by P R Glazier
~
Back where Nar’Allia and the others had left the Leviathan a bright light appeared first as a mere dot then grew in size until it was around five metres in diameter. The surrounding water sodden air seemed to bend around this circular feature, the centre of which was the darkest black. A figure stumbled through; it fell to the water logged ground and stayed there after raising itself on all fours orientating itself. This figure was closely followed by another taller figure, all in black with hood pulled up over the head. The first figure looked up at the second figure and stood rapidly, then shivered once more as he tried to brush some of the muddy water from his damp clothing.
The hooded figure took no notice but walked toward the Leviathan, “so our weaker brethren have managed to find themselves a second sky battle cruiser. That is interesting. This is what I detected, the fluctuations in the shroud surrounding the city, perhaps we underestimated the forces at work here.” Then turning she said, “come,” she beckoned to the minion who rose and stumbled after her. The Gatekeeper smiled. “What a surprise they will get when they find that all traces of their machine have disappeared,” she chuckled under her breath whilst gesturing for the minion to move forward. She waited while he walked slowly towards the craft, then suddenly there was a flash of blue light and the minion was thrown backwards and lay still on the grass, his clothing giving off wisps of steam.
The hooded figure frowned and prodded at the shield slowly with the staff she carried, dull flashes spread along the side the machine like fingers probing its surface. Blue energy showed around the tip of her staff, as she pushed the staff seemed to bend the energy inwards like a stick being poked into a curtain. Everywhere the staff touched a blue corona resisted entry, pushing it back. There was obviously no way of approaching the machine. The figure withdrew the staff and walked over to where the minion lay. She kicked him with the toe of her boot, he groaned.
The minion rose slowly, muscles in his arm twitched and he held it close to his side, “I’m sorry Gatekeeper. I was foolish.” He stood there with bowed head.
The Gatekeeper didn’t seem to hear him, instead she cursed, “so they have a protection over the war machine.” Then in her mind she thought with a thin smile upon her lips, ‘but far more interesting is that they have one more than capable of understanding and using powerful arcane knowledge.’ She chuckled, “at worst an interesting adversary. But maybe we can be persuasive.” Then gesturing to the minion she commanded, “come we can do nothing further here for the time being.” Both the Gatekeeper and the minion stepped back through the portal which then dissipated. There was a slight hissing noise and a pop as the mists and damp air returned to the space where the portal had been as if the land around sort to wash all evidence of its existence away.