Sunscorch (Rise To Omniscience Book 8)

by Aaron Oster

  He breathed in, feeling his chest expanding with the powerful inhalation, then, Morgan unleashed his own power, allowing it to blaze forth with his Perfect Aura Control. A bright, violet light surrounded him as his presence seemed to grow a hundredfold, blanketing the horizon with his own might.

  He could feel it, the power blazing forth from his core. He was strong. Strong enough to not be cowed in the face of Breaker’s might. Strong enough that when Breaker sensed his power, the Elder Dragon turned, angling toward his location. It meant that the beast viewed him as a threat, and although Morgan hadn’t been expecting to face off against a World Beast, he trusted that Gold’s plan would still fall into place.

  There was no way of knowing what the crafty god was doing right now, but as Breaker’s form grew larger, approaching at a leisurely speed, he sincerely hoped that it was working.

  Unleashing his power this way would tell anyone within a thousand miles that he was alive. Others – without the ability to sense auras – might not be able to feel Breaker’s power. He, on the other hand, had the unique ability to make people feel his might, and his title as the King of Eternity would ensure that everyone who felt it knew exactly who he was.

  Right now, he was a titan, standing atop the wall, his presence so massive that it blanketed the heavens. Within the next few seconds, everyone would know he was still alive, and Morgan felt himself begin to tremble in anticipation.

  Sarah reached out a hand, placing it on his own, and though he couldn’t feel it, the gesture was comforting all the same.

  Together, they faced outward, staring past the bright, full moon as the glittering gold dragon grew larger and larger. The real battle was about to begin, and Morgan could only hope that he’d grown strong enough to handle what was to come.

  69

  Gold stood before the door of the unobtrusive warehouse, looking down at his wrist and waiting for the correct time to knock. It was a really nice timepiece and one that he could – unfortunately – not flaunt to the others living in Somerset. It would immediately give him away, as it was clearly otherworldly, and with craftsmanship like this, one would have to be blind to miss it!

  Of course, it was for that very reason that it had to remain hidden, which was a crying shame. Still, the fact that he got to wear it at all was a point of pride and one that took no small amount of power on his part to keep going.

  The time ticked down, marking that Morgan’s travel would take place in exactly two minutes. Taking a deep breath, Gold raised a hand and knocked on the door, mentally rehearsing his lines for the tenth time.

  The door flew open a half-second later to reveal Morgan, standing there with a fist raised and a suspicious look on his face.

  “Gold,” he said, not lowering his guard. “Isn’t this an unexpected surprise?”

  “Unexpected, indeed,” Gold said, beaming a wide smile. “Why, I was just in the neighborhood and thought, ‘wouldn’t it be wonderful to visit my little brother and all of my old friends.’ It’s been so long since we’ve had a proper chat, so I thought I’d pop in.”

  “I thought you’d made your choice,” Morgan said, remaining where he was, though Gold’s visit was now attracting the attention of the others.

  “I just needed some time to think,” Gold replied.

  “And?” Morgan asked.

  “And I came to the decision that we needed to talk,” Gold said. “Over dinner perhaps, with the rest of the old crew?”

  “We don’t exactly have the best accommodations for that,” Morgan said.

  “Oh, no need to let me inside your little hideout,” Gold said, waving away his concern. “I just so happen to know a lovely spot off-world. One where we can get our hands on some great food that tastes almost like from back home.”

  Morgan hesitated for a moment, then his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  “What are you playing at, Gold? You never do anything without reason.”

  “Is it so hard to believe that I want dinner with my little brother and friends that I had believed dead for millennia?” Gold asked, crossing his arms.

  “Oh, I believe you want dinner,” Gwendolyn said, appearing at Morgan’s shoulder. “But why now? You trying to get all of us to abandon this hideout?”

  “If one of you wants to stay behind to watch over that silly little world, then by all means,” Gold said. “Have at it!”

  This clearly surprised them all, as they’d been expecting him to object.

  This was the part of Gold’s plan that was the most precarious, because he needed someone very specific – namely, Sarah – to remain behind while he coaxed the others to another world. This would ensure that they wouldn’t see what was going on in Somerset and make it impossible for Sarah to locate them once she realized what was happening.

  “If you’re going, then I’m coming with you,” Gwen said, practically glaring daggers through him.

  She had always been the protective type, so getting her to come along was hardly difficult. But now came the harder part, of getting Katherine, the woman who’d disliked him more than anyone in their small crew, to come along instead of Sarah. In fact, Katherine’s voice called out just a second later, just as he’d predicted.

  “I’m good here,” she said. “You all can go out with the loudmouth. At least it’ll give me some peace and quiet.”

  “Guess that means I’ll be coming along then,” Sarah said, appearing at the door. “So, where are we going?”

  “To a restaurant that serves a favorite from our childhood,” Gold said, giving Morgan a wide grin.

  “Ewww!” Sarah complained, making a disgusted face. “Katherine, you go with them.”

  “Hell no!” Katherine called from inside the room.

  “But I hate smoked fish,” she said, sticking out her tongue. “They’re just so gross and slimy!”

  “They are not slimy!” Gold objected. “You just have an immature palate.”

  “Well, I’m not going without two people backing me up,” Morgan said, crossing his arms.

  “Come on, Katherine,” Gwen called, turning to prod her. “Don’t take away Morgan’s only chance to talk to his brother.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Gold said. “Who says I won’t come back if he refuses to come?”

  “Experience,” Gwen replied, giving him a dead look.

  “Katherine!” Sarah whined.

  “Fine!” Katherine snapped, “I’ll go along. But if he even looks at me, I’ll snap him like a dry twig!”

  Gold sighed. That was the problem with exes; they rarely seemed to like the people they’d once loved. But that was ancient history as far as he was concerned, so he was perfectly comfortable going out to dinner with her.

  “Well, it’s settled then,” Morgan said, stepping out of the warehouse, followed closely by Gwendolyn and a reluctant Katherine.

  “See you later, Sarah,” Gold said, twiddling his fingers. “Maybe I’ll bring some leftovers if you behave really well.”

  “Don’t you dare!” Sarah snapped.

  Gold just grinned and twiddled his fingers once more, earning him a middle-finger salute from the woman in question. He marveled at how alike this Sarah and the other were, despite the differences in life experience and worlds they were born into. Their personalities were so alike it was almost scary, but if one had to go, it would be this one.

  He had plans, after all, and if Morgan didn’t get what he wanted, his plans would be completely thrown off. His little brother would survive, and his clone back on Somerset was integral to that part of his plans. He concentrated for a moment, flexing his will and tearing open a hole between dimensions.

  “May I?” he asked, turning and holding his arm out to Katherine.

  “Eat shit, asshole!” Katherine snapped, marching past him and into the portal Gold had just opened.

  “Harsh,” Gold said, pretending to pout.

  “Don’t pretend you were expecting any other reaction,” Morgan said, shooting him a suspicious look.
>
  “It never hurts to try,” Gold said, keeping his smile fixed in place.

  He needed them to step through now, otherwise, they might sense the other Morgan, and that would ruin his entire carefully-concocted plan.

  Morgan snorted, then walked through the portal, quickly followed by Gwen, who pointed two fingers to her eyes then switched them around to point at him. Gold felt his grin widen, then bowed mockingly as she disappeared through the portal.

  He took one last look back, noting that the door to the warehouse had remained cracked open, with one of Sarah’s green eyes showing through. He gave her one last wave, knowing that this was likely the last time anyone would see her, then walked through the portal, pulling it closed behind him.

  ***

  Sarah watched the portal close, feeling an odd sense of foreboding. She wasn’t sure why, but Gold’s visit just rubbed her the wrong way, and she wasn’t only thinking that because he’d somehow maneuvered Katherine to come along. Perhaps he just wanted to try making amends, but somehow, she doubted that.

  Whatever the reason was, she couldn’t be bothered to try and figure it out. Right now, she had the warehouse – and video game consoles – all to herself. Katherine always preferred 2D fighting games or first-person shooters, but she, on the other hand, loved open world RPGs, and with them out of the way, she was free to play all she wanted.

  Sarah collapsed onto the couch with a sigh, summoning a truly monstrous cup of soda and about three pounds of her favorite chocolate. Then, she kicked her feet up on one of the cushions, grabbed the controller, and pulled up her favorite game from back home.

  Let the others go and eat their stinky, rotten fish, she thought, while I do some serious grinding.

  Her character had barely gotten any playtime since they’d been resurrected, and her level 3 village girl needed to become the greatest heroine of all time before they got back.

  However, no sooner had she sunk back to begin playing some menial fetch-quest, when she felt something strange echo through the warehouse—a sort of thrumming power that set her teeth on edge.

  “What the hell?” she muttered, sitting up and looking around for its source.

  Her brows furrowed as the power increased, the entire room beginning to tremble. Something was wrong; very wrong. An immense amount of power was building on Somerset, yet its source made no sense whatsoever.

  She recognized the power somehow, which was odd considering that she still hadn’t gotten a real handle on picking out specific people based on their aura. That had been Morgan’s specialty. It was how they’d found his clone so easily on the day they’d ambushed and killed him.

  “It’s impossible,” she muttered, feeling the power building and building, pressing down on her like a heavyweight and trying to knock her to the ground.

  There was a light creak from the opposite side of the warehouse, and Sarah turned, eyes wide, to see Loquin stumbling out.

  “You’re awake?!” Sarah exclaimed, not really knowing how to react.

  Loquin had been all but catatonic since she’d been brought there, bound with chains of chaos to keep Order’s rules from unmaking her. Yet here she was, walking as though nothing had happened. Well, she was not exactly walking, more like stumbling, pale-faced and terrified, from the room where she’d been lying all but comatose for over two years.

  “He’s advanced!” Loquin said, face pale and body trembling. “We need to do something about it. Now!”

  “Woah, take it easy!” Sarah said, moving quickly to support the dark-haired woman.

  Loquin had always looked beautiful and well-put-together in their previous life. Now, her normally sparkling green eyes were dull, her hair was limp, and her lips were a pale pink instead of their usual bright red. She was thin, her power having been spent just keeping her alive, yet even in her weakness, she seized Sarah by the front of her shirt, eyes wide in terror.

  “The weapon!” she said, all but yanking Sarah’s head down to her level. “He’s advanced! We need to stop it now, or we’re all going to die!”

  Sarah had no idea what Loquin was talking about, but the woman fell back in a dead faint as soon as she delivered that warning. The pressure around them increased, and Sarah ground her teeth in annoyance.

  It seemed that Morgan’s clone was somehow still alive and was now stronger than ever. She walked Loquin over to the couch and laid her down, feeling her forehead and checking her core. She seemed to be much better off than she had before, which was good. What was not good, was the fact that all of her friends were gone when she needed them most.

  He had been a powerful fighter before – well, at least according to Loquin. Sarah hesitated, wondering if she should wait for the others to return, then shook her head.

  Morgan’s clone had barely put up a fight when they’d battled against him. Yes, he’d managed a few lucky shots, but they were all still fine. She was confident that she could pop into Somerset and take care of this before the others returned. In fact, they wouldn’t even need to know about it.

  Sarah stepped back from the couch, flexing her own power and pushing back against the ever-increasing pressure. The brat had somehow survived, but it was no matter. She would make sure to kill him this time, by personally ripping his head from his shoulders!

  70

  “So, how exactly is this supposed to work?” Grace asked, looking down at the shining purple sphere but not actually daring to touch it.

  “I’m not a hundred percent sure, to be honest,” Katherine said, sliding on her second gauntlet and flexing her fingers.

  She, Grace, Elyssa, Le’vine, and a dozen of their most powerful fighters were all gathered in Katherine’s office, preparing to open a portal to Faeland and crash the meeting between the rulers of their races. It had taken nearly all night to fill the glassy sphere, and now, they needed to use all that gathered power to tear a hole open in space, one that would reach to the very center of Faeland.

  There were two problems facing them right now, as far as Katherine could tell. The first, was that in order for her to go anywhere, she had to have already visited the place. The second, was the wall blocking the two sides from reaching one another by portal. It was the reason no one from Faeland had simply portaled over. While the barrier was cracked, leaving space for people to pass through, portals still didn’t seem to work.

  She would have to rely on Elyssa’s knowledge of the place they were going to get there. There was also the fact that as a super, she could not control reiki, so the power would need to be channeled through both Grace and Elyssa for a portal to be opened.

  “Well, that’s reassuring,” Nathan, one of the twelve warriors coming along, muttered.

  “Remind me to drop you into City One alone when this is all over,” Katherine said, turning to glare at her insubordinate commander.

  Nathan winced but nodded all the same. It was an order from his commander, after all, and as someone who prided himself on being a good soldier, Nathan would not disobey a direct order.

  “He does have a point,” Elyssa said, walking over to look closer at the sphere. “How are we supposed to handle this object safely, not to mention channel it into you so that you may open a portal?”

  “It won’t pull any more power from you or Grace, right?” Katherine asked, hoping that she could work the problem out verbally.

  “I don’t think so,” Grace said, pressing a finger to the orb.

  When nothing happened, she turned back to Katherine with a questioning look.

  “Well then, I say we try going with the direct approach,” Katherine said. “Grace and Elyssa, both of you place one hand on the sphere and one on my back. I will open a portal but not choose any specific destination. The two of you should then try pouring the power from the sphere into the skill itself while Elyssa pictures the place where we want to go. Sound simple enough?”

  The others nodded. It was as simple and straightforward an idea as they could get, and Katherine sincerely hoped that Gol
d wasn’t going to screw them over with this. He did have plans of his own, so if this failed, his plans would be in jeopardy.

  The three of them moved into position quickly, Katherine standing and facing a clear area of her office, while both Grace and Elyssa each placed a hand on her back. She couldn’t see what they were doing, so she waited until they both said they were ready.

  “Alright, then. Here goes nothing,” she muttered, then pulled open a hole in space without thinking of anywhere in particular.

  A tear opened in the air before them, the edges lined red as all her portals were. In order to keep it in place, she had to continually pour chi into the skill, and the sustained cost would drain her if they didn’t succeed within a few minutes.

  “Alright,” she called back. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

  ***

  Grace stood behind Katherine, a hand pressed to the center of the woman’s back and another touching the sphere. Elyssa stood to her left, in a similar position. She honestly had no idea what she should be doing, but when Katherine’s portal opened, Grace furrowed her brow and concentrated on pulling the reiki from the glass sphere and pouring it directly into the portal.

  To her utter amazement, it worked almost right away!

  A torrent of power washed through her, locking her body into place. It was both exhilarating and absolutely terrifying at the same time. To feel so much power running through her all at once made Grace wonder if she could tear the entire palace down with her bare hands!

  No, she realized. She could tear the entire city apart with this much power and then some!

  She gasped, her entire body beginning to glow a bright violet as the power poured through her, into Katherine’s back, and then, through the Queen of the North and into the portal itself.

  A single beam of reiki, wide around as her waist, shot from Katherine’s stomach, slamming into the center of the portal and disappearing inside. For a moment, Grace feared that the energy was going to vanish, disappearing into wherever this portal now led. But, after just a few seconds, the portal began to change.