by TR Cameron
Maybe we can surround the beast and kill it, although there might not be enough time.
Sweat coursed down her face and the back of her shirt, and she slapped her head with her free hand when the smell of burning hair reached her nostrils. The dragon lizard paused, maybe to inhale, and she had the sense that if she didn’t take decisive action in that instant, she wouldn’t have another chance. She knew her force blasts weren’t likely to deliver an instant kill, and her fire magic would be useless.
Okay, then, so be it. She sent a second message to Fyre to tell him to get down the stairs right away or fly out immediately and broke into a run.
The enemy Draksa began to breathe flames again as she reached him, but she was already moving out of the path. She thrust the force shield into its face and used it as a sled, vaulted onto it, and slid down the dragon lizard’s spine and tail. Before her foe could react, she slid into the back room, where Emalia peered over the small table they’d sat at so often. This now lay on its side in the corner to provide the woman the tiniest measure of cover.
Cali pushed up, flung herself toward the table, and twisted and shouted as she blasted the support beam that ran along the division between the front room and the back with all the force magic she could muster. It cracked, and the weakened structure around it fell. She and Emalia both shouted the commands to summon overlapping shields.
The end of the building collapsed onto them with a thunderous roar. She felt Fyre’s panic and sent him soothing feelings and the message that she and her great aunt were okay. His emotions calmed but still held simmering anger.
Inside their bubbles, Emalia uttered a choked laugh. “You never were subtle, Caliste.”
She shook her head helplessly and laughed for a solid minute before she regained control of herself, wiped her eyes, and wrapped the older woman in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe. How did you fight the Draksa off?”
She shrugged. “It threw flames so I blocked with ice. I knew it was temporary since the building caught fire, but I didn’t see another option. I merely hoped to hold out until someone rescued me. When I tried to portal out, the spell wouldn’t finish.”
“They planned this well. Two attacks and the second one timed to try to get me, too. They’d certainly have thought of having an ally nearby to make sure there wasn’t an easy escape.”
“So, what now? We can’t stay in the bubble forever.”
“We’ll try to portal again in a short while. Eventually, they’ll assume we’re dead and go away. Until then, let’s talk about finding the other sword pieces.”
It took almost two full hours before whoever was blocking their ability to portal departed, either because they assumed they were dead or simply because they gave up. Cali led her great aunt through a portal to the Dragons, told Fyre they were safe and he should fly home to watch over Dasante, and was surprised to find Zeb still behind the bar when they climbed the stairs.
“I assumed you’d wind up here,” he said. “Besides, there were things I needed to do.”
She nodded and escorted her great aunt to one of the chairs, then sat beside her. Zeb handed them both ciders, bowls of stew, and what was left of that day’s bread. They ate in silence for several minutes before something occurred to her. “What do you do with the leftover bread? It’s never here the next day.”
The dwarf laughed. “I give it to the birds, the ducks, or the squirrels. Whatever I find first.”
Emalia smiled. “Some of the old traditions are still alive.” The girl tilted her head in query and the other woman continued. “I’ve read that it’s common on Oriceran to share the food that goes uneaten with animals. It’s part of how the different spheres of life interact and find balance. They will do less damage to crops and homes that way.”
Cali nodded. “And the stew? Do we always finish it?”
He shook his head. “When we have leftovers that won’t be enough or last the next day, I pack it up and take it to a homeless shelter on the east side. Waste not, want not. And if anyone needs good Karma, it’s a person who makes their living in the service industry, right?”
She laughed. “You can say that again.” She used her final piece of bread to wipe the bowl and ate it with a happy sigh. “So, Emalia, it’s clearly not safe for you to be out and about where you can be seen right now.”
Zeb frowned. “Why?”
In retrospect, she had to admire his patience in not pressing the scorched and smoky women at his bar for details the moment they’d sat. “I was so busy eating, I forgot I didn’t tell you about the evening’s adventure.” She told him what had happened from start to finish, and his scowl deepened with each passing minute.
At the end, he nodded. “Yes, it’s definitely not safe. I agree. We can set up a small bed in the basement if we need to. It’s not the fanciest of hotels but it’ll serve for a short time.”
Cali shook her head. “Thank you for the offer. We might have to do that sometime but I have a different idea for right now. How about you relocate to New Atlantis for a while?” The way Emalia’s jaw dropped revealed that she’d surprised the woman, and she laughed. “Why not? I have a big house with no one in it at the moment. I’m sure the wards are as good as anything you’ll see here. Although…” She twisted to face Zeb. “How about you come along and examine them? Maybe it’s possible to improve or add to what’s there.”
Her companions looked first at one another, then at her.
Emalia said, “Okay, that’s reasonable.”
“I’d love to,” Zeb stated cheerfully.
She smiled. “Okay, then. Good. I can’t do much for Dasante, though. Barton probably won’t find a solid enough lead to put useful protection on him. Do you think the magical council might be willing to help?”
The dwarf shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
The older woman nodded. “And I’ll mention it to Invel. He can argue for it at your side, Zeb.”
Cali grinned. “Oh, you have that kind of influence with him, do you?”
Her aunt reddened slightly. “Well, what’s the point of having a paramour if you can’t rely on them?”
She raised a palm. “That’s enough. I don’t need to know any more. Not. Another. Word.”
They laughed and she caught the look of concern on her boss’s face. “What now? Are you worried about being away from the Tavern?”
He slashed his hand in a negative. “No, Janice can handle it.”
“Ouch.”
A smile flickered on his face but it faded quickly. “I wonder who it was. We absolutely need that answer. Emalia, did you see anything that might give us a hint?”
The woman shrugged. “It began with fire from above, and the Draksa was the only thing I really saw, although…” She trailed off, and despite her desire to find out what was coming next, Cali managed to not interrupt. “I did see what looked like a bright red shoe.”
Zeb asked, “A tennis shoe? Converse high tops, maybe?” Cali shot him a look, and he shrugged. “What? I’m hip.”
Emalia chuckled. “No. It was shiny.”
“A woman’s shoe?” the girl asked.
“That seems reasonable.”
“So. Since there are only three women I know of who might be after me and one of them isn’t likely to visit New Orleans, it leaves the two in charge of the Atlantean gang.”
The dwarf nodded. “That sounds right.”
“They can’t help themselves when it comes to cheating, I guess. It’s time for them to learn that their rule-breaking has consequences.”
Chapter Nine
Her first action after downing her morning coffee was to head into the hallway to knock on Dasante’s door. She’d put wards on the landing outside the night before, but her education had included only the most basic ones. Emalia and Zeb had both promised to teach her more, but that would take time she didn’t have at the moment. Still, nothing had tripped them, which made her decision to sleep on the couch to be a few seconds closer to the door
unnecessary.
She yawned and pounded until he appeared in the doorway, looking as sleepy as she felt. “What?” His voice was thick and croaky.
“I’m checking to make sure you’re still alive. Although, to be honest, you do resemble a zombie. You didn’t die and then un-die overnight, did you?”
He tilted his head to the side. “Zombies aren’t real, are they?”
Cali laughed. “Not the undead ones, at least not as far as I know. I imagine you could take control of someone’s mind, though, and turn them into that kind of zombie.” She made a mental note to ask about that. She’d heard about necromancers, obviously, but would be the first to admit that her knowledge of the modern-day magical world was limited. Most of her training had been focused on teaching her about her abilities and developing those, but it made sense that she need to learn more than the basics about other things she might have to face.
“Ugh. Gross. No, not dead or undead. Thanks for checking. I’m going back to sleep.” The last word melted under a huge yawn as he closed the door, and she laughed as she spun to return to her own apartment. The laugh died at the sight of a note attached to it. Thoughts tumbled out one after the next.
Dammit, they know where I live. Double dammit, my wards failed. Triple dammit, I was ten feet away and didn’t sense them.
With a sigh, she pulled the missive off the door and took it inside. Fyre must have sensed her irritation because he was at her side in an instant. She held the envelope up. “Look. A present.”
He snorted. “Can we return it? It’s sure to be the wrong size.”
“Oh, there’s no question of that.” She used a knife to slit the top and withdrew the paper. It had all the appropriate ritual words, but the most important ones stood out in her vision and she read them aloud. “Four vs Four, tonight at nine, Terisco Machinery.”
“What is that?” the Draksa asked.
She tossed the message onto the desk. “An old factory. They made components for some things and assembled others but the business was killed by robotics. It’s been closed for as long as I can remember. If this one is anything like the other factories I’ve seen videos of, it’ll make for a challenging battleground, although it probably has high ceilings.”
Fyre stretched his neck with a smile. “That will be to our advantage.”
“Yeah, theirs too. I bet they bring another Draksa. Or two. Hell, maybe three.”
He shook his head. “Most Draksa won’t work together without a strong hand to guide them. So two at most with two trainers.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We’re competitive and only tolerate each other when it’s required for survival. Otherwise, not so much.”
She grinned. “It must make dating difficult.”
He sat and stared lazily at her. “Are you sure you want to know the answer to that?”
“No. Never mind.” She raised a hand quickly. “Wow, time is really flying. I’d better take a shower and we need to start getting ready.”
The smile on his face suggested that he was laughing at her as she headed down the hallway to the bedroom.
A text to Tanyith resulted in a meeting in her hidden bunker a couple of hours before the battle. Cali had spent the time between meditating, resting, and drinking some of the replenishing tea Emalia had insisted she use every day. Her great aunt was safely ensconced in an expensive hotel, courtesy of Invel and the council, until she could take her to New Atlantis and stay for a few days while she acclimated.
She was seated cross-legged on the floor when the portal opened and Tanyith stepped through. He looked at her, gestured at the magical sticks in her hands, and asked, “Are you practicing drums?”
“No.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m trying to convince them to become pointy. It’s not going well.”
“Why?”
When she’d stopped briefly at the Tavern, Zeb had mentioned that Tanyith had come in for a while and that he’d shared the news about Dasante and Emalia with him. “If I’d had something sharp to stab the Draksa with, I might not have had to collapse the building on top of us.”
Fyre snorted. “And he would have cooked you when you tried to repeat it.”
She sighed. “That’s a fair point, but it would still be useful.” In truth, she was killing time and doing her best to keep her mind occupied instead of thinking about the battle to come. Tanyith peered around with a confused look on his face, so she shared the bad news. “I’ve decided not to bring a fourth today. We’ll be outnumbered.”
He walked to the nearest wall, put his back against it, and slid into a seated position. “Couldn’t you find anyone to join us? I’m surprised there isn’t a line of volunteers down the street.” His voice was sarcastic but warm.
Cali nodded. “Right? The truth is, many people are willing to help, but it feels wrong to put them in harm’s way. Emalia? Definitely not. Sensei Ikehara? Maybe, in a pinch, but to send him against magicals without a special weapon he can use to fight them seems like a really bad idea. And Zeb? Well…” She shook her head. “I won’t be the one to inspire him to break his vow. He wants to stay retired and I won’t try to convince him otherwise.”
He grinned. “I could try to convince him.”
The Draksa barked a laugh and she said “No. I won’t ask. I can’t. He’s done enough for me already. And, before you say it, yes. Scoppic would probably help, but no, I won’t ask the gnome to fight alongside us either.”
Tanyith raised his hands and let them fall. “There goes my last good idea.”
She smiled. “We’re up to it. We can handle them.” Especially now that they’ve taken away any excuse for holding back by attacking my friends and my family. “We’ll simply have to be faster and smarter than we have been. And on that note, Invel sent a care package with some useful items.” She leaned to her left, retrieved the metal box from where it rested on a nearby table, and flipped the lid open.
First, she held up a glass vial that contained a shimmering silver liquid that reminded her of the mercury she’d seen on a tv science show experiment. “This is a potent magical sleep poison. He said it’s inert until it touches blood, then it activates. It should take only a minute or two to bring down a normal-sized being.” She feinted like she intended to toss the bottle and laughed at the way he flinched. “It’s probably best to anoint your Sai before we go and leave the rest here.”
He nodded. “That’s a good plan. Too bad you don’t have a pointy weapon.”
“Shut it.” She scowled. “Next up are these.” She pulled four small transparent spheres from the box, which looked like they were filled with different colors of glitter—red, green, blue, and yellow. Each was about the size and weight of a golf ball. “They have to be thrown hard and will—and I quote—‘provide a distraction.’ He didn’t explain exactly what that meant.”
“Well, that’s reassuring. Roll me the blue and yellow ones.” She complied and he rotated them in a single hand. “Those are both good. Do you have any other fun stuff in there?”
She nodded. “One more thing.” She withdrew another two transparent spheres filled with something resembling tiny sparkling shards of diamonds. “Apparently, these will make a Draksa’s life especially unhappy. It’s essentially broken glass but magical and hard enough to get through the scales on their feet.”
“Keep those things far away from me,” Fyre commented. “I like my scales the way they are.”
Cali nodded. “I’d call this a last resort if we’re attacked by an enemy Draksa and have nothing else to defend ourselves with. It’s certainly not something to use at the beginning.” She rolled one to Tanyith and checked her watch. “We have about half an hour left if we want to be there on time. So yeah, we’d better get to it.”
The lockers surrendered additional utility straps that they configured to add the spheres to their uniforms. Tanyith attached them to the front of his weapons belt near his hips. Cali added a gleaming black leather belt specifically to hold her
s. They’d discarded the patches that hid the Leblanc seal, and the outfits looked even more martial than they had before.
“Did you find more of these at the house in New Atlantis?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, but I haven’t explored all the rooms or any of the outbuildings. I plan to finish when I take Emalia there.”
He chuckled. “Jenkins will be beside himself with happiness to have a full-time occupant. But I wonder if they weren’t produced there, who made them? It’d be interesting to find out if there’s someone who does that kind of thing here. Because I won’t lie, we’ll need every edge we can get, especially if we plan to keep fighting outnumbered.”
There was no reluctance in his voice but as much as she feared the answer, she had to check. “You know, you can bail if you want to. Fyre’s stuck with me. You’re not.”
“Hell no. I’m with you to the end. Besides, I still need your help to find that damnable bastard Aiden Walsh.”
“Maybe you should give that up.”
He smiled. “Maybe you should give this up.”
“No chance.”
“Well, then. How could I do less?”
She laughed. “You’re a moron, you know that?”
His nod was accompanied by a wide grin. “It’s been said by others with far more extensive first-hand knowledge than you.”
“I guess knowing it is half the battle.”
“You’re stalling.”
Cali sighed. “Yeah, I suppose I am. Final check. Do you see any problems?” She spread her arms wide and turned in a circle.
“Nope. How about me?” He repeated the process and she also detected nothing amiss.
