Syphon: Guardians of the Fractured Realms

by Kunego, Chad

  “There’s something… I don’t know. It feels like I might be getting ready to remember something, but it just won’t come.”

  “Draw your sword.”

  “Huh?”

  “Pull out your sword. This is where you were standing when you got shot. Maybe drawing your sword and going through the motions will help.”

  Samuel cocked his head to the side slightly before reaching for the handle. All he managed to do was grab his finger.

  “Uh… How do I draw it, exactly?”

  “Sorry, forgot again. It’s controlled by need and desire. You basically will it to and it happens.”

  “Huh, very Jedi-like, eh?”

  Raguel smiled up at Samuel.

  “Where do you think they got the idea from?”

  Samuel chuckled for a moment, then focused on the pommel.

  Let’s see… If I had a handle…

  He tried again, but nothing happened.

  Okay, this is stupid. It can’t be that hard, otherwise, someone would die if they couldn’t draw it fast enough. Plus, I had no problems pulling it out at the hospital and the alleyway.

  Samuel stared at his finger. He tried to remember what it felt like when the sword formed in his hand the last time he drew it. As he concentrated on the memory, he started to feel the familiar itchy sensation in his hand. Focusing on the sensation, he tried reaching for the handle again. As he grabbed for it, he felt the handle solidify under his grasp. With one smooth motion, he tugged the blade free. As it left it’s sheath, he heard a sound like a cross between electrical arcing and glass windchimes.

  Wow… I never got the chance to really look at this thing before. This thing is awesome.

  As he examined the blade, turning it back and forth, he noticed first condensation, then a sheen of ice start forming on the blade. A few drops of liquid fell from the tip, striking the floor with a sizzling sound. Looking closer, he noticed the liquid had frozen the concrete so quickly that it had formed spidery cracks in it. Standing straight again, he gave it a few experimental swings through the air and marveled at how well balanced it was. As he swung it, he noticed more drops of liquid spraying off the blade, freezing instantly wherever they hit. He couldn’t help but think that, compared to this, the LARP weapons he’d used felt like swinging a broom around. Going through the form he’d used at the meet-up, he slowly lost himself in the flow of movement. Suddenly, the memory of getting shot in the face smashed into him, causing him to stumble off balance. Staggering forward, he accidentally buried the blade into the cement pillar, nearly shearing it in half.

  “I remember,” he whispered, supporting himself on the stuck blade.

  The force of the memory caused his legs to start buckling under him. As he tried to maintain his balance, images of his fight in the warehouse started flashing through his mind. He could feel himself sliding effortlessly through his opponents, hewing off limbs and heads without thought. Then the memory of a vampire trying to choke him. As he slammed his sword into it, it’s head exploded and then… darkness.

  “Don’t move!”

  The sudden voice shocked him out of his trance, causing him to search for the source. He realized he was gasping for air from the force of the vivid memory. Looking around, he gaze finally stopped on the last person he wanted to see. His anger started to rise as his attention focused on the gun she had trained on him.

  “Detective, not now! I’m finally starting to remember something. I need more time.”

  “I’m sorry Samuel, I can’t do that.”

  Samuel angrily yanked the sword out of the pillar, causing the pillar to groan ominously. Chunks of frosted cement clattered to the floor, the impact making the chunks shatter like glass.

  “I don’t want to hurt you Cora, but I’m too close to getting some answers. You know I can take that gun away from you if I want. Just go away.”

  He watched as Cora held her hands up in a non-threatening manner before she holstered her gun.

  “I’m not here to arrest you this time. I met some people who’ve been looking for you. I think they can help.”

  Samuel slowly lowered the point of his sword toward the floor. As the tip touched, it carved out a small notch in the concrete. Distractedly, he watched as rime ice starting forming on the floor around the tip as supercooled water dribbled off the blade. He had another flashback to a time when he had used that property to freeze a slow moving stream, allowing a caravan he was protecting to cross. The sound of Cora taking a step toward him broke his concentration again.

  “GO AWAY, DAMN IT!”

  Cora paused before moving back a step.

  “I can’t do that. From what these people are saying, it’s too important. You need to come with me and meet them.”

  “Not until I’m finished here.”

  “We can come back lat—”

  “I knew if I gave you enough slack, you’d come though for us again. You’ve got an amazing ability to find what you’re looking for it seems, even better than our own trackers.”

  Samuel watched as Cora spun around, snatching her gun out of her holster, aiming in the direction of the new speaker. For some reason, the voice sounded familiar. It was part of another memory that seemed to be slipping away from him. Trying to locate the source of the voice, he slowly started easing around so he could get a better angle.

  “You followed me again?”

  “Of course. I was hoping you’d lead me to Samuel. Time is running out.”

  As the woman came into view, Samuel sucked in his breath.

  “Hello Samuel, do you remember me? I’m —”

  “You,” he hissed as he launched himself at the fiery red-headed woman… the one that had tried to kill him in his memories.

  Chapter 37

  Cora only had time to catch a slight shimmer of movement from the corner of her eye before she felt the blast of frigid air as Samuel blurred past her. The sudden look of shock on Sybil’s face was instantly replaced by fierce concentration as she whipped her arm up to block his sword from splitting her in two. She lashed out with a kick that he easily dodged by skipping backward before launching himself at her again. The split-second pause allowed her to draw her own blade while trying to deflect the onslaught.

  Cora quickly backed away from the wildly swinging blades. Even though she’d seen footage of him fighting, the sheer speed and ferocity of his attach left her breathless.

  I actually thought I’d stand a chance against him… He was taking it easy on me when we fought.

  Trying to track the combat, she had to continuously move to keep from being accidentally cut down by the two combatants.

  It’s almost like watching a kung-fu flick on fast forward.

  As the fight wore on, Cora noticed that, imperceptibly at first, Sybil appeared to be gaining the upper hand in the confrontation. As she slowly started to force him back, Cora noticed that it looked like Sybil was trying to say something, but every time she started to open her mouth, Samuel would press his attack, trying to regain his momentum.

  After several minutes and narrow misses, Sybil made a series of quick feints and ripostes, finally ending with a hard downward strike/grab combo that left Samuel’s sword pinned against the floor under her foot. A coating of frost began forming across the edge of her sole where it touched the blade.

  “Samuel!” she gasped. “Stop fighting me! I’m trying to—”

  Cora could see Sybil’s eyes bulge as Samuel made a quick motion with his left hand.

  “I’m not going to let you kill me!”

  As he yelled, he suddenly yanked another sword from where it was sheathed on his right arm. As the blade came clear, Cora felt a blast of heat hit her. A smoldering chunk of Sybil’s trench coat landed on the floor as she sprang backward, a grimace of pain on her face. Looking back at Samuel, she saw a look of absolute rage painted across his features. Then, for the first time, she could clearly see both swords he was holding.

  The one in his right hand was for
ming a coating of glittering ice. As she watched, it dripped what appeared to be water onto the floor where it sizzled and fogged up. The sword in his left hand, however, was the source of heat blast she’d felt. Flames licked up and down the length of the jagged-edged blade, rippling between various shades of blues, yellows, and reds. The air shimmered from the intense heat radiating off of it, causing a mirage-like effect to ripple around him. Something akin to napalm started dripping off the teeth of the blade, spalling the floor where it hit. The intense heat and cold caused the fog rising from the other blade to begin swirling around him. Glancing back at Sybil, Cora was shocked to see what appeared to be terror forming on the other woman’s face.

  “My God! It’s not possible…”

  Without warning, Samuel lunged at her, rapidly swinging both blades in intricate patterns. Sybil was forced backward as he continued to pound at her defenses. As the battle continued, Sybil’s clothing started to show burn spots and sections that had fractured due to the rapid freezing of the material. Cora suddenly realized that the other woman wasn’t going to last much longer due to the injuries she was starting to accumulate. Unexpectedly, Samuel ducked down and whipped out a leg, causing Sybil to fall heavily to the ground as he sprung back up. As he started raining blows down on her, her blocks and parries started slowing.

  I hope I live to not regret this.

  “Hey Samuel,” she yelled, “catch!”

  As he turned his head, Cora squeezed the trigger. The sudden boom of the gun echoed around the room.

  Almost as an afterthought, he swung the flaming blade up, melting the bullet in flight.

  “Why—” he started, but Sybil was already moving. Swinging back around, he tried to deflect the object she flung at him. The blue dragon on his left arm came alive suddenly, throwing off his swing and causing him to miss the object. As it shattered across his chest, Cora could hear the shock in his voice as he screamed at the now animated dragon on his left arm.

  “WHY?”

  “I had to. It’s for your own good.”

  Samuel started to scream as he staggered backward, a luminescent fog forming on his chest.

  “Thank you Raguel.”

  The miniature dragon looked up at the woman.

  “You’re very welcome, lady Sybil. I hope this works.”

  Sybil barely got her sword up in time to deflect the blade that suddenly flew at her face. As she ducked away, Cora looked back at Samuel again. She watched as he collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. She stumbled backward as the dragon on his right arm animated as well.

  “How could you betray him like that!”

  Cora saw the blue dragon duck his head as if the red one had physically struck him.

  “You’ll understand in a few minutes, you have to trust us.”

  “I trust nobody at this point,” she hissed before expanding in size, her wings wrapping protectively around Samuel. Cora saw the sword blades change into something similar to a barbed whip or rope ladder. Instead of wooden rungs, however, one had glowing, jagged metal teeth and the other had what looked like shards of blue glass. They slowly started to undulate and wave in the air around him, poking out through a gap in the red dragon’s protective embrace.

  “LOOK OUT!”

  Cora didn’t even have time to turn before Sybil barreled into her, picking her up like a rag doll and sprinting away from Samuel. She had a good view over Sybil’s shoulder as the blades suddenly started whipping around, shredding and destroying everything around him. Cora watched in horror as the sphere of destruction started rapidly expanding, leaving nothing intact. One of the blades whipped out and effortlessly slashed through a support, causing part of the roof to collapse. Before it had gotten within ten feet of him, it had been turned into chunks no larger than gravel.

  “What’s happening!” she yelled, trying to catch her breath as her ribs kept bouncing on the other woman’s shoulder.

  “He’s healing,” the other woman huffed, finally reaching the farthest point she could carry them in the enclosed space.

  “I just doused him in enough aether to heal an ancient dragon. It should let him heal completely if it doesn’t kill him first from overdosing. Unfortunately, it feels like being covered in acid.”

  Cora started to open her mouth but the other woman interrupted her.

  “Shit,” she said, whipping her blade up to deflect a couple blade strikes, “how the hell is he getting his blades to do that?”

  Sybil reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. Before Cora could say anything, Sybil swung her arm up as the dragon on her arm started moving. It kicked at the sleeve until it’s wings were uncovered. Ballooning out, the wings wrapped around the two women the same way Samuel’s had wrapped around him. Just as the wings fully engulfed them, Cora could hear the blades hit, first slowly, then picking up speed. She heard Sybil’s dragon grunt in pain as the impacts continued.

  “I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to hold off this barrage,” the dragon said in a masculine voice.

  “Hold on for as long as you can then.”

  Cora could hear the concern and worry in the other woman’s voice as they felt the wings continue to shudder from the sword impacts. Cora flinched as the dragon cried out in agony as a small rent appeared near her face. As the onslaught continued, more and more cuts appeared. As the sound of the dragon’s cries of pain started to get weaker, Cora realized that the assault was slowing down. As the dragon’s wings started to droop and unfurled, Cora got her first look at the carnage. The warehouse looked like a large bomb had gone off with Samuel standing at ground zero. Most of the roof was missing along with a significant number of support pillars. All the debris was piled around Samuel, making it look like he was crouched in the center of an impact crater.

  Looking back, she stared as the dragon lost its grip and slipped off Sybil’s arm as she searched for something in her pocket. She saw tears streaking Sybil’s face as she sprinkled her dragon with what appeared to be the same stuff she’d splashed on Samuel. As she watched, she saw the wings of the dragon relax. The physical damage he’d sustained was slowly starting to close up as his wings shrunk back down to normal size. Sybil sniffled as she gently helped the little dragon fold his wings up correctly. After a few seconds, it slowly latched back on to her arm, shuttered, and went still, looking like an intricate piece of jewelry again.

  As the two women looked around, Cora noticed the wings slowly starting to unfurl around Samuel. She noticed Samuel starting to turn his head toward them. As their eyes met, Cora almost took a step back away from the intensity of the glowing electric blue eyes staring back at her.

  “I remember everything!”

  §§§§§§§§§§§§

  How could he betray me…

  That was the last coherent thought Samuel had as he tumbled backward. The burning pain quickly spread across his body. It felt like someone had poured lava on him. As the spreading agony reached his head, an explosion went off behind his eyes. He actually felt the movement in his head as his brain healed, causing an avalanche of memories to overwhelm his senses. At the same time, he could feel his body getting heavier, his muscles bulking up and getting denser.

  Without warning, the memory of who he was slammed into him, taking his breathe away again. Gasping for air, he felt the weight of millennia wash over his mind, confusingly at first, but rapidly resolving into something that made sense. As he became whole, he realized there were still large gaps in his memory, some that might never be repaired. As the pain slowly died down, he mentally commanded Amitiel to unfurl her wings.

  “Are you sure?”

  Samuel mentally smiled at her.

  >Yes my friend. I’m fine. I’ve been made mostly whole again.<

  >What was that stuff, anyway?<

  >It’s something I came up with some time after I was forced to leave you behind. It’s condensed Aether. It’s like bathing in the waters of Aerth, except significantly more potent. I’m surprised it d
idn’t kill me, actually. But yes, it’s safe to let me out. Sybil’s a friend.<

  >Okay…<

  Samuel could feel the hesitation as she started opening her wings. Glancing down at Raguel, he smiled.

  >Next time, a little warning?<

  >I’m sorry. I couldn’t think of any other way to get your memory back. It was a split-second decision.<

  >I understand, friend. You did what you needed to do to help me. It just hurt like hell is all. I’ve missed you.<

  >Missed you too.<

  As Amitiel unfurled, Samuel glanced around.

  Gee, that was some party we had. That’s one memory I’d actually LIKE to forget.

  Samuel felt Raguel’s mental chuckle. After a few seconds, he spotted the two women at the far side of the building.

  He watched as they started to cautiously approach, still too sore to move from the massive dose of Aether he’d just been given.

  “I remember everything!” he managed to hiss out, his throat raspy from the rapid healing process. As he struggled to stand on shaky legs, he sheathed Hoarfrost and Brimstone.

  “Samuel?”

  “Yes Sybil, it’s me.”

  “Are you —”

  Samuel suddenly remembered why he had been in the warehouse when he’d been shot. There was one more location they had to activate. Now he knew why it seemed familiar at the time.

  “Oh, no… Blythe,” he whispered.

  He swung his right arm over his shoulder, soreness and fatigue instantly forgotten.

  >Amitiel, we need to fly. Now!<

  >On it.<

  The red dragon quickly slithered off his arm, tearing his shirt and jacket off as she repositioning herself on his back like a backpack. Expanding in size, her wings unfurled to generate a nearly twenty foot wingspan. Her head and neck extended up until it rested on top of his head, looking forward. At the same time, her tail extended out several feet as well. Giving a few tentative flaps that lifted him off the ground a couple feet before gently dropping him back down. He glanced back over at the women and noticed the mixture of awe and fear on their faces as they stumbled backward from the wind buffeting them from the red dragon’s wings.