by C. M. Carney
Debuff Added. Concussion.
You are concussed. All skills that require concentration are reduced in effectiveness by 25% until treated.
“Ow,” Lex muttered and staggered to his feet. He turned as another wave flowed over him, causing him to stumble and fall forward. He regained his feet as a third wave pulsed over him. This time he could see the source.
Rivulets of raging chaotic energy surged around Baelmaera. The energy pulsed and exploded from her body and through the energized crystal matrix imprisoning her. Cracks spidered across the surface of the crystal and Tal pulled his other hand from the controls and a second stream of mana poured from him, struggling to hold back the virulent chaos.
“Get in the engine!” Tal yelled through gritted teeth.
Lex was about to comply when a motion on the view screen caught his eye. A moment later a massive ball of fire smashed into the lance, nearly causing Lex to lose his footing. The fiery onslaught flowed over them and Lex’s gut churned.
More than a dozen ships and beasts were on an intercept course, several of them had launched similar attacks which screamed towards the Order Lance. The Princes’ minions were coming for them.
Ever since Lex had been a young AI steeped in the movies, television and games of Earth, he’d wanted to yell ‘Incoming’ at the top of his lungs. Now that he had too, it was a lot less fun.
“Incoming!” Lex yelled and grabbed a hold of the closest railing as a chitinous projectile slammed into the ship. The whine of the Order Engine spun up like a car engine on the verge of exploding. Lex sent a panicked look to see a shimmer in the time dilation field. He did not claim to understand Order Magic based temporal mechanics, but he knew one thing.
If the field failed, all of his friends would die.
Lex saw all his friends staring at him, unblinking, each having realized that Lex had not joined them, despite the relative differences in time. He gave them all a warm smile before turning back to the control panel.
He reached it as another wave of force burst from Baelmaera’s prison, the cracks spreading across the matrices’ surface hinting that it could not take much more damage. Lex stumbled into Tal, who demanded he return to the Order Engine.
“You hold her. I’ll fly the ship.” Lex held Tal’s stern gaze until the Grandmaster gave him a reluctant nod. Lex turned to the controls and a wave of panic filled him. “Um, Tal, there's one huge flaw in my plan. I have no idea how to fly this friggin’ thing.”
“Look at me,” Tal demanded, and Lex turned. “Under normal circumstances, I would be more selective with direct neural enhancement. An implant of this size can tax even the hardiest of minds. But we have no time to be selective. Let’s hope this doesn’t cause a neural cascade failure.”
“Um, what?” Lex asked, both confused and afraid of the Grandmaster’s words.
Before he could say anything else, the Grandmaster’s bloody hand grabbed Lex by the forehead and a rush of energy plowed into his brain. Then without so much as a word of explanation, Tal returned his attention to Baelmaera.
“Ouch, my head hurts,” Lex said, blinking in confusion like a toddler who’d just awakened from a nap. He grinned and nearly fell, unsure whether it was because of his concussion or the instant acquisition of vast amounts of complicated information. “I know how to pilot this thing.”
“You know far more than that. Hopefully you will live long enough to use it wisely.” Tal pulled the sapphire amulet from his chest and pinned it to Lex’s robes. He tapped the sapphire twice and a suit of translucent energy armor expanded about Lex.
"Woah," Lex exclaimed in glee, but then sobered as he realized what Tal's gift meant. "Thank you Grandmaster."
"Thank me when we stop these bastards."
Lex nodded and grabbed the edge of the console as another attack pummeled the ship. He looked down on the console and understood everything. His fingers danced over the runes like a concert pianist over piano keys. The ship sped forward and then spun over and around another massive fireball.
Lex flew like a natural, but the enemies were numerous. For every three attacks he evaded, one hit the ship. An icon blazing on the control panel told him the structural integrity field was dropping fast, and Lex knew, thanks to Tal’s forced knowledge implant, that it was already too low to survive an impact with the Realms Gate.
Lex told the Grandmaster as much.
“We’ve taken too much damage,” Tal agreed. “The ship will not survive both the onslaught of the raw chaotic power surging through the Realm Gate and the physical strength of the rings that comprise it. I do not believe we can destroy the gate.”
“So, we’ve lost? The Princes will reach Earth?”
Tal did not answer but hung his head and the full measure of their failure filled Lex with icy dread. Deep inside Lex, a small ember sputtered, then burst to life burning away the chill eating at Lex’s heart.
“Screw that!” Lex yelled, his whole body shaking with rage. “We’re the good guys, dammit. We’re not supposed to lose. Once more into the breach and all that crap.”
“I am sorry Lex, but this is not some fool tale of a knight errant swinging their swords and slaying dragons. Real life does not always have a happy ending.”
Another wave pulsed from Baelmaera and individual panes of the crystalline energy matrix exploded outwards. The Lady of Plots and Shadows was nearly free. The impact rocked the ship and their axis tilted. Broken bits of crystal slid across the deck as the ship lurched and a calm came over Lex.
“Fricking knights and their effing swords,” Lex muttered.
The world turned slow and silent. Is this how my world ends? Lex asked nobody in particular. As he sunk into a pit of misery, a flash caught his eye. He turned, the skittering sound made by the Oblivion Blade as it slid across the floor drawing his attention. As he watched, the barest hint of an idea tickled the edges of his mind. He pushed through the fog of his concussion to embrace it and in an instant a plan filed his mind.
The ship lurched again, and the sword slid to the front of the control panel. Lex dove, his stubby, dwarf-like fingers curling around the pommel with just enough strength to arrest its motion. He lifted the blade, an artifact forged by the very Princes they now opposed and rushed to the control panel.
“What are you doing?” Tal asked.
Lex ignored him and tapped the controls. Although his head pounded like the morning after a Sunday Funday binge-fest thanks to Tal’s indiscriminate knowledge cram, that overdose just might save their lives. Not only did he understand the ins and outs of the Order Lance, as well as Tal or Jurredix, he had something they did not have; an extensive knowledge of scientifically suspect plots from bad sci-fi movies.
He tapped several controls, harnessing his inner Scotty and a crystal pillar rose from the floor in front of the control console. Lex ran to it and slammed the Oblivion Blade into it like King Arthur returning the sword to the stone.
The black metal of the sword flowed into the pillar, as if melting, the crystal greedily drinking the powers within the blade. The sword disappeared and a liquid wave of darkness expanded through the bridge and then beyond.
“You’ve turned the Order Lance into a massive Oblivion Blade,” Tal said in shock.
“Time to slay some dragons,” Lex said and upped the ship’s acceleration.
Ahead the Realm Gate had reached its full size and three different realities shifted in and out of existence. A wide variety of projectiles hit the lance, but none so much as scratched the crystalline surface, for all were magical and the ship now absorbed magic.
A wave of rebounding mana expanded from the ship and over the enemies, destroying some and incapacitating others. The hum of the ship reached such a high pitch that Lex wondered if it would cause his ears to bleed. Then a full forced belly laugh rumbled from him. At their current speed, the impact would be terrifying. He’d be lucky if he had his life, much less his ears, when this was done.
“It’s been nice working wi
th you, Grandmaster,” Lex said as Harlan's Watch filled the viewscreen.
“The honor has been mine, Lex,” Tal said, as his mana bottomed out. He knelt and watched death approach with a small smile.
Baelmaera exploded through the crystal matrix with just enough time to see her fate. All five Princes screamed as the Oblivion Lance slammed into the spinning Realm Gate. The explosion was tremendous, as the veils between three realities never meant to touch, intermingled.
A wall of flame and force slammed into Lex and his vision turned dark.
44
Lex was certain he was dead. The utter lack of sensation and total darkness left him numb, detached from anything, everything. He floated in this nothingness when, after an unknowable time, a singular point of light appeared in the distance. It burst outwards with soothing, calming warmth and though he did not feel his body, wasn't even sure he still had one, he felt calm.
Is this the tunnel to heaven? Lex asked himself, somewhat surprised at the destination. Not that he didn’t deserve paradise after the sacrifice he’d made. I mean sure, I swear a bit too much, and I can be rude and sarcastic, but I just saved the universe. Maybe.
But had he? The last thing he remembered was the burst of light as the Oblivion Lance had smashed into the Realm Gate. But had it been in time? Had he stopped the Princes of Chaos? Had he stopped the Cabal?
And what of Gryph? Had he killed his best friend?
The bright light grew dimmer, eclipsed by an irregular shape that stoked memories deep inside Lex’s mind. Before he could apply any mental energy to unraveling the mystery, pain punched every nerve in his body.
“Owww,” he grumbled, his throat parched, his voice cracked.
“I think he’s alive,” a rumbling voice said.
It sounded both familiar and oddly disappointed as if its owner wasn’t thrilled Lex was alive.
“Talking is usually a sign that one is, in fact, alive,” another voice said, one that definitely tickled the familiar inside Lex. “Except in your case of course.”
“Dude why are you always such a dick?” the eclipse shadow said, shifting above Lex.
The motion cast a wave of warm, rancid air over Lex dragging the odor of sweaty socks all stewed up with rotting vegetables and stale vinegar to his nostrils.
“What in the hell is that smell?” he heard himself ask.
“I think he's been struck dumb,” the eclipsed shadow said and moved closer.
A moment later, Lex’s eyes found focus. What he saw made him wish they hadn’t. A pair of beady red eyes stared down on him from above a wide blue nose that sprouted odd tufts of bristly hair. Below that was the frown of a mouth whose corners were slick with thick white paste.
“Aaaghh,” Lex screamed, and the eclipsed shadow jerked back.
“You don’t look so hot yourself, man,” the giant bläärt spat, a bitter grimace pushing his thin lips.
“Simon!” Lex yelled and drew the mega-bläärt into a huge hug. “Thank the Source you’re alive.”
“No thanks to you,” Simon grumbled. “You got me stuck in this disgusting body.”
Lex was so overjoyed that Simon was alive that he ignored both the boy’s ire and the bläärt smell. He tightened his grip as tears and laughter poured from him. Simon struggled lamely for a few seconds but then gave in.
“This is getting a little weird,” Simon muttered. An odd pop filled the air and Simon shrunk back to normal bläärt size. Instead of nearly smothering Lex, Simon now lay atop the NPC’s chest like a newborn babe. “And this is way weirder.”
“Quit your complaining kid,” Seraphine said, coming into view behind Simon. “You wouldn’t be able to feel weird if it weren’t for this crazy bastard.”
“Give him some room,” Vonn said and lifted Simon off Lex with one hand. He placed Simon on his feet and patted his head as if Simon were a loyal pup. “Good boy.”
Lex extended a hand to Errat who helped him to his feet. Everything creaked. Everything hurt. But he was alive. His friends were alive. They stood at the center of a wide blast crater that had leveled trees and flattened buildings. It was then that Lex realized he had no idea where they were.
“Where are we?”
“The ruins of Xygarrion,” Vonn said. “And we broke more stuff.” Vonn hefted an old stone that had once been part of a broken wall.
“Why? How?” Lex asked, but then realized, thanks to Grandmaster Tal’s knowledge implants, he understood everything there was to know about Order Lances. They were semi-sentient, like most of the technology used by the Lords of Order. When the lance had smashed into the Realm Gate, Xygarrion had drawn the lance-like water to its lowest point. The lance was where it was supposed to be. Lex explained this to the others, and what it meant.
“But it’s gone,” Simon said. “And we didn’t kill any of the Princes, not really. They’ll just remake themselves and try again. All we did is delay our doom.” He bent down and picked up a shard of gray crystal that pulsed with motes of silver, blue and deep orange. “And there’s nothing left but a bunch of stupid, busted up crystal. It can’t protect us.”
“Maybe it can,” Lex said and looked to the ring on his finger, the ring given him by Odymm Tal.
You will know what to do with it, the Grandmaster said in his mind, and as the traits of the ring flowed into him. Lex smiled. The glinting white jewel swam with silver and blue light. He extended the ring to Simon.
Simon took the ring and held it under his nose and inhaled, activating Smellify. His snuffling seemed excessive and disgusting to Lex, but soon Simon’s eyes widened, and he grinned. “It’s a Master Ring of Spell Storing containing a Grandmaster level casting of Anchor of Order.” He handed the ring back to Lex.
“Thank you, Tal,” Lex said, touching his chest near the heart and looking skyward. “You might have just saved the Realms.” He snatched the bit of crystal from Simon and stared into its facets. In his mind, a plan began to take shape and then he received aid from an unexpected prompt.
You have learned Crystal Crafting.
Level(s): 1-50 - Tier: - Journeyman - Skill Type: Active
Grandmaster Odymm Tal, Arch-Deacon of the Circle, has gifted you with the skill Crystal Crafting. You can now craft using crystal, the preferred material of the Lords of Order. While crystal contrasts are excellent conductors of magical energy and crystal is frequently used for devices that enhance spell casting, and the power of other magical items, the real power of Crystal Crafting comes with the construction of Order Engines and Order Lances.
“Holy, Gurgle Murgle,” Lex roared. He grinned like a fool at the others and walked to the center of the blasted crater. He dug a hole, buried the shard and then backed up. “You guys might wanna move back. I cannot be sure what this thing is gonna do.”
“By all means then, cast away,” Seraphine said.
Lex ignored her and pointed the ring at the buried shard. With a deep inhalation, he activated the stored spell. Silver-blue mana flared from the ring, circled up Lex’s arm and around his body. Every hair on his skin stood on end and he thrummed with power and potential.
A thick beam of silver light flashed from him and into the buried crystal. For a moment nothing happened. Deep beneath them, a rumble built and expanded outwards. The whole valley shook and a circle of light 300 feet in diameter snapped about them.
“Uh, Lex,” Vonn muttered, for once at a loss for words.
Lex ignored him, for intricate plans filled his mind and he needed to focus to contain and direct them. If he lost focus, his new Oblivion Lance would fail. A part of him feared that building the new lance with the properties of the Oblivion Blade might not be the best plan.
But then a voice spoke inside his head.
You have created something unique here, Tal’s voice told him. A weapon of chaos used to fight chaos. The Lords of Order would never have conceived of, much less built such a thing. It may very well be the difference between life and oblivion.
His confidence
boosted, Lex returned to crafting.
A spike of deep silver crystal tinged with streaks of blue, white, black, red and orange pushed upwards from the ground and Lex took a step back. Furls of dirt and grass rolled towards them, forcing them to jump or climb over the earthen waves.
For a moment, Lex feared the waves would bury them, but some mystical force moved the waves of earth around them. After they had passed, the ground beneath them thrust upwards and launched them skyward.
They stood on a balcony complete with low walls to prevent anyone from falling over the edge. It was a good thing too, as Simon still not comfortable to the smaller bläärt body, lost his balance, rolled and smacked into the wall. Errat grabbed him, preventing him from pinballing about the deck.
“What the hell, you bastard,” Simon swore at him, but Lex could not lose focus. His head was already pounding, both from the extreme effort of holding the entire design of the Oblivion Lance in his mind coupled with the residual effects of his concussion.
Maybe I should have waited, Lex thought, gritting through the pain.
But there was no going back now. The pressure built in his head as the lance grew taller and taller. Soon the ground was distant, and Lex’s knees wobbled at the sight. A nervous charge surged through his body, threatening to distract him and the lance rumbled.
The balcony tipped sideways as the pinnacle of the crystal skyscraper bent like the top of a patio umbrella. Everyone yelped and lost their balance as the floor shifted axis below them. Lex grabbed ahold of a rail, but the others all toppled and rolled towards the edge. Even with the retaining wall, some of them were likely to plummet over the edge.
Lex closed his eyes and forced himself through the pain and fatigue. He imagined the balcony floor was flat, and the crystal adjusted below his feet, becoming horizontal once more. The others all stopped sliding and got to their feet.
Simon was so livid that he could not speak and Seraphine glared. Errat grinned and gave Lex a thumbs up, while Vonn exhaled slowly and shook his head. It was the closest thing to stressed that Lex had ever seen the rogue outside of battle. A surge of jealousy born of envy filled him.