Heart of the Ocean

by Jason A. Gilbert

  Connor's head rang. He could hear nothing beyond the ringing. And it hurt. Like someone had put clamps on either side and was squeezing. He was lying on his back and something shifted beneath him. He rolled to one side, turning his pounding head to see what he had landed on. It was an Aurai.

  The creature thrashed from side to side, holding its own head, mouth open wide, though Connor could not tell if the elemental was making any noise. Connor tried to look around him. All around him people were scattered across the ground. Some kind of force had struck behind the main fight. Where Laila had been.

  Connor cursed and spun, looking for Laila. She lay limp against the wall of one of the buildings that stood adjacent to the Consulate. Her staff was on the ground a few feet from her, and her body no longer had the odd earthen armor that she had called on during the battle. He rushed over to her, trying to ignore the pain that tore through his head as he stumbled to his feet. Just before he reached her, he noticed a blackened mark on the ground. He could just make out the charred outline of a form.

  Reaching Laila, he knelt beside her, taking her head in his hands gently. He gave a silent thanks to the Aspects when he felt her ragged breath against his wrist.

  "Laila." He knew sound was coming out, but his ears still rang, refusing to register his own voice in his ears.

  Fearing he might be yelling, he swung her arm around his shoulder and gently lifted her off the ground. The pain in his head slowly began to dissipate, and he took in his surroundings. The fighting on the steps of the Consulate was still in force, though he noticed that the Aurai were pulling back, away from the organized Guardians. As they reached the shadows of their ships, they began to jump, but they did not come back down. They floated up toward the hulls as gusts of wind blew around them. They were retreating!

  Connor hurried to where Icarus, Lunete, and her Guardians were beginning to recover from the strange blast. The Aurai seemed to recover a little faster but were quickly on their feet and rushing back to their ships as the others were doing. The one he had been strewn across was still holding its head, rolling back and forth.

  Connor saw Icarus sitting up, a dazed look on his face. Seeing an opportunity, he carried Laila toward Icarus. The old Magus looked up as Connor approached. Connor could see the relief in his eyes when Icarus saw that he was carrying Laila.

  "Help her," Connor mouthed and motioned toward Laila, still worried that his hearing might force him to yell.

  Icarus looked confused for a moment and then reached up as Connor lowered Laila's limp form off his shoulders. He did not want to leave her, but there was something that he needed to do. Free of Laila, he turned and saw the Aurai he had been fighting. The creature had recovered slightly and was now on its knees, trying to clear its own head, much as Connor had done. Connor let the Sword coalesce into his hands, the blue energy helping clear his mind.

  The Aurai looked up and saw Connor approaching. Shambling, the creature stood and tried to run, its legs just underneath it, head still ringing from the blast. The Aurai was still fast, though. Connor sprinted as fast as he could force his legs to go. Had it not been for the blast, the elemental would have quickly outpaced Connor, but Connor had that in his favor. When he was within a couple of paces, Connor launched himself at the Aurai, wrapping his arms around the creature and knocking it to the ground. The Aurai struggled beneath him briefly, trying to worm its way free. Connor put his knee against its chest and placed the tip of the Sword at its neck.

  "Don't move," Connor said, this time not caring about the volume of his voice.

  The Aurai looked as though it would try to escape. The elemental's light eyes studied Connor, looking for a possible breach. Connor put a little more pressure on the Aurai's chest and pushed the Sword just a little closer to its neck.

  With a look of resignation, the Aurai raised its hands, submitting. Connor nodded, glancing up to see if there was anyone that could help him. Lunete and the Guardians were finally recovering, standing up and taking in what had happened. When they saw the Aurai retreating back to their ships, one of them let out a whoop of triumph that was quickly echoed by the others. The Guardians protecting the Consulate also cheered as they followed the retreating elementals back to their ships. Today they had won.

  When the last of the Aurai had floated into the hulls, the ships turned and moved off to the north. Connor saw a few runners being dispatched from the Guardian’s ranks, heading in the same direction the ships were headed.

  A moment later, Icarus stepped up next to Connor. He was carrying Laila over his shoulder as Connor had done, but she was almost conscious now, her eyes fluttering open from time to time.

  "Well done, Connor," Icarus said, looking down at the Aurai.

  Connor nodded, still catching his breath.

  "Let me, Connor. I might be able to hold him better." Icarus knelt, still holding Laila against his side. He placed his palm on the ground beside the Aurai. The ground rose up, wrapping itself around the creature's arms and legs. Connor let the pressure off the Aurai. The elemental did not struggle further, knowing that it had been captured.

  Connor moved to Icarus and helped take Laila from him.

  "Find Lunete. I will stay here with your prisoner," Icarus directed. Connor's head was finally clearing, and he found that he could hear Icarus better, if the sound was still slightly muffled.

  Connor carried Laila toward her mother as Lunete tried to reorganize her small unit of Guardians. There were twelve of them remaining. The others had fallen to the Aurai. Seeing Connor approach with Laila, Lunete rushed over to the two of them.

  "Is she all right?" she asked, reaching out tenderly toward her daughter.

  "I...will be." Laila's voice responded weakly. Connor smiled gratefully.

  "Laila-sa, thank the Aspects." Lunete pulled her daughter from Connor's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her.

  Laila returned the embrace. "I'm all right, mother. Really."

  Lunete finally pushed back slightly, allowing Laila the chance to stand on her own. She wavered slightly, Lunete supporting her by her shoulders. Then she found her footing and stood up straight.

  Lunete wiped briefly at her eyes and nodded proudly. Connor could see the life in Laila’s mother’s eyes again.

  "I...need my staff," Laila said.

  "It's back there," Connor pointed.

  Laila looked back at the wall that still held the slight impression of her body. She moved off toward the location of the blast, reassuring her mother as she left. Connor fell into step beside her. They did not say anything; Connor was just grateful that she was all right.

  They reached the black blast mark on the ground.

  "What happened?" Connor asked.

  Laila stared at the charred circle for a moment before continuing toward her staff. "I don't know. It was like what happened when I first met Icarus, except that was with the earth. This was different. The Aurai are powerful. They use magic like it’s a part of them. I...guess I tapped into that somehow."

  Connor knew nothing of how Laila's power worked, so he stayed silent. They reached her staff, and Laila gingerly knelt down and picked it up. As she stood with it, Connor could see her visibly strengthen. They both turned back toward the Consulate, watching the aftermath of the battle.

  "There's going to be a lot to do," she said softly.

  Connor could only nod.

  Eight

  Prisoner

  The musty air of the cells sank into Icarus’s nose and mouth. Memories of the two other times he had been here echoed through his mind. Both visits had been because of Torin’s influence. And Torin was gone now, exiled from Terus. Icarus did not know how long that might last. Both he and Laila had been exiled, in a sense, and yet they had returned. Change was coming to Terus, to the entire Confederacy. Their traditional way of life would not support them any longer, not in the face of what was coming.

  The true face of that change, or at least part of it, stared at Icarus through the bars. As
relieved as Icarus was to be on the other side of the bars this time, the Aurai still made him anxious. Icarus could feel the bonds of Earth that he had placed around the Aurai's feet, keeping the creature slow. Laila had briefly explained to Icarus what she had seen during the battle, that the Aurai used magic like a second nature, and that it was composed of Air. Icarus could not see what Laila saw, but he understood what the implications were. With that knowledge, he had helped escort the elemental down to the cells and had volunteered to watch over it. Laila had protested, of course, but it made more sense for Icarus to do the watching than her. Laila's power was stronger than his own, Icarus knew that, but it was also far less focused. Hers was the raw strength of the Earth itself; she was not suited to this task. And she was needed elsewhere, dealing with the aftermath of the sudden attack.

  Icarus returned his attention to the Aurai. The creature's hairless head gleamed in the dim torchlight, looking even paler than usual. Its ears wrapped around the side of its head, almost joining in a single point at the back. The face was angular and sharp, as though it had been specifically created to cut through the wind. Eyes that were almost clear stared blankly back at Icarus. The light armor the Aurai had been wearing had been stripped, and it now only wore a thin pair of trousers that it had donned beneath its armor. The elemental’s upper body looked surprisingly human, though more lithe than muscular.

  The creature sat cross-legged, mirroring Icarus's own position. Icarus wondered if the elemental was tapping into its own power as he was. Laila seemed to think that they were able to use magic instinctively, but Icarus would have no way of knowing. He would, hopefully, be able to respond to any threat the Aurai instigated, but, for now, Icarus decided to begin his interrogation.

  "Do you have a name, elemental?" Icarus asked.

  The creature locked eyes with Icarus. The Magus could see the intelligence there. A sharp, quick intelligence, something that the Manders lacked.

  "It would be difficult for you to pronounce with your heavy tongue." The creature's airy voice drifted through the murky air. Icarus was intrigued by the observation that the elemental's voice did not echo; it was almost as if the stone walls simply absorbed the sound. It made Icarus uneasy.

  "I would prefer not to just call you ‘elemental,’" Icarus continued.

  The creature tilted its head, thinking for a moment. "You may call me Wyndam, if you must."

  "Thank you, Wyndam. I am Icarus," Icarus said.

  "You are known, Magus," Wyndam said flatly.

  Icarus's eyes widened slightly. "You...know me?"

  Wyndam waved his hand dismissively. "I said you are known, yes."

  "Why?"

  "You are the last of the Magi."

  Icarus nodded. Though he had come to terms with that fact long ago, he felt a slight twinge of regret at having it confirmed by another. Of course, he thought, there's still Laila.

  "Why did you attack Terus unprovoked?" Icarus decided to shift the topic.

  "Unprovoked?" Icarus noted a subtle tilt to Wyndam's brow, the only sign of surprise. "One of our emissaries, coming in parley, was killed in this city. Do you not see that as provocation?"

  "Your emissary came demanding the city's surrender," Icarus began. He did not want to bring up Nuriel yet. "He threatened war and gave no reason."

  "War is coming, Magus. It has been coming for many years. The people of this city and continent are simply too self-absorbed to see it."

  Icarus knew that. He had preached about it here in Terus when he met Laila. But he needed more information.

  "Why, though? What is the purpose? Your people have been hidden away for so long. Why return to the world only to wage war against it?"

  "You think you know much, Magus, but you do not. There are powers at work here of which you have no comprehension."

  Now they were getting somewhere. "What powers?"

  "Did you not hear me? I said they are beyond your comprehension. A simple human would not understand."

  "You speak of Nuriel." Icarus dropped the name, hoping to catch the elemental off guard.

  Wyndam tilted his head slightly. "Nuriel? That is a name that has not been spoken in millennia. How do you know it?"

  That had not been the response Icarus expected. "I...I am a Magus. I know the avatars of the Aspects. Nuriel is the name given to the Fire Aspect."

  "Yes. But why speak of it now?" asked Wyndam.

  Icarus had the sinking feeling that his interrogation was being manipulated. It felt as though he were the one being interrogated now.

  "Is that not the reason for your war?"

  "An unfortunate side effect," was all Wyndam said.

  Icarus was confused. "A side effect? Why wage this war, then?"

  "I told you, Magus. Powers beyond your comprehension are at work. Do not try and understand."

  Icarus sighed. Perhaps this had not been a good idea. He lowered his head. What could this mean? Everything that he had discussed with Laila or Alain had revolved around the Aurai's desire to defeat Nuriel. They had hoped that with Nuriel's departure from Terus that the Aurai would no longer see them as a threat. Laila was still convinced that confronting Nuriel was her purpose. That he was the imbalance that she was to counteract, and Icarus had had no reason to doubt her conclusion. He thought back to her vision at Grimmere, though. Nuriel had been the one manipulating Torin, but there had been a darker figure behind Nuriel. Is that what Wyndam was alluding to?

  "Magus," the elemental said, its voice taking on a formal tone. Icarus shook his head, clearing it, and turned to Wyndam. "I will speak with the Magusari now."

  Laila rested her head on the back of the chair she sat in. The walls of her father's office seemed to squeeze in and out in rhythm with the pounding in her head. Her staff leaned next to her, within quick reach. She put her hand against her forehead, pressing in a futile effort to make the pain go away. It had been a few hours since the sudden appearance and attack of the Aurai, and the force of being thrown against the wall still lingered.

  She had found her father shortly after the retreat of the Aurai. All the Consuls had been frantic in the wake of the attack. The Consulate was always a little chaotic, but Laila had never seen the Consuls in such a frenzy. They ran in and out of the hallways. The Hall itself was full of Consuls, most yelling at each other, with no clear direction to their discussions. She wondered if an official Consulari would have impacted the level of anarchy. Her father had told her that they would wait until after Torin's trial to elect a new Consulari, but that process would take weeks. And now, with the attack in the wake of Torin’s departure, Laila wondered if Terus would ever fully recover.

  Alain had brought Laila to his office, and she had filled him in on what she’d witnessed of the attack for the last few hours. Once he was satisfied that he knew enough of what had happened, he had left Laila to rest and returned to see what he could do with the rest of the Consuls.

  Finally giving in to her urges, she reached out to her staff, calling on her power and letting it soothe the pain in her head. She could still feel the ache there, but it was more distant in the grip of her power as the warmth and strength coursed through her. She took a deep breath and sat up in the chair. Connor stepped into the room as she did. His clothes were still covered in dirt and dried blood, some of it his own, some of it from the Aurai. The wounds on shoulder and arms were properly bandaged now, but his face betrayed the pain he still felt.

  "Have you gotten any rest?" he asked, his voice soft, almost weak.

  Laila shook her head. "You?"

  Connor tapped the bandages on his shoulder lightly. "No. The Guardians have an effective but painful sense of medicine." She saw him grimace.

  "Are you all right?" she asked.

  He moved into the office, taking the seat next to her. He let out an audible sigh as he sat down. "Yes. At least, I will be."

  Laila nodded; she knew what he meant.

  "Did you see Icarus?" she asked after a long moment of silence.r />
  "He's still down in the cells with the Aurai. I'm not sure what he expects to accomplish. The creature did not seem very eager to talk when we brought it down there." Connor half-smiled.

  Laila shrugged. Other than a brief exchange with Icarus as they took the Aurai down to the cells beneath the Consulate, Laila had not seen much of their prisoner. Connor had described what had happened to her, of course, but she could not shake the feeling that the situation felt too convenient. She shook off her misgivings. At least they had the creature in the cells below. Icarus should be able to keep an eye on it.

  A rustle of movement drew Laila's attention to the entrance to the office. Her father blustered in, followed closely by a pair of young Consuls. The Consuls shot uncomfortable looks at Laila before quickly returning their attention to Alain.

  "Ah, Laila," her father said. "I'm glad you're still here. Icarus had one of the Guardians come find me. It would appear that our...guest in the holding cells would like to speak with you."

  Alain moved to his desk as he spoke, rummaging through the scattered scrolls and books.

  "Me?" she asked. "Why?"

  "I don't know, Laila-sa, but it sounded urgent," he answered, not looking up.

  "Consul Wardein, we should get back to the Hall..." said one of the young Consuls with another sidelong glance at Laila.

  Alain looked up. "I am aware of what needs to be done, Consul." The title did not have the respect it would have held had he been addressing a peer. "If being in my daughter's presence makes you uncomfortable, then leave. I have no need for those who cannot focus on the task at hand. Especially in the wake of something of this magnitude."

  Laila could hear the anger in her father's voice. She knew that tone all too well. The younger Consul lowered his eyes quickly. Alain returned to his desk. He let out a brief sound of triumph as he finally found whatever he had been looking for. Picking up a small book, he turned to Laila.

  "Please, go see Icarus. I want to know what our guest has to say in explanation for this." He waved his hand out toward the city. "Someone has to answer for it!"