The corner of Gaea’s mouth quirked up. “Brute force would have been so much more satisfying, wouldn’t it?”
Sarai’s cheeks colored. Obviously, the goddess had read through her like a pane of glass.
“So, Mother Gaea,” Corim asked. “Is there anything we can do? Any tasks we can perform to assist with the genemar or any of the other projects?”
“I do have one indulgent thing you can do for me,” Gaea said.
“What’s that?”
“I heard daughter Janai mentioning that she missed being in the court and lady Velastra’s pastries. The way she described them—mmmm.” She sighed.
“I didn’t know you were serious,” Janai said. “I’ll have a variety catered in for dinner.”
The goddess clapped her hands. “Oh, will you? That will be marvelous. I know it’s terrible… but I do so love sweets.” Her features hardened. “There is a real mission though. I thought the eternals would have some of the materials I needed, but it appears the stores at Starholme will be the only place we can acquire them. Wren, can you take Bannor, Daena, and some of the others and collect a sort of grocery list for me?”
“Of course, Mother. I just need to know where and what.”
“That will be one of the things. It may be dangerous. It’s in the pits and some of my other children may still live there.”
Bannor’s brow furrowed. “What other children?”
“Well, at one time I had some of the Lokori stationed there to guard Starholme. It was hundreds of millennia ago, but there’s still a chance they might be there.”
“The Lokori,” Corim repeated. “The same ones that tore up all the Kriar, right?”
Gaea winced. “Yes. If we’re going to finish that genemar, we’re going to need those things.”
“I better go then,” Senalloy said. “If they’re that tough, even Wren is going to have trouble with them.”
“No more than six,” Gaea said. “The security in that area won’t allow more than six in at a time.”
Bannor frowned. “I better not go then. With my nola so weak, I’m a burden.”
The green mother rounded on him and slapped his shoulder. “I will not hear such talk. My gifts to you are much more than your ability to see or disassemble the threads of reality. You have very good instincts and you lead well. Daughter Sarai isn’t marrying Bannor the savant, she’s marrying Bannor the man.” She smacked his shoulder again. “Remember it. I trust I shall never hear such talk again.”
He sighed and gritted his teeth. “Yes, Mother,” he relented. That certainly had come out of nowhere. Wren and Daena were staring at him. It figured, the first scolding Gaea dished out just had to be him.
Didn’t she understand that he had felt like a cripple the last few days? It was like all the light had gone out of the inside of him. All the times he wished he never had the garmtur. So stupid. It was a part of him. He never realized just how much until it had been viciously torn from his tao.
“After that little outburst,” Gaea said. “Wren, Bannor is going. If Sen is going, I suggest Ziedra, Daena, and I’ll dig up your brother. It will give him something to do besides make the valkyries walk funny.”
“Oh please, would you?” Wren said.
Gaea looked to Sarai. “You can let go of Bannor for a few bells can’t you?”
The third princess scowled. “If I have to. This sounds pretty dangerous.”
“If you hadn’t noticed, being around this citadel is dangerous,” Gaea told her. “The Baronians or the Daergons could attack at any time. That’s why we can’t afford to wait and hope that some of the materials turn up.”
Sarai focused violet eyes on him. “Yes, Matradomma.”
Return to Contents
* * *
Chapter Ten
I saw a little snip of a girl a third of Lady
Senalloy’s size go at her and not only hold
her own, but actually hammer the elder so
bad she stopped the fight. She did it without
special powers, just raw skill and
conditioning. Granted she had four times
the lifespan of a normal person, but still…
To me, it demonstrated the value of
knowledge and dedication. It is a lesson I
will not forget…
—Bannor Nalthane Starfist,
Prince Conjugal of Malan
Bannor put his boot on the bench and cinched the laces down tight. As usual, the council chambers were chosen as the sendoff point, the ancient halls of law and judgment resonated with the wisdom of the elf elders. Over the days, he had become comfortable and sometimes sat in the hall alone listening to the silence. Sometimes, he simply needed the quiet. Prior to losing the garmtur, his mind had seemed so crowded, the voices of his brothers and sisters constantly in his head.
After being alone for most of his life, feeling such a kinship had definitely warmed a part of him long cold. It took a while to get accustomed to it, but when he did, knowing they were there made him feel stronger and more self assured. He felt that emptiness now. He stood alone so long—being self sufficient—hiding in that cabin in the woods avoiding people. He hated people—they couldn’t be trusted—not even the ones that raised you. Deep down inside him, he still felt that betrayal. He had been thirteen summers old when the King’s guard dragged him and Rammal off to fight in the war.
It had taken being whipped, begging and slave-labor just to stay in the same regiment with his brother. When a Northrealm arrow lamed Ramm, Bannor carried him leagues, trying to get him to safety. In the end, the flood of attackers overran them and his brother took more arrow hits and expired in a ditch. He had done everything he could do.
None of that mattered to his father. Ramm was his favorite, his first born, his prodigy—how dare Bannor let Rammal die. Ten summers later his father’s curt words still hurt. Why did you have to live instead of Ramm?
His mother and sister had railed at Father’s harshness, but broke under the storm of his anger and disappointment. Bannor had not seen his mother or father since the day he walked out, body numbed and spirit crushed by his father’s indifference, and his mother’s weakness.
He saw Ravan in Tenax a few tendays after the incident. His sister had been ashamed and unable to summon the courage to do more than ask after his health. They had parted after a brittle silence. He remembered her expression, brow furrowed in concern. There had been so many questions in her eyes.
Angered by her timid attempts at communication, he had been the one to turn away. She reminded him of what he would never have again.
Summers later, when touring a borderlands town, he heard she had gotten married. A few times, he promised himself to make the trek down south to visit her. It never crystallized. He would have had to search. He would have had to go back to Drenin-town and ask around. Then he would have been far too close to Father. Even now, he didn’t know what he would say if he ever met him again; so many summers—so much bitterness.
He felt a hand on his back. “Hey,” a female voice said to him.
Bannor straightened and turned to look into Daena’s green glowing eyes. The girl looked down. Since the incident, she still had trouble meeting his gaze. He studied the girl’s strong, hard body, the auburn hair falling down around her face. Dressed in the tight-fitting Kriar battle armor she cut an impressive figure.
“Hello, Daena,” he said, leaning against the pillar.
The girl looked around. “Where’s Sarai? Why are you off in the corner here by yourself?”
His jaw worked a little. “Reflecting is all. Sarai is mad at me.”
“Mad at you?” Her brow furrowed. “Why? You’re just doing what Gaea told you to do.”
He scowled at her. “You’re a woman—you tell me.”
She blinked. “Oh. Well, I suppose she’s just concerned.” She looked around. “So, I guess we’re early?”
“The others had stuff to do. Gaea had to find Azir. Wren had to sp
eak with her folks and get Ziedra. Sen is around.”
Daena sighed. She walked over and fell into one of the conference table chairs. She studied him from her seat, glowing green eyes unblinking. After a few moments she said, “You know, if you need to talk, I’ll listen. I know I’m not full of good advice and stuff—but I figure by now, you’re probably tired of being preached to by the know-it-alls.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “That’s for sure. I don’t know there’s much to talk about. Can’t change the past, right?”
The girl leaned her head to one side. “Not yet, anyway.”
“Someone with your power shouldn’t even make jokes about that,” a deep female voice said from across the chamber.
Bannor turned to see Megan Vinax, the leader of the Shael Dal come strolling in. Dressed in black chain-mail, rainbow colored wings shining, he always found her to be an amazing sight. The air-maiden brushed at her gleaming blonde hair as she glided across the room. Bannor noticed she was a carrying a long thin box under her arm.
“I hear you’re going on a mission,” the woman said as she approached. “Koass asked me to give you something to take with you.”
“Koass?” His brow furrowed. “What?”
Megan stopped in front of him and held up the box. The container was over a pace long and made of black enameled wood inlaid with gold and precious jewels. Whatever was inside must have incredible value.
Bannor looked into the woman’s shining blue eyes. Her face was too sharp to be strictly called beautiful. It was the benevolence and strength that shone from her that made this creature so entrancing. He reached out to the box and ran a finger across the glossy smooth surface of the wood.
Megan turned and walked over to the conference table. She set the box down. There were two golden clasps holding the lid shut. She turned the pinions, released them, and swung the lid up.
He stepped over to look. Inside on a bed of blue velvet was a long two-edged battlesword made of what looked like shimmering water. Reflections danced along the blade, making the edges flicker like the wavering of air on a desert horizon. Even without his savant senses he felt the power of the thing. His heart thudded. It could be only one thing.
Daena rose from her chair and leaned over to look. “Whoa.”
“A shaladen?” he said. “Koass is giving me a shaladen?”
“Loaning you a shaladen,” Megan corrected. “As an ascendant you wouldn’t need it—but you might not be an ascendant again—” She frowned. “Ever. This is our way of apologizing.”
“Apologizing? I don’t follow.”
“The Daergons and the Baronians are really the responsibility of the Protectorate. You were called in to consult and thus their attention became focused on you. Koass feels responsible for what has happened. Thus, he feels this honorary blade may fill the void in the mean time… provided you will obey the rules of the Shael Dal.”
“The rules didn’t seem that hard.”
Megan tilted her head, golden hair wreathing around her face. “They aren’t really.”
He looked at the glittering blade. If it was like the others, Sarai and he would be joined the same way he had been with the other savants.
He remembered the feel of Sharonsheen in his hand. It had been like grasping a star.
“There is another benefit,” Megan said, running her finger along the blade. She seemed in no hurry. “Koass said having the shaladen should make your tao heal faster.”
“Really?” The thought made a shock of hope surge through him. “Does he know that for sure?”
Megan pushed out her lip and shrugged. “He only mentioned it in passing,” she said. “He is my husband. Given past experience, he rarely mentions things he isn’t fairly certain of.” She looked down to the weapon. “This blade is called Xersis. Before he became an eternal, Koass used this weapon in close to fifty campaigns. He had it made into an honorary shaladen as a way of preserving it. He thinks of it as a good luck charm. You’re very special Bannor. Zedar and Alisha, his other two surrogates were not offered this weapon.”
Bannor stared at the thing. It was hard not to be intimidated. He knew from previous experience just how powerful these weapons were. “Are you sure about this? Me?”
Megan smiled. “Bannor, my husband is a paladin.” She fluttered her wings. “He’s a paladin among paladins—he knows a good man when he sees him. So do I. Take it, use it. It will keep those Daergons from tracking you and possibly using that hideous device on you again.”
“Do it, Brother,” Daena said. “Especially if will help you heal.”
He sighed and nodded. “All right, Megan. I accept this shaladen and promise to obey the laws of Shael Dal, and follow the orders of my host Eternal, Koass.”
Megan made a bow to him. “Well said.” She looked to Daena. “You may want to step back.” Daena hastily retreated a few steps. “Bannor, say the weapon’s name.”
He drew a breath. “Xersis,” he said.
“Now, take the hilt in both hands, step back to the middle of the room and raise the weapon over your head.”
He drew a breath. He reached into the case and took the hilt in one hand and lifted it gently from the case. The weapon was heavier than he expected. Sparks spun in orbits around the blade as he wrapped his other hand around the base of the pommel. He stepped back to the center of the chamber and looked back to Megan and Daena.
“Now?”
Megan nodded.
He raised the weapon over his head.
The air maiden raised her hand. In a flare of light, Sharonsheen appeared in her fist, rasping and crackling with magic. She held the shimmering blade up in front of her. “Bannor, repeat after me,” Megan said to him. “I Bannor Starfist…”
He swallowed and spoke in a clear voice. “I Bannor Starfist…”
The valkyrie’s eyes gleamed, reflecting the bright light emanating from Xersis and Sharonsheen. “Accept this shaladen and hereby swear to lawfully serve the Protectorate with honor, courage, and dignity.”
He tilted his head back feeling the power in the blade grow. He steeled himself and repeated the words. “Accept this shaladen—” Tongues of bluish magic flickered and licked down the blade, across his arm and spun around his chest. His heart beat fast and his stomach tightened. “And hereby swear to lawfully serve—” Streamers of red energy whirled and licked around his legs. Rings of golden flames trailed down his arms. “The Protectorate with honor, courage, and—dignity.”
The magic of the shaladen continued to grow. As he spoke the last word of his allegiance, the room went white. A flood of heat and strength crashed into him. The threads of the universe, dark for days flared into his vision. A burning ache that felt like his skull being cracked in half started behind his eyes and seemed to burrow deeper.
The pain made him yell. Heart thrashing and gasping with agony he was greeted by a colossal blast of magic that punched down from the ceiling overhead like a giant blue-white fist that smashed him to his knees, sparking and humming around his limbs. His flesh rippled and pulsed as magic burrowed into every pore of his body.
Thoughts and emotions surfed through him, new brothers and sisters, who felt his presence welcomed him to their union. With a last surge and a hiss, the transformation subsided, the last of the sparks and magic disappearing into his skin.
He dropped the tip of the sword to the floor with a clunk. Trails of smoke made lazy ribbons in the air around his body.
Heaving deep breaths, he shook his head, certain that something rattled. “Ughm,” he mumbled. “That—that—was worse—worse—than Sh-sharonsheen.”
Megan leaned forward. “That’s because that time it was just temporary. This was a full deputizing and transformation. Your essence is now unique throughout all of the time winds. Chronal energy can no longer do you serious harm. Your mind and body have fully become an extension of Koass.”
She tilted her head. She focused her attention on Sharonsheen, the weapon seemed to melt, flowing down
around her hand and becoming a thick jeweled band on her arm. Her attention went back to him, her voice continued in his mind, warm and familiar.
“Whoa,” he murmured. Colors seemed brighter, everything seemed sharper and in stronger contrast. Even his hearing seemed more sensitive. His ascendant body which was already physically powerful seemed feather-light now, like when his nola had been at its full strength.
He pushed to his feet. It felt like nothing was holding him down. He held the massive blade in one hand. He couldn’t even feel it. He looked down at his free hand opening and closing his fingers. The shaladen augmentation was designed to reinforce mortal flesh. What was he now? So many sensations.
He focused on his wife-to-be, concentrating to speak with her the way he did through savant communication.
He felt her frown in his mind.
she insisted.
He hung his head. He might live to be a hundred summers old or a thousand, he didn’t think he would ever figure out women.
Megan came and put a hand on his shoulder. The valkyrie was warm and smelled of exotic spices. “Remember Bannor,” she patted him on the chest. “A woman always has the prerogative to change her mind, even when it’s made up.”
“I’ll remember that.” He sighed. “Like I would ever be allowed to forget.”
The valkyrie chuckled. “I wish I could say it changes when we get older.” She bit her lip and gave him a coy little smile. “It doesn’t.”
“Hey, Bannor what was all the—n-noise?” Wren froze in the council hall entry with Ziedra floating behind her. “Whoa.” She blinked her glowing blue eyes.
Reality's Plaything 5: The Infinity Annihilator Page 15
