chapter 26: The Sundrop
Tess left her tutoring with Janson worn, sore, and cold. The water mage had taught her numerous powerful water spells, many of which had involved ice. She shivered, and drew heat from the sunlight to warm herself.
The quad was coming to close faster than she could keep up with, and there remained only days before the final exams. The weather had turned cold, and a few flurries of snow had drifted onto the grounds. She knew it was just the season, but the temperature seemed to reflect the fear in her heart.
She passed a knot of students gathered around a news orb. By the sound of it they were replaying an older report about the steel entity. Even though no one knew who had been involved, she felt her gut tighten as she passed. The incident had dimmed the attention on her, but she wasn't sure that was a good thing anymore. At first she had been relieved, but now she worried about the impact of so much conflict.
Students of Tryton's couldn't seem to recover from one revelation before another was thrust upon them. First her identity, and then the revelation about mage murders, followed by the attack on Ranson's home, and that didn't even count the changes at the school itself. When the news broke about the steel giant the students had begun to realize something was amiss.
She saw it in their eyes as they talked about the latest incident, and heard
it in their whispered conversations. They were smart and had been taught to be perceptive. Instead of looking at the individual events they were looking for connections. The battle between the Guild and Harbingers had spilled into the public eye, and the students could sense the rising storm, even if they didn't understand its source.
She hoped the novelty would wear off when the Magtherian managed to move the steel giant, but so far that had proved impossible. A small army of gravity mages had tried to lift it, but it had remained resolute, its arms folded as it stood tall. Despite the concern that it would reactivate, spectators flocked to see it, and stood gawking as battlemages and officials struggled to relocate it.
The real positive note was that the incident had taken the Harbingers equally by surprise. Without reliable monitoring motes the Magtherian had been unable to provide an explanation as to what had happened. Their best guess was that the ancient entity had been accidentally activated and had sought to carry out its purpose. Because Tess was an oracle, not even the highest of earth masters had been able to discover its new purpose.
She wished she could get back to it and change it, but the deluge of attention had made that impossible—and she wasn't certain she could. Although her friends had enquired as to what Tess had done she'd shied away from answering. The purpose she'd given had come in the conflict, confusion, and fear of the moment. She had no desire to share her moment of terror.
The memory of the giant trying to crush her flashed across her vision, and she twitched. Then she shoved the thought from her mind. She didn't have time to dwell on it. There was far too much for her to do. With an effort, she turned her attention to the next item on her schedule. For the first time in a while, it was something she looked forward to.
She quickened her pace and turned toward her room. Pausing just long enough to get Iris, she made her way to the front of the school. A thrill of anticipation coursed through her, but she remained on the ground. After all the homework she'd had, she needed to conserve her energy for the game.
Every spare second since the tryout she'd spent in the stadium practicing Tempest. In a matter of weeks she'd learned the game, practiced strategies, and become part of the team. It was an experience both exhilarating and confusing. On the one hand she had made new friends among her teammates, on the other she'd had little time for Derek, Iris, and Rox.
She sighed, and reminded herself that she couldn't place all the blame on the team. Between her studies, homework, and all the tutors, she felt like there was no room for anything else. She hoped that getting out of Tryton's might alleviate the tension she felt, at least temporarily. Not for the first time, she reminded herself that she should be working more on the Crest. She had yet to unlock it.
In spite of the upcoming game at another school, Tess couldn't shake the prevailing fear that had continued to mount. It was the last weekend before finals, and only days until the end of the term. Time seemed to be hastening, and now the deadline to finding the Sword was just weeks away. She felt an anxious tightening in her stomach at the idea that the Harbingers were setting up something major. She thrust the thought aside.
She needed a break and she knew it. Releasing an explosive breath she launched herself into the air and let the breeze soothe her mind. She wished she had time to float, but if she didn't hurry she would be late. Reluctantly she flew straight to her room. Collecting her things, she coaxed Stel into remaining behind. Grend's were not allowed in the game, and the metal intelligence wouldn't sit with Iris during it. Then she flew Iris and herself to the center of Auroraq.
She tried to act normally as she saw the lingering destruction from the steel giant's path. Some of the trees were still down, and a handful of the enormous footprints still needed to be repaired. It was the first time Tess had seen it in person, and she felt the gaze of hundreds of officials as she passed it by. She knew her presence on that night was not known, but that did little to alleviate her tension.
To the side of the governing tower, a smaller building lay nestled in a stand of trees. Tess landed them next to it and joined the collection of students there.
"Glad you could make it," Parker said. "And it's good to see you too, Iris."
Iris grunted but ignored him. She was too busy wiggling her fingers in the air as she manipulated signals. She'd chosen not to bring her beanie this time, and had snapped something about needing the extra resources.
Parker grinned and turned back to Tess. "You ready for the game?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said with a sigh. After fighting with a clan of rock trolls against the Dark itself, defending her home against the Harbingers, and battling an ancient steel entity, the game seemed . . . tame. "How are we getting there anyway?"
"Brokins is in the south Pacific Ocean, so we will be taking a sundrop."
"A what?"
"A sundrop is like a plane, only it flies much higher."
"So it's a plane?"
He shook his head, trying to find a way to explain. "It's like a tornado launcher, but larger. It's for intercontinental travel." His eyebrows pulled together. "You've never ridden on one?"
His tone made it sound like he was surprised that the oracle hadn't done it. "No," she said curtly, and then turned away to find Shorn approaching her.
"Ready to go? Did you bring your guest?"
She gestured to Iris who was arguing with a tree, her eyes glazed over.
"Good." He then raised his voice and called to the gathered team. "Let's go everyone." He turned on his heel and led the way through the door and down a wide flight of stairs. At the bottom the steps opened into an enormous corridor. Well over fifty feet in height, the tunnel extended in both directions to the extreme edges of the city. Pinpoints of light could be seen in either direction, indicating that they stood in the center of a hole that bored through the underbelly of Auroraq.
Dominating the space, a massive teardrop of glass pointed east. Transparent and expansive, the sundrop bore stubby wings on the sides that were also made of glass. Inside, the floor was opaque, and was the color of blue sky. No engines adorned the ship, and it appeared to be lacking a cockpit. Much like the terra trains, the sundrop held chairs and couches in place of cramped seats.
"Who flies it?" Tess asked. She lifted off the ground and soared toward the door in the side. The friends of the other teammates who couldn't fly used the grav lift, but like Tess, the other flyers disregarded it.
"A techno mage," Shorn said.
"Like a pilot?"
Shorn shook his head and jerked a thumb above them. "The Sky Agency is housed on the seventh floor of the Spirus. Among other things, they guide all the sundrops."
Tess landed at the top of the stairs, joining Iris as she floated to a place beside her. Apparently hearing the conversation, Iris said, "The sundrops are enchanted to fly a specific route, so the Sky Agency just keeps an eye on them to make sure nothing happens."
"Do they ever crash?" Tess asked. It was unnerving to think that the plane she was boarding had no pilot. Still, she entered and took a seat on one of the couches.
"It couldn't if it tried," Iris said with a tinkling laugh. "The entire floor is imbued with gravity magic. The worst it could do is slowly sink to the surface.
Tess's mind was drawn back to the tornado launcher that had been sabotaged—with her in it. That incident had nearly killed her friends, and had been perpetrated by Drake. Her lips tightened into a thin line at the memory, making it difficult for her to shake her lingering anxiety. A moment later the door was closed and the sundrop began to accelerate.
Veins of purple glowed on the sides of the tunnel, brightening as the sundrop surged forward. In moments the walls became a blur of dark rock and purple magic. Then suddenly they burst through the cloudwall and into the afternoon sun.
Tess blinked at the brightness, but the glass had already darkened several shades. She turned and squinted behind them, and noticed that just as with the air boards, the sundrop emitted a vapor trail in its w
ake, making it appear as if their passage was a plane. Clouds blew past them as they continued to accelerate. She snorted in chagrin. She recalled the times she'd seen a plane streaking through the sky, and had wondered how it moved so fast.
"Hey," Parker said, drawing her attention away from the view.
"What?" Tess asked bluntly.
Parker shifted. "Sorry about . . . earlier. Sometimes I forget you aren't like the rest of us students."
Tess stared at him, and then released a sigh. "Me too, Parker. Don't worry about it."
Parker grinned, and then turned away as a girl asked him something. Iris took his place, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Do you have any idea how many techno spells are placed on this thing? So far I've seen a directional charm, a drogan enchantment, a prastel spell, and a rolastian charm—and that's not even including the anti-tampering spells."
Tess laughed. "I have no idea what you are talking about, but I wish I could see it."
Iris's eyes took on a dangerous look. "Why can't you?" she murmured, and slid into a seat next to her. "I mean, no one else can do gravity and techno magics—but you aren't just anybody. With my help, you could see it all in no time. I bet you could even—"
"I wish I could, Iris," Tess said. "But I am overwhelmed as it is, and I don't think I'm ready for the distractions that would come with it. If I got distracted like most techno mages I think I would start failing my classes."
Iris blinked and withdrew an inch. "If you don't like techno magic, you can just say so."
"That's not what I—"
Iris had already risen to her feet and departed. Without looking back she strode to the other side of the sundrop and chose a solitary chair. Tess made to follow her but a couple of her teammates intercepted her course.
"We have an idea about our four-point maneuver," Will said. "Got a minute?"
Tess forced a smile. "Sure," she said.
