by R N Skye
“Eighteen copper,” she answered looking around for the missing Nuekirk noticing the coat lying on the bench. Turning on her best gratuity producing smile she said, “I’ll be right back with a couple of boxes.
A few moments later Shew, laden with boxes containing a carefully packed breakfast and Nuekirk’s coat, flicked out a barely visible handheld artifact, then timed with a loud crash of a dropped porcelain platter from across the room he disappeared amidst the confusion. When the waitress turned back to offer her benediction of “have a nice Day…” the non-descript old man was gone – Before she could offer more than a suspicious glance at his absence the morning throng of customers drew her back into the chaos of the morning rush.
Shew had set up the plates on the small galley table when he heard the opening of the storeroom door and the quick steps of Nuekirk as he dashed up the stairs. Grabbing a freshly brewed pot of roasters and placing it on the table he turned as the younger man stepped on to the galley deck. “That was quick,” the older man said matter-of-factly. “You handled that pretty well considering your training so far,” he added with a rare compliment.”
“Thanks,” Nuekirk replied not quite sure how to respond. “Thanks for bringing breakfast. I’m starved.”
“Go get dried off and into some dry clothes first,” commanded Shew as if addressing a recruit; keeping dry and warm take priority. I don’t need you catching a cold and then passing it onto me.”
Shew continued setting up the table and faster than he thought possible the youth was back in dry clothes, still with damp hair, and scrambled around the gunwale side of the table onto the bench next to the porthole.
“So… I did pretty well eh,” smiled Nuekirk as he began to pile food onto his plate.
“Don’t get too round shouldered patting yourself on the back. You over exposed yourself by diving for that coin, if they had been trained by me they would have clubbed you just for the unexpected move. I do have to give you credit for the way you placed the tracker though. You have potential.”
“That waitress is pretty, don’t you think,” Nuekirk said between bites. “I think she likes me.”
Taking a sip from his mug of roasters Shew sat at the table across from the ‘kid’ as he had come to call him. “Kid, you’re still wet behind the ears. In the business were in right now you can’t afford to be calling on the ladies. You know nothing about her. For all you know she is a Jehhet spy. Let me finish getting the basics into you, and then I’ll teach you about what to look for in a woman to make sure she isn’t on the other team. Now what did they ask you?”
“They were just looking for a big empty building to store equipment in until it could be shipped somewhere.” The young man answered in a distracted manner as he reached for a biscuit. “I told them about the empty space on pier three and to look for a crotchety old man of your description.”
“Don’t be sugar coating things,” Shew reprimanded the youth. “I’m a mean old bastard and you know it. Calling me crotchety won’t get you on my good side and I still don’t want you chasing after that waitress.
“Ah come on she’s my age, there’s no way she’s a spy,” Scoffed Nuekirk.
“Oh really,” Shew narrowed his gaze. “Let me point out at least three things that are flaws in your logic. First: How old is she and how can you tell? Second: When I was head of the Jehhet CSS I had assets of all ages; including those younger than you. I’m sure my replacement kept up the same methods of gathering intelligence – especially here on the water front. Last but definitely not the least: How come you can be a spy at your age and not her?”
“She’s a girl,” Nuekirk protested weakly.
“And that kind of answer is why you are not to associate with any women or others of your peers that are not cleared by me. Never, ever, underestimate a woman. They are just as mart as men; some of them more so - and they have natural assets that distract men that aren’t paying attention. Especially a young man whose eyes are constantly admiring every pretty women in a skirt.”
“Yes sir,” mumbled the kid although he didn’t look convinced.
”The topic is closed for now,” Shew said with finality. “While you eat let’s talk about the men you planted the tracker on, everything you observed, and what you’ve learned.”
~~~~~
Ava led Leslie to the front foyer of her parents’ home. Several days had passed since her rescue and she was back to her normal self-sufficient and efficient self. The two had risen, had an early breakfast, and had spent the good part of two hours continuing the previous evenings discussion of glyph magic; including the research and studies that she was conducting on the restoration of the lost infrastructure of the ancient Luion technology and the Elios Magic. It wasn’t long before Leslie was just as engrossed as Ava was but more towards the communications aspect. Ari had given her one of the unique ear comms that Shane had designed and it hadn’t taken long for her keen mind to see the revolutionary effects that the instantaneous communication would have on the world as they knew it.
The days since the rescue were still a blur. The closeness with Ari seemed like a familiar blanket; of which she wondered how she had ever lived without it. For the first few days they had been inseparable but the need for more and more of Ari’s time and expertise with the war had dragged him back into the dark world of intelligence and security that had been so much a part of his past. It fit him she thought. He seemed to thrive on the danger and the challenge of outthinking the enemy. In the past she had been the same way, but since her imprisonment she found that she had changed. The fear that she had felt during her magical interrogation by the deranged king of Jehhet had altered her. She still felt her same capable self but knew that she never wanted to be that helpless ever again. The answer was simple. She would become a glyph mage and the way to becoming a glyph mage was through her niece Ava.
The transformation of her niece was a wonder in and of itself. A few short months ago Ava had seemed a typical, young, insecure, academic girl that needed continuous encouragement and reassurance about everything from boys to her eventual role in the family business. Now she was a leader and very much like her uncle Ari in her ability to analyze a situation and make immediate and sound decisions. She seemed to be taking on some of the characteristic of her fiancé as well; she was more relaxed, more studious, and more imaginative. This made her wonder how much she had missed on her brief assessment of Shane back before the war had begun. Clearly he was much, much, more than the personable, bright, motivated athlete that she had initially judged him to be. If Ari consulted with him for advice and followed him as he seemed to do, it was clear the young man was a one of a kind and definitely more than he seemed.
Ava stopped and opened the door of the former closet. Ava began touching glyphs. “This is the portal that Shane built to travel to Yllyan,” She explained. “These glyphs select the destinations. This is to Shane’s house, this is to the research center, and this one opens up to the front of the Library in Yllyan; which is where we are going today. If you want to be a glyph mage the first thing we need you to do to start boning up on your knowledge of glyphs.”
“If these are the only destinations how do Ari and Shane get around to so many different places?” asked her aunt as she studied the glyphs on the door frame.
“Mainly because Shane has made a couple of devices that can open portals just about anywhere so they are not dependent on the door here. That and Shane’s magic is at or near the level of a Lumen Mage. He has been trying to teach me but so far I need more practice. He says that I’m equal to a high glyph mage on the border of becoming a glyph master and beginning lumen magic. Every time I ask how to become a glyph master he just smiles and says that I’ll know when the time comes. I thought he was just teasing me but I asked my instructor and it told me that the levels of magic are not obtained through instruction and knowledge alone but through wise use of the instruction received and ability.”
“Meaning that there is a ch
ance that I will not be able to do magic?” asked her aunt worriedly.
Ava paused, the thought never having crossed her mind. “Aunt Leslie, of course you will be able to do magic. Remember all those things that that horridly awful Wendell kept saying about your lumen? Shane is certain he was Allyant possessed and he obviously could tell you had lumen abilities. Now stop thinking the worst and let’s get to the records center.”
The closet evaporated into a view of the early afternoon in Yllyan and a very solid looking granite building. “With a smile Ava changed the subject. Aunt Leslie, I give you the records center, or as I like to call it the library.”
The two women walked up to the sealed entryway Leslie noted the windows that appeared to be different shades of various colored granite. She watched as Ava activated the entry console the newness of it preoccupying her thoughts so that she was slow to respond to place her hand on the miraculous slivered sphere that appeared from nowhere. After the verification of her heritage she was slightly relieved to find that she had lumen potential after all, and was eligible to be classified as a student.
“You won’t be a full student until you have your own instructor,” explained Ava as they walked into the building. “Shane’s uncle made mine for me so I don’t think it will be a problem for me to make one for you but we need to get your special glyphs first so we should probably wait until the Arc sends you a dream or a Lumen Master gives them to you. You need to wait for your own unique glyphs in order to complete it.”
“Why are all of the entries walled up?” Leslie asked as she took in the peculiar stools and the different colored stoned over entryways. “As she turned around she gave a start as she notice the entry that they had entered disappeared. “Are we locked in?”
“No, it has always done that. Shane keeps promising that he will get over here to read more into the glyphs and query the records to figure it out why but he has been too busy. I can’t get more info because the information is limited to Lumen Mages or given by a Lumen Mage. The Elios are very protective of who they share their knowledge with.”
“I can see a need for that,” relied her aunt. “The amount of power that can be wielded by even a glyph mage is formidable. I imagine that full Lumen Mages would not want to give knowledge like that to just anyone; it would be the equivalent of handing a sharp knife to a child.”
Ava activated the records interface and introduced Leslie as a new student. “I need to go, just ask questions and the records center will give you the answers. Most of what you ask will likely come tonight when you sleep because direct interface can be quite exhausting and the Elios designed most of the instruction to occur through dream interface. When you finish up there is a trolley that runs to the corner to the research center every fifteen minutes. If you get lost just ask for directions or give me a call on the comm,” Ava said as she opened the exit and stepped through. “Have fun!” She waved with a smile as the door closed.
Leslie sat on one of the comfortable stools that required the user to sit in a slight kneeling position. While seeming awkward at first it was actually quite comfortable and it seemed to afford a comfortable posture even after long hours of viewing information. After her second hour Leslie stood and stretched and walked around the circumference of the interior feeling the smooth stone. A tingle seemed to flow up her arm as she touched each of the doors. Turning she asked the sphere that seemed to be her source of instruction. “Do the records centers have librarians?”
“The Librarian functions are currently suspended at this records center,” answered the sphere.
“How is new information added, if there is no one to enter it?” asked Leslie.
“That information is not available for students,” answered the device. I will provide the information upon the approval of the Lumen Master,” the sphere continued.
Leslie recalled that Ava had told her that she may need to be very specific with her questions if she ran into roadblocks that required an advanced mage in order to get her answers. “Hmmm,” she pondered to herself.
“The Lumen Master authorizes the records center to answer the student’s questions,” spoke an amused voice from behind her.
With lightning reflexes Leslie turned with a spinning kick that passed through the visage of a robed mage that had appeared behind her. Dropping to a tuck and roll Leslie relocated herself to a defensive posture across the room, crouched behind the cover of a cubicle beyond reach. Seeing no pursuit she stood and viewed a tall man in a cream colored robe with a maroon robe length vest with a maroon cloth belt and stood with his hands clasped behind his back rocking back and forth from heel to toe; a knowing smile and twinkling eyes watching her response.
“The former librarian of the Yllyan records center was mortally wounded in the destruction of Valee City during the meteor storm that destroyed it. She has not been replaced and until replaced the record keeping is currently limited to automatic gathering from the Arc,” the records center sphere answered her question ignoring her startled response.
“What, where?” she stammered. “Who are you? You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that, it’s rude.”
“I do apologize for startling you, Mademoiselle Coeur. I’m glad that I chose not to appear in person. That kick would have been hard to defend against. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ahhan. Eliom was once my home for a while many years ago. It is a family estate so to speak,” he added with a chuckle.
“Nice to meet you,” she hesitated, “Do I shake your hand?” she asked recalling the inefficacy of her kick.”
The man disappeared and the stone brick filled entryway that looked to be made of greenish tinted granite faded away revealing a bright sunny green forest morning filled with enormous unfamiliar trees. The man whom she had been speaking with stepped through and approached her with an extended hand.
Shaking hands the man smiled and indicated the silvered sphere in the nearby cubicle. “I believe that the center has answered your question.”
“I was so surprised that I wasn’t paying attention,” frowned Leslie, looking at the sphere.
“Basically what it said; if you will allow me to expand,” responded the mage,” a few hundred years ago a man by the name of Pechor stumbled onto our little world of Eliom and started a storm of meteors in an attempt to destroy it. We had defenses in place but he had the element of surprise. Unfortunately the damage was quite extensive. Many of the residents were killed. Many that were able stayed to assist those that were injured or unable to defend themselves, others fled home to Elios but those not strong enough were forced to stay behind.”
The man called Ahhan waved his hand and the walls of the records center disappeared into a vision of destruction and people pulling each other from the rubble of destroyed cities.
“For many years the only Elios that remained were the healers and protectors until the last remaining was the Singer of the Arc; referred to today by the Luion as the Chanson.
Those that were able retreated to the sanctuary of Elios under the protection of their families. Unfortunately Elios is system with binary suns and if one is not a very powerful mage one cannot abide its worlds without protection.” A panorama of a galaxy opened up displaying an array of colors and stars that causing Leslie a brief feeling of vertigo.
The Elios sought the advice of the Eno far-seers and it was determined that the world plan would succeed and that the mixing of the Luion with the Elios was sufficient to continue. There was only one problem. The man known as Pechor did not perish with the destruction of his starblade and he began to poison the world with the corrupt use of lumen that the fallen Allyant have chosen to use rather than commit to the Laws of Light. The Singer of the Arc was able to halt this but alas the damage was great and almost the entire civilization of the Luion and the remnant of the Elios was nearly destroyed and reduced to the world that you see today.
An image of a very beautiful woman with long honey and gold hair with copper and hazel eyes appear
ed replacing the panorama of the distant galaxy. This woman was one of the greatest Lumen Mages ever to descend from Elios. She was responsible for the network of magic and protection that saved Eliom from the bombardment of the meteors. Additionally she was an amazing healer. She was also the records keeper of the Yllyan center for knowledge and instruction. She perished while trying to evacuate the city of Valee. Her name was Yenal.” Ahhan paused as if searching for his voice his eyes glistening. “Please pardon my emotion; we were very close.” The image of the women disappeared. She had a daughter that survived and grew up an orphan. Like her mother she was strong in the capacity and the abilities of lumen, but as a descendant of both Luion and Elios heritages she could not abide Elios without the proper training in lumen magic and was of necessity required to stay here on Eliom. The reason I bring this to your attention is because you are her descendant. I thought you should know.
Something you should also know is the events of the far-seers are coming to fruition and the world plan will soon be complete. The war with the Allyant is the last bitter pill and the Singer of the Arc has produced an heir. He is the first to be born on this world with parentage that are both Elios Lumen Masters, as well as a true descendent of Eliom because of his birth here. He is the only one that can sing the glyphs of both worlds, cleanse the Allyant contamination, and restore the Arc and most important complete the binding between Eliom and Elios. Once this is done this world will be complete and all born here or live here long enough will have the magic within them to live safely here and when they are ready also abide on Elios and other world’s like it.”
“Why are you telling me this?” asked Leslie.
“Just as important as the restoration of the song and binding of the worlds, the knowledge of both the Elios and the recording of the new legacy of Eliom to come, is vitally important. One of the strengths of the Elios is due to the knowledge they have obtained and archived.”
