“We should throw you a going away party,” Bruce said.
“We're coming back. It's just like going on a hunt but longer. We're going to go pack, we'll catch you in a few minutes,” Chelsea told him.
Sebastian and Chelsea walked out into the hallway and Alexander was standing there. He was injured but able to walk with some effort.
“I would have one suggestion. You should leave someone with more experience in command in charge until you return,” Alexander said.
“Like who? You?” asked Sebastian.
“Well, it wouldn't be a bad idea,” Alexander replied.
“You're right. It wouldn't be a bad idea, it would be a horrible idea. You're neither Warden nor Vanguard and have no business leading anyone who is. Many of the Masters have agreed to join us and as such are members of the Vanguard, but they don't outrank the tenured agents. Bruce is our most experienced field agent and has my every confidence. If you follow through with your word and join us, help Bruce as best you can in our absence but remember he's in charge,” Sebastian told him.
“This is my house now,” Lord Marshall Bruce said as he walked out of the C&C. “They're on leave so you need to address any command concerns to me.”
Sebastian and Chelsea walked to the armory.
“Let's travel light. Just a change of clothes or two and some essentials,” Chelsea said as she grabbed a couple of frame packs.
“Before we go to Antarctica, let's take an actual vacation if just a short one,” Chelsea said to Sebastian.
“Do you still want to go to Rio?” asked Sebastian as they walked to their quarters.
“Absolutely. I haven't had a tan in so long I look like an undead,” she replied.
They packed a couple of outfits and some sundries. They opted to leave their dragon ore blades behind for the easier to conceal Warden blades. They packed their armor but did not put it on.
“Ready to go? We should take a shuttle to London and take civilian transport from there. We shouldn't use Vanguard shuttles for personal trips. It's going to be rough getting outside. Everyone is probably waiting for us to say goodbye,” Chelsea said as she noticed Sebastian writing something on a piece of paper.
“What are you doing?” she asked him as they put on the packs.
“Leaving quietly,” he said.
She looked at the paper. It read, “We didn't want a big fuss, so we left quietly. If you need us just call. We'll be there. Please, only contact us if it's an emergency. We'll see you when we get back.”
He laid the piece of paper on their bed.
“How exactly do you plan on leaving quietly? There's only one shuttle pad,” she said.
“It's something Solomon said about emotions triggering magic. Anger and confusion took us to Solomon. Maybe positive emotions can trigger it as well,” he said as he put his arms around her and they kissed. “Our love has carried us through the ages. Maybe it can carry us to Rio,” he said as they teleported away.
#
Xavier walked into the sarsen hovel. Nothing had changed since his last visit a few days ago.
“Hi Boudicca,” he said as he walked over and sat in a small clearing. She had arranged the plants into a pattern that created a sort of chair he could sit on when visiting the two women.
“I don't know how much you're able to hear me right now, but I have a story to tell you and need any help you can give us if any at all,” he said then relayed the story to Boudicca. He spared no details, giving her the entire story from beginning to end.
Boudicca opened her eyes and turned to face him. “The first Anna was an idiot. She called on magic she barely understood and expected someone else to keep her from that oath. The magic, powered by the faith of Anna and her mother, bound them very tightly. Our Anna has been a good friend to me and I am pained to see her suffer but there is little I can do. No culture has ever looked kindly on oath breakers so magic to violate an oath is unheard of. Though she did not make the oath, she is bound to it by the blood magic of her ancestors. I know of no way to separate her from the obligation. Please, convey my deepest apologies to her. Had I a way to help, I would.”
“Any ideas on where to start? We're grasping at straws here. It looks like a fight with Merlin is looming sometime in the future and its very likely Anna will be involved but we want her calm and in control,” Xavier said.
He thought a moment. “You said their faith bound them? What do you mean?”
“As you probably know, the old gods, my own Gaia, they were either not real and given form by their follower's faith in them or were Masters masquerading as gods. It is the faith and power of the caster that imbues the spell, nothing more. Anna's and Annice's power were evident but their faith was also obvious. She must have hidden it well, possibly magically, because in her time at Camelot I never expected her to be part of one of the cults of the old gods. It's not surprising though. They flourished in poor towns where life was a struggle. They were an easy path to power. For that spell to have that kind of power, she and her mother must have been strong for mortals but more importantly, with that strength was unflinching faith in those old beliefs. That faith was strong enough to not only bind that spell but keep it charged. That's incredible considering how little power leaked from the Seal,” Boudicca told him.
“Charged?” Xavier asked. “What does that mean?”
“Spells work in one of two ways. They are immediate, and their effects seen at the point of casting like when we are in combat. You have become quite adept at controlling electrically charged magic from what I have seen. You cast a spell, lightning leaps into your enemies and it's done. Other spells work over time, either continually or are prepared and triggered later. Either way, something must hold that power in reserve during that time. My crystal sarcophagus, for example, had four such sources of power. They were painstakingly crafted to maintain their power indefinitely. They would drain, though, and must recharge from the ambient energy in the world. The recharging would be very slow, so the spell drained them in rotation allowing the other three ample time to recharge. The spell that binds Anna works like those devices and maintains that power indefinitely to hold the binding magic intact,” she told him.
“How does it stay charged it without a battery?” he asked her.
She thought about this a moment. “It shouldn't. It requires a physical object to maintain that power. That's the key. If you can find that object, you might have a chance at breaking that oath safely. Magic has few rules but that one is absolute. I should have thought of that, but I am distracted.”
“What would it be? Does it need to be a storage device like the crystal orbs on your sarcophagus?” Xavier asked.
“No. We chose those for appearance as much as anything else. They could just as well have been stones. It's not the object that is important it's the faith in the binding magic. People would often mark them with runes or make them elaborate items, but they don't have to be. They only have to have faith in their power,” she replied.
“So, we just need to find an unknown object somewhere on Earth and destroy it,” he said. “That shouldn't take that long. We just need to search everywhere and destroy everything.”
“Don't be so melodramatic. It's easy to narrow down. It would need to be something present at the time the spell was cast and that is still around. It would need to be something small, obviously, because Anna would have to both had it at the time of the casting and transported it back to Camelot with her. It would help if it were important. Faith, Xavier. Look for where her faith lies,” Boudicca told him.
“I will. Thank you. You have been more helpful than we could have hoped for,” Xavier told them.
“Will you be leaving now?” Boudicca asked.
“I will. I would love to stay longer but Anna needs our help now and I can't let her suffer any longer than necessary. I'll return as soon as I can. I promise you that,” he told her.
“I know you will. You should say goodbye to Trish. She's awake but ca
n't speak yet. She has been listening,” Boudicca told him.
“She is? That's fantastic. Trish, I have missed you so much, old friend. Camelot isn't the same without you two, so you better hurry up and heal and get back there. I miss you and need you back,” he said and put his hand on her, or at least on the vegetative shroud that surrounded her.
“Could you answer another question, if you have the strength?” Xavier asked Boudicca.
“I will try,” she replied.
“You said magic had few rules but that one was absolute. What are the others?” Xavier asked her.
“There are few. Magic is a force of nature, like the wind. It is always there. Sometimes it is still like a calm day, others it rages like a tornado. The difference is, everyone can feel the wind but not everyone can feel the flow of magic. For those who can, just like whistling or blowing out candles, we can shape and direct that flow. You already know two rules. Magic is either instant or channeled and the channeled must have a focus.”
“What about runes and spells?” Xavier asked.
“Many cultures attribute it to gods or nature, but really it is always there and it's the caster who controls it, who grants it. The languages Bethany studies, in and of themselves are meaningless. It's the faith in the runes or symbols that matter. No symbols are needed. It's only your faith in your own ability and belief to create the desired outcome. If you're strong enough and believe strongly enough, you can create the effect. If you use a rune, your belief in the rune is what gives it power, nothing more,” she told him.
“What makes Masters different?” Xavier asked.
“Your strength in magic is not fixed. It can grow. When the wind blows strong enough, it can tear down a house. You can rebuild the house with stronger walls. You can replace wood with stone. Using magic is much the same. You can use magic, but your ability is limited by your strength at resisting its drain on you. Masters have strengthened their own will, their own walls so to speak, so that the flow of magic cannot tear them down as easily. We still have limits. Powerful magic will drain you, even kill you,” she said, still focused on Trish.
She paused a moment then continued. “To answer your question no, you are likely not. Your house is strong. I can feel it. It’s not strong enough, though.”
“I didn't ask a question,” he said.
“No, but you were thinking it loudly. You wanted to know if you were ready to cross the threshold,” she said, smiling at him.
“What do I need to believe in? What do I need to have faith in? If gods and spells don't give us power, then were should my belief and faith lie?” he asked.
“You have heard me but haven't listened. That is why you are not ready,” she said.
He sat a moment.
“Me. I need to believe in myself. I need to have faith in myself,” he said, speaking more to himself than Boudicca.
“That is the answer, but it takes more than words. Your abilities grow fast. Be careful. Do not summon the tornado until you make your house stronger,” she told him.
“Thank you. Take care you two,” he said as he left.
Boudicca didn't reply and returned to her meditation.
#
The great dragons were perched atop the large flat spot at the top of the mountain observing the construction going on below them. There were seven of them that made up the elder circle of the great wyrms.
At only seventy-five feet, snout to tail, Trall was the smallest of them. His dark green scales glistened in the morning dew like the leaves of an oak. Doga stood next to him. He was emerald green and his scales so bright he could be seen from miles away glowing in the morning sun. Sark was to his left. He was yellow-green and second in command. Bahta, a magnificent bluish gold dragon was next. Qaa, his scales so dark they absorbed light in equal measure that Doga's scales reflected it stood next to him. Onis was black and red and stood on the end. In the center of them was Absillion, the largest of the group at over a hundred feet with red-gold scales that looked like blood washed over a golden statue.
“We should not be encouraging them to build here,” Doga said to the other wyrms. “They are rash and young and will destroy themselves. We should let them mature for another thousand passes of the Dragon's Eye.”
“Doga, we have discussed this within the council and the issue decided. They need guidance and training. We will help them learn their power. They are already part of the Weave and whether we like it or not, that connection grows and with it their strength. We either guide them or leave them to learn on their own and who knows how much damage they could do. They may even become a danger to us,” Sark told him.
“I and my clan agreed to the will of the elders in this matter and while it was not our preference, we will stand by the decision of the circle. My presence here today should be an indication of that much,” Doga replied.
“You were not the only dissenting voice. I was of a mind with you, but we are wyrms and we do, as we have since times before memory, stand beside our brothers in all matters. That we, as ancient and disagreeable as we can be, can come together in peace and maintain that peace throughout the ages is proof enough of the wisdom of the Elders. I did not agree at first but now that I see the beginnings of their civilization I must concede; this choice is for the best. We will guide them and help them avoid the nightmares of our past,” Trall said to his brothers.
“They are at a dangerous time in their evolution. Their divergence from their shared ancestry is slowing and may have already stopped. They have chosen their forms,” Bahta said. “Now they must learn to live together in their diversity. We can only hope they don't turn to violence and war to solve disputes as we once did.”
Onis looked around at his brothers. “We must hope they don't harm us if they do turn to war. Their power grows very fast and though they do not rival us now, I foresee in time that will change. When that time comes, we must make sure they are allies and not enemies.”
“We will help them. Our skill in magic dwarfs their own considerably, at least for now. At first, they will follow us out of fear but in time, they will learn we are not to be feared. That is the time they will be most dangerous. They may not be wyrms, but they are our brothers still. We are all children of the Weave. When they lose their fear, we must consider them as equals at that time. Until then, we will nurture them and train them. The best way to keep them safe is knowledge, not ignorance. The more they understand what they are and what they are capable of, the more we must impart the wisdom we gained from our own trials, so they can avoid the fate of our ancestors,” Onis said to the group.
“They are not our brothers,” Absillion said to the assembled elders. “They are our children. They are the fey. The children of the Weave. We must act as parents, not friends or brothers. We will teach them and train them as we do our own hatchlings. We were the first children of the Weave but have grown. Now they are the next generation and so we are their surrogate parents and must act as such. The most contention we have observed in their various societies is that of the choice of leaders and mates. We cannot intervene in their process of mating, but we can in their choice of leaders. We will create their government for them and choose their leaders,” Absillion told them.
“There will be those who dissent. Not all will accept that. There will also be those who hunger for power,” Doga said.
“This is your task, Doga. You are most skilled among us in the magic of combat and have time and again shown your might in defending us from the arcane monstrosities of this world. My daughter,” Absillion said as Asala landed beside them, “Will assist you in selecting the best among them. Choose not only those with great power but those with strong spirits. Teach them and make them a force to defend their brothers. Create their Vanguard against the terrors of the world. Take the best of them and make them better. From those the two of you deem the noblest I will then choose their leader.”
“By your command father. Doga, you are my elder and as father ordains it, I will fo
llow your lead. Let us build this Vanguard in your own noble image,” Asala said to Doga.
Doga looked at the young female. She was barely a fourth his age but already known as second only to himself in the skills of combat but that should be no surprise as he had trained her as a youngling when her talents were discovered. She had felled eldritch beasts that ancient wyrms would tremble before. The two of them together would form a force that would keep the fey safe for eternity.
“We should begin the process immediately. We shall choose first based on the nobility of their spirit and then on their skill in combat and magic. Come. Let us walk among them unseen and see the true nature of each,” he ordered and begin to transform. When he was done, he looked like a reptilian humanoid. Asala did the same and the two teleported to one of the camps near the base of the mountain.
#
Sebastian and Chelsea lay back on a beach blanket with their eyes closed as the noonday sun beat down. A cool breeze blew across the beach and the sounds of people enjoying themselves could be heard everywhere. A nearby group of people was playing volleyball and a botched return launched towards the two of them. Sebastian awoke from his nape in the sun, then grabbed the ball in the air before it hit his face as one of the people playing ran over to retrieve the ball.
“Great reflexes. How did you do that with your eyes closed?” she asked in Portuguese.
“Uh...luck, I guess,” he replied as he tossed her the ball without opening his eyes. “Here you go.”
“Sure, mister. Thanks again,” she said and trotted back to the game.
“How did I let you talk me into going to a nude beach?” he asked Chelsea.
“Because you would do anything for me and I didn't want tan lines on me or you,” she said as she propped herself up on her side and looked at him. “I think I'm going to take you right now.”
“It's still uncomfortable,” he said. “It's so weird transitioning so easily between languages.”
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