“Serena, can I ask you something that might be a bit personal?” Chelsea asked her.
Serena hesitated. “You may ask but I may not answer.”
“You said you were connected to all who shared your blood. Can your blood convey that to others?” Chelsea asked.
Serena looked at Bo who shook his head yes. “We can but it is not permanent. It lasts only a short time. A day at most,” she said.
“I'm thinking that we might want to try to convey that connection to Sebastian and myself. Sebastian obviously can't accompany the three of you into your, your uh, your jobs and there is always a chance I might be separated from whichever sister I accompany. If we can feel that connection, it might help us to know if you're attacked and in trouble,” Chelsea told her.
“It is not something we can do lightly. The connection goes both ways and human minds are difficult. The more powerful the connection to the Weave the more powerful the connection to the individual. We have been told your connection is very strong,” Serena said.
“It is. I understand if you don't want to do it. We can try to find another way to know if you're in trouble. Bo, you have all these electronics. Do you have anything small that can be used to trigger an alert?” Chelsea asked.
“I don't but I'm sure Rolo could whip you up something. He's a whiz with electronics,” Bo told them.
“There is no need. We will do it. I do not like the idea of sharing a connection with a human Master, but it is needed. We can put aside our own discomfort for you,” Serena told them.
“I don't know how to make the process easier for you. I don't even know how it works. We will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe,” Chelsea told her.
“It is not our safety that is important. If these Wardens show themselves, you may have an opportunity to stop them and save others. Many of our members are not as strong as we are and cannot defend themselves, so they hide in the lower tunnels. Some of them have not been outside in weeks,” Serena told them.
“We'll stop them. How do we do this?” Sebastian asked her.
“We simply share blood. The bond must go both ways for it to work,” Serena told him. “You will be able to feel our emotions and physical state. It won't be total and not as deep a bond as my sisters and I have but it will be close. Are you certain of this? It may last several hours or even a day or more.”
“We're okay with it,” Chelsea said.
Serena left and came back in a couple of minutes with a small tumbler and a paring knife.
Chelsea chuckled a bit and Serena looked annoyed.
“I'm not laughing at you. I was just not expecting a glass and knife from a kitchen. I thought it would be more ceremonial. Let's do this,” Chelsea said.
“We only need to share a small amount of blood. It's not a complex magical rite,” Serena told her as she and her sisters cut their arms and drained about an ounce of blood each into the glass. It was a little brighter and thinner than human blood but not by much. Chelsea and Sebastian did the same. Serena used the paring knife to mix the liquids and then took a drink. Each in succession took a drink.
“I don't feel anything,” Chelsea said then felt her head spinning. Everyone seemed to be slightly off balance and not completely vertical. When it was done, they looked at each other.
“I feel almost as much of a connection with you as I do Chelsea. That is amazing. Does it work with any fey or just naga?” Sebastian asked.
“Not all fey but not only naga and the strength of the bond varies from fey to fey,” Bo told them.
“I see four identical sisters with my eyes, but I can tell you apart. You're as different from each other as night is from day. I can also see what you truly look like,” Chelsea told them as she looked. The four women were more serpentine than they looked before. Their eyes were lidless and had the slitted pupils of a snake. They also had long fangs and forked tongues. Their skin was slightly reptilian.
“Does our true visage bother you? Does it disturb you to gaze on a monster?” asked Serena. “I do not see a monster when I look at your true selves.”
“You're not a monster. Fey are not to be feared or hated for looking different than humans. You're just a different species. What do you see when you look at us?” Sebastian asked Serena.
“I should not say. If you do not see it, that is for you to discover. When you told your friend on the screen you were fey, you were correct but what kind we have never seen,” Serena said.
“Please. I would like to know how you see us,” Sebastian said.
“Your skin blazes with blue fire and is covered in red and gold scales. Wings spread from your shoulders and your eyes shine golden. I have never seen anything like it,” Serena told them.
“I didn't realize Asala left that much of a mark on us,” Chelsea said.
“Asala?” asked Serena.
“She was a great wyrm. During the sundering of Atlantis, she sacrificed herself to save us by bonding her soul to ours. We have some of her traits like her eyes and can summon her fire,” Chelsea said.
“You are touched by dragons? We thought they were just a myth,” Bo said.
“They're not. They're...” Chelsea started but stopped as Serena and her sisters screamed and started grabbing at their heads.
“What's wrong?” Sebastian said as he ran to them.
“It's the Weave. It's so strong. It is a flood. We're drowning in it,” Serena said as she screamed again and fell to the floor, her sisters doing the same.
“Bo, what do we do?” asked Chelsea.
“I don't know. This has never happened. They said they were drowning in the Weave. They've never bonded with a Master before. This is all new since the Seal broke. Maybe it's more power than they can handle,” Bo told them.
“How do we help them?” Chelsea asked, sounding panicked.
“I don't know,” Bo said.
“The Weave is drowning them. They're being overwhelmed by our direct connection. We need to help them swim sort of. How do we do that?” Sebastian asked Chelsea.
“It's a natural thing for us. Short of teaching them to handle magic at our level I'm not sure how we can help them and they're in no shape to learn even if we had the kind of time that would take. What if...” Chelsea said then stopped.
“What if what?” asked Sebastian.
“We have to take this bond deeper. They need to be connected more than peripherally. They need to experience the Weave as we do,” Chelsea said. “They need to understand it can also protect not just hurt.”
“The Weave is already overwhelming them. If we did that it might kill them,” Sebastian told her.
Serena and her sisters screamed again and were writhing in pain on the floor.
“They're in pain and you can see their life force fading. If we don't they're going to die anyway. Let's do it,” Chelsea said as she walked over and put a hand on two of the sisters. Sebastian did the same to the other two.
The two of them let their spirits flow into the four naga and let their own magical energy flow. The naga screamed and twitched. The six of them were pulled into the flow of the Weave as Chelsea and Sebastian entered their minds.
“Help us!” Serena screamed.
Chelsea created the illusion of a field within their minds and stood beside Sebastian on the grass. The naga were besieged by spectral enemies in the illusion taking the form of warriors with swords slashing at them. The naga lay curled up with no defense to the spectral warriors.
“Reach into the Weave. Pull it onto you like a suit of armor. Let the magic protect you,” Sebastian said.
“It's too strong!” screamed Selana.
“Form an image in your mind of the energy of the Weave flowing onto and around you. Let it form into an armor to protect you. Let it flow around you and become your defense against the attackers,” Sebastian told them.
“Save us!” screamed Serana.
Several of the spectral warriors advanced towards Sebastian and Chelsea.
; “Save yourselves,” replied Chelsea. “Shield yourselves. Look through our eyes. See what we see and do what we do.”
Chelsea and Sebastian were illuminated by beams of light that surrounded and wrapped them. The light quickly solidified into gleaming golden armor. No matter how hard the attackers tried, they couldn't penetrate the armor.
The naga continued to scream with each slash of the sword or smash of a flail from the ghostly gladiators.
“Focus, damn it. Pull yourselves together. No one can save you but you,” Sebastian told them. “The Weave is yours to command so command it.”
“Maybe we should help them,” Chelsea said.
“No. They have to do this on their own,” Sebastian said.
“Sisters, they are right. Do as the lieges did,” Serena told them.
The same beams of light flowed towards the naga. They were sparse and broken at first, disjointed and undirected but slowly gained more focus. After a minute, the beams wrapped them, and they managed to armor themselves. The incorporeal knights dissipated when they could no longer hurt anyone.
“Good. Now stand up,” Sebastian told the sisters.
“Why did you let us suffer? You could have saved us,” Serana said.
“Sometimes you have to do for yourself. I recall you offering your service as soldiers. You must learn to defend as well as attack. Consider this your first lesson,” Sebastian told them.
“Are all lessons so painful?” asked Selana.
“Not all but we learn faster from adversity,” Sebastian told them.
“I notice you're all speaking now,” Chelsea said.
“We call you friend. For those we do not know, our sister speaks for us. For those who are friends, then we are more open, more individual,” said Serana.
“Prepare yourself. We're going to pull you out and back into your own minds. It may be a little odd,” Chelsea told them.
The removed their hands from the naga and the four sisters opened their eyes and sat upright almost immediately, gasping for breath as they did so.
“That was unbelievable,” said Serana.
“Is everyone okay?” asked Bo.
“We are fine,” Selena told him. “A little disoriented but we are recovering quickly.”
“Glad to hear it. Now get to work,” Bo said.
#
Doga's great clawed paw came down hard on the ground but hit only earth and stone as Baldric teleported away. Baldric was nowhere to be seen.
“You have learned to teleport. This is good. Your skill is growing,” Doga told him as he jumped backward and caught the invisible Baldric with a kick from a hind leg sending the comparatively small human launching across the field and rolling several times when he hit the ground.
Baldric forced himself to stand. He was hurt and could feel the blood flowing from several wounds on his body as Doga reared his head back and then forward, a jet of bright green flame flowing towards him. Baldric stood his ground and raised a hand in front of him and flame flowed around him but didn't touch him.
Doga leaped through the air, jaws agape, in the direction of Baldric. Baldric stood fast and made a motion with both hands. He started speaking, his words echoing loudly across the arena and Doga changed direction, flipping over in a large arc and landing roughly on his back behind the human.
Baldric then turned quickly, faster than Doga expected him to be able to move with his injuries, and again the dragon went airborne a few dozen feet and slammed back into the ground. The human jumped into the air and hovered above Doga. He started making motions at the dragon and waves of concussive energy rained down on the great beast. A huge slab of stone ripped free from the ground and hovered just over the dragon's head.
“YIELD!” yelled Baldric.
“Enough!” came Absillion's voice. “Doga, Baldric, stand down. The test is over.”
Doga rolled over and stood up. “You are much stronger than any fey who has come before. I have never been beaten at my full strength. I did not hold back. Would you have killed me?”
“I would not. We are not enemies and I do not wish your death,” Baldric said to the dragon.
Absillion walked across the field, his daughter Asala by his side.
Malka ran over to her husband and hugged him. “You beat Doga! No one has ever done that!”
Absillion looked down at the human. “There will be no need for further tests. Lord Marshall Baldric, you have done well. You have proven yourself as both a warrior and a wizard. I convey upon the title of Archmage. In addition, your actions as of late have shown you to be a born leader. Doga and my daughter have taught you well. Your actions brokering a peace arrangement with the trolls of the southern continent and helping the tribes of rakshasa come to a peaceful conclusion to their conflict have earned you a greater place. When the next Dragon's Eye passes in two years, you shall replace King Garos as the next liege of Atlantis.”
Baldric bowed before Absillion, Malka doing the same. “By your command, Elder. I humbly and gratefully accept.”
Asala looked at the two and smiled. It was an odd gesture for a dragon and took much effort for her to do so as their facial muscles did not naturally move in such a way.
#
Sebastian, along with Serena and two sisters left the hotel and walked down towards the strip.
“How close will we be to the area where the other attacks have taken place?” he asked her.
“There have been numerous attacks with no consistent area. The closest was several blocks away from the hotel we are going to,” Serena told him.
“We will make haste. Our clients pay well and should not be kept waiting. This makes you uncomfortable. You do not have to go. We are quite capable of defending ourselves,” she told him.
“It's not that. Okay, yea it's that. I can put aside my own issues to help you,” he told her.
“Why do you have issues with what we do? There is no dishonor in our lives,” Serena told him.
“I don't find it dishonorable. I just find it sort of odd. I've never actually met a, uh, service provider before,” he replied.
Serena and her sisters laughed. “You can use the word. We are not embarrassed by it. We are prostitutes. We have something that others desire and we use their desire to earn a good living. We do not feel shame in what we do, and neither should you,” she told him.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“We do. Our species is sexually compatible with humans and many other fey. You will find the reproductive biology of most fey is basically the same and like humans, we find enjoyment in physical contact. We are also empathic to a small degree, so we can feel the reciprocal enjoyment and it heightens our own,” Serena told him.
“I know you speak for your sisters, but do they really feel the same as you?” Sebastian asked her.
“Ask them for yourself. I speak for them but there are times we do not agree. Judge for yourself if this is one of them,” she replied.
“I enjoy our profession very much,” said Selana. “There is no shame in enjoying your body and the bodies of others. Do you not enjoy sex?”
“Very much,” he said. “I've never actually met a prostitute before and it is not the usual sort of discussion I have with anyone other than Chelsea.”
“You love her. The sense of it is very powerful through the blood bond. How long have you been a couple?” Serena asked.
“In this lifetime, just over a year,” he replied.
“That's a strange answer,” said Selana. “How many lifetimes have you had?”
“The dragon's soul we mentioned earlier binds us to life. If we die, we are reborn, and, in each life, we find each other and fall in love. I don't know how many lives we lived but in what fragments of memories I have from them, she is always there. It's happened since we were first together in Atlantis,” he told them.
He felt their heightened emotions flow over him. It was the sensation of love and awe.
“That is so beautiful,” Serena told him. �
��It's the most romantic thing I've ever heard.”
He smiled.
“You're happy but not about Chelsea,” Selana said.
He gave her a weird look.
“I mean you are but that's not why you're smiling. I can feel your emotions but not read your mind. Why did you smile?” Serena asked him.
“Because of you. Because of naga and humans and all the other fey. As different as we look, so many of us are the same. We have the same emotions and needs and wants. For the most part, we just want to live and love and enjoy our lives,” he told them.
“It is not like that with all fey,” Selana told him.
“No. Not all. Sometimes there are individuals that are hostile or dangerous and that falls to the Wardens or Vanguard to handle. Then there are ones like the drebs,” he said.
“You know of the drebs?” Serena asked.
“We do. They're the reason Atlantis fell. They've been quiet since their rebellion was quelled. They've stuck to the shadows and manipulated things from behind the scenes but recently they've become active again,” he said. “Are you familiar with them?”
“We are. Our two species have crossed paths before. They are not a pleasant people,” Selana told him.
“That is putting it mildly,” he replied.
“There is only one way to deal with drebs. Be swift and give no quarter because they will give you none,” Selana told him.
“You dislike them,” Sebastian said to the naga.
“We hate them. We have a deep, seething hatred for them. They are the reason our people scattered. Once, we were accepted in India. We were able to walk in the open. Then the drebs approached our leaders and asked us to join them. They wanted us to be part of their order. Our leaders declined so they attacked us. We were powerful in the days between Atlantis and the Seal, but they were stronger. They swept aside our strongest wizards and fighters as if nothing. Our people were broken and fled. Small tribes survived but where once we numbered in the tens of thousands, there were only a few hundred left. We have rebuilt some over the centuries that followed but we have never congregated in large numbers for fear of garnering their attention again,” Serena said.
“They wanted you to join them?” Sebastian asked.
The Vanguard Page 36