by Isaac Winter
Laurie cried as her feet flew out from under her. I braced myself and held out a hand. She grabbed onto it and pulled herself up, clinging to me like a lifeline. The ceiling creaked and groaned, dirt and dust raining from above as the building shifted.
Fear gripped me like the scroll holders I’d used to flatten documents back at the Academy. Dust rained down on my head and I coughed, covering my mouth. Tris still had my cloak. The shaking didn’t stop and I began to wonder if the building would collapse down on top of us.
“Quick, outside!” Fel called, stumbling toward the door. We followed through the rubble until...it stopped.
It was over.
A collective sigh of relief. Finally.
“That was a bad one.” Fel frowned. “Everyone okay?”
Tris cursed, and I heard grumblings from the rest of the party too. “The quakes are getting stronger. Whatever he’s planning, it’s big. It’s sucking The Veil dry. We can’t take this much longer.”
“That’s just what I wanted to talk to you about,” Fel said. “Now that we know Crane’s next move, we need to form a plan. While you all were off on your respective quests, I took on a quest of my own. I set out to the ancient library to find out more about the history of the Veil.”
Four pairs of eyes stared at him, my own included. “And?”
“Let’s sit down. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Unfortunately, we didn’t get very far.
20
Cael
A shrill scream came from just outside and the sound of breaking glass clattered up above us.
Fel’s hand immediately went to the weapon at his side. He stuck out a hand, motioning us to wait.
The screams came again.
More.
Louder.
“They’re getting closer,” Mabel whispered.
My hands shook and my heart beat double-time, but I couldn’t hide away in here forever. “We need to help,” I said, striding toward the door. “If you all won’t, I will.”
It was a risky move. I didn’t know if they would follow me. I just knew that people were screaming out there. There was danger afoot, as there seemed to be everywhere in The Veil. And I was tired of being a passive observer. I was a Veilwalker, dammit. And it was high time I started acting like one.
Especially with the recent world announcement from the Author. It was personal.
I barreled through the door, weapons drawn. Villagers ran past me down the alley, faces stricken with fear. I swiveled and ran in the opposite direction, toward whatever monstrosity they ran from.
Cobblestones scattered underfoot as I ran. I didn’t chance a glance behind me to see if the others had followed.
I weaved through the mob of refugees, dancing around each villager as they fled. They ran blindly, no care for who or what was in front of them. A sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach told me what I was going to find. I didn’t want to believe it, though. Not yet.
But there it was.
The town square used to be the most elegant part of this old town. A shining alabaster fountain had once stood in the center with paths leading out like spokes of a wheel to the different districts.
The fountain lay in ruins, stone fragments scattered across the fragments of burnt grass. And in its place, as people scattered in all directions, was a huge, gaping Tear.
Footsteps pattered up behind me and I spun, thinking it was an attacker. Tris, Fel, Mabel, and Laurie had all followed, weapons and magic at the ready.
They had come.
My heart swelled with gratitude, but I couldn’t express it just then. We had a job to do.
“Mabel, prep your buffs. Tris and Fel, keep ‘em off my back. Laurie, you’re with me.”
They moved into formation and I felt the shower of light race down my spine that came with Mabel’s support spells.
> Increased resistance to Dark magic
> Increased Mana regen
> Increased armor
Laurie appeared at my side, staff at the ready. Her face didn’t show any fear, just a firm mask of determination. “You ready for this?” I said as the crack in the sky grew larger.
“A little different than work at the Academy, isn’t it?” She joked.
“Let’s kick some Reaver ass.”
As if on cue, the shrill screeching of Reavers invaded my ears as their wings blackened the sky.
Five birds soared ahead in a v-shaped formation, and more flew over the horizon. They were all heading the same direction. Toward us. I glared over at Laurie. Birds flew in all directions toward her, as if she were some kind of animal lightning rod. What on earth?
I forced my attention back to the task at hand. The Tear. It rent across the sky like a shred of parchment, blocking out the sun. Through the dark mist that flowed out of the portal, I could see once again the shadows of my old world.
The vision grew clearer as the mist dissipated. That’s when I realized it wasn’t the Academy, after all. It was my home.
All gone.
This wasn’t just about the Veil anymore. This was a direct attack on me.
My fists balled at my sides, shaking as I watched the house burn. Why would he do this? As intimidation? To prove a point?
The sounds of battle faded into the background and I focused my attention on the Tear, trying to coax out the same runes I’d used to close the last portal. I squinted. I panted. I shook. They wouldn’t come.
A lancing pain shot through my forehead and the world swum around me. My vision blurred but I could still read the words that appeared in my HUD:
> You do not have a Runic Affinity.
I blinked. What?
I tried again, screwing up my face in an attempt to see the underlying fabric of the Veil that had always been there for me. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t manipulate anything.
It was gone.
> You do not have a Runic Affinity.
Oh, shit.
The air wheezed out of me as something flew right into my stomach, knocking me off my feet. I tumbled to the ground, my head meeting the grass with a dizzying thud. I blinked open my eyes to see the scaly face of a Reaver screeching at me. It raised a spiny claw, ready to slit my throat. I rolled to the side, throwing it off of me with the last of my strength. The claws caught onto the fabric of my shirt as they went, ripping through the cotton like a knife through butter. They dug into my skin and I screamed, already feeling the warm ooze of blood.
I rounded on the creature, drawing my daggers, one in each hand. We’d do this the old-fashioned way, then.
“Come ‘ere, you slimy bastard!” I taunted, crouched low. The scratches on my side burned with each movement, but the adrenaline flowed fast and furious through my veins. It was fight or flight time, and I wasn’t going down yet.
The beast lunged toward me, baring its teeth. I swayed to the side, avoiding the attack, but it left me off balance and I windmilled my arms to stay upright.
The Reaver flew past me and I spun around, locking him in my sights.
A shudder ran down my spine as I felt Mabel’s healing spell wash over me. I grunted in thanks and lunged.
I swung my daggers in a wide arc, leaping forward. The momentum barreled me headlong into the monster and the crash jarred me head to toe. I didn’t let go, though. I dug the daggers in deep, right through the fleshy middle between their wings. It screeched and snapped at me as I thrust upward, black blood spraying onto my hands and face.
I sputtered and blinked, throwing out a leg to kick the creature away from me. It landed in a heap, clearly injured but still moving. A pool of blood dripped onto the ground at its feet, but it still had blood in its eyes. It wasn’t over.
If regular daggers wouldn’t do the trick, then maybe magic would. I had an idea and channeled a spell down my right hand while still holding my dagger. It traveled like lighting through my veins, sparking through my fingertips. It felt like getting shocked by a doorknob, one hundred times over.
> You have learned: Weapon Empowerment.
> Your weapon is now Empowered with Mana. Attacks deal more damage and can produce damage over time effects.
> Level One: Your Empowered attacks will draw on a random element nearby. At higher levels, you can train and choose what element to channel.
My blades glowed an icy blue, sparkling in the light. They crackled with magic and my skin vibrated with power.
Here we fucking go.
The gash in my side stung as I swooped forward with the Empowered blades, but the effect on the creature was instantaneous.
It shrieked and shuddered in my arms, eyes wide with disbelief. Then it dropped to the ground limply, a stale burning smell oozing from the dead corpse.
Just like that, the sounds and sensations of the present filtered back into my periphery. I dropped to my knees, side throbbing.
A rush of movement overhead made me look up and I saw the birds from earlier locked in airborne battle with the Reavers. They cried and struck, biting and scratching with long claws.
I ducked out of the way and glared at Laurie, mouth open.
She stood squarely in place, swinging her staff like a baseball bat. Most flew too high for her to reach, but the ones weakened by the bird attacks drifted just low enough. The staff connected with a Reaver with a bone-crunching crack. The Reaver flinched and dropped to the ground, where she fiercely jabbed it with the butt of her weapon.
Well then. Seemed like she was handling herself just fine.
“Cael, get your head in the game!” Tris yelled as she sent another crossbow bolt sailing. “Close the damn Tear!”
I froze. Without my Runes, could I even close it? Could I do anything?
“Hold on!” I stammered. I searched through my bags and spells for something, anything that would get us out of this mess.
How could I close a Tear without using the Runes?
Then I remembered the first Tear I’d seen, that night in the Academy. It closed when someone went through it.
Did that mean?
I took a breath, looking around at Fel, Tris, Mabel, and Laurie. They all fought valiantly, but I could tell they were tiring.
What if I could put a stop to this?
I gulped and looked through the Tear again. If I went through, if I sacrificed myself and my energy to leave The Veil by choice, the resulting burst in energy would close the Tear. My friends would be safe.
But could I stand to leave them like this?
I stood and squared my shoulders, locking my gaze onto the fluttering edges of the Tear. I had to end this. But if I went back, then everyone would be stuck here, and we’d be back to where we started. Me throwing myself through that portal wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t make the Tears go away.
But what if there was something that would?
I looked down into my bag at the ancient book of runes I’d found that fateful day outside my office. It had brought me into this world. It had taught me the power of the Runes. And perhaps it could teach others as well. That was the only way the others at the Academy would have a chance.
Even though I’d left things on a bit of a sour note, especially with Tanner, they needed help.
And perhaps this book was the key to everything.
“Cover me!” I yelled to Mabel and Laurie as I sprinted for the portal.
“What are you doing?!” Laurie screamed. “Cael, no!”
I gripped the book in both hands, staring up at the gasping rent in the sky. The vision through the Tear flickered, showing snippets of the world I’d once known. My old home, the park near my house, the Academy...
Wait, the Academy!
With a cry I threw the book at the Tear, watching as the pages fluttered through the air. With a blinding flash of light and a loud zapping sound, the book disappeared through the air.
Only...the Tear didn’t close.
It hadn’t worked.
Now what?
“It’s no good!” I yelled to the party as I dodged a fallen piece of stone from the fountain.
“We can’t hold out much longer!” Tris yelled with an impressive-looking double-shot toward a remaining Reaver. It died on impact and fell to the ground with a crash. Dust flew up around us. My shoulder-length hair flew into my face and I was very aware that I wasn’t wearing my cloak, not for the first time. Fel swung his mighty warhammer at the foes, counting the blows as he went.
“Seventeen!” He growled, his weapon dripping with blood.
Laurie’s flock targeted the remaining Reaver, pecking and clawing at its underside. I needed a spell, but my mana stores were still dangerously low after Empowering my weapons.
“Come on, come on, come on,” I muttered under my breath, spell selection at the ready. One final spell would finish this guy off. I just didn’t have the mana.
And as for the Tear...I was out of ideas.
The birds fell away, screeching and scattering in all directions. The enchantment had ended, and now we were on our own. Laurie looked positively wasted, Mabel’s face was drawn with exertion, and both Tris and Fel were covered in blood.
“Just one more!” I yelled, hoping to rally their spirits.
The Reaver swooped, diving right toward an unsuspecting Mabel. “Watch out!”
It was too late. The beast collided with her and the claws dug deep into her bare flesh. She screamed and howled, clawing at the monster, but it held firm. Mabel flew into the air, dangling from the Reavers claws. It was heading for the Tear!
My mana ticked back up to 25. Just enough to make one final shot.
But I had to make sure I didn’t hit Mabel in the crossfire.
I took aim, let out a breath, and fired.
The magical bolt flew through the air and time seemed to stand still as I held my breath. The Reaver ducked at the last moment and the bolt struck the Reaver’s leg instead of its head where I was aiming. It was enough, though. The Reaver screeched and faltered, Mabel falling from its grasp.
She screamed, her robes billowing around her as she tumbled through the sky in slow motion. I ran, hoping I could catch her or break her fall somehow.
The Tear in the sky yawned open, its tendrils wrapping around her falling form.
“No!” I screamed.
She was gone.
21
Laurie
We stood there in shock as the rent in the sky healed over like a bad scar. The thunder rumbling in the distance ceased. The ground stopped rocking beneath my feet. The Tear was closed.
And Mabel went through it, back to her home world.
A bittersweet sadness pierced my heart. She had young children at home. I hoped that now she’d be able to return to them.
A terrible silence dawned upon us and as the haze of battle faded, my eyes adjusted to the grisly scene around me.
Fallen Reavers scattered the ground. Bits and pieces of the broken fountain lay discarded in the dirt, and the only sound was a gentle breeze kicking up all the dust in the air. The smell of rotting flesh invaded my senses and I took a few steps back. Exhaustion finally sunk into my bones and my knees weakened.
I couldn’t believe I’d controlled a whole flock like that.
My body couldn’t either, from the way it was feeling right now.
I stumbled toward a bench at the square that hadn’t been overturned and sank into it.
Mabel was gone. And in doing so, she’d closed the Tear for us. She’d saved us, and the town of Syn along with it.
But the question remained...why couldn’t Cael close the Tear the same way he had before?
Cael, Tris, and Fel strode toward me, looking just as haggard as I felt. “You okay?” Fel asked. “Some battle.”
Every muscle in my body ached, but I didn’t seem much worse for wear besides that. Fel and Tris on the other hand, were speckled with blood from head to foot and looked like they were about to drop where they stood.
“I could ask you the same question,” I mumbled, not meeting his eyes. “She’
s gone, isn’t she?” Flashbacks of my own harrowing trip through the portal flashed through my mind. The stinking claws of the Reavers, the way the sky opened up to swallow me whole...I still saw them when I closed my eyes.
“It’s my fault.”
We all turned to look at Cael.
“I couldn’t close the Tear.” His voice wavered, laced with sadness. “And we lost Mabel because of it.”
“What do you mean, you couldn’t?” Tris asked. “You’re the one with the Runic powers. You did it before. Why not now?”
Cael shuffled back and forth, eyes flitting to the corpses and then back to us. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and sighed. “I lost my powers.” His voice was barely a whisper at that point.
I counted the seconds of silence in time with the quickened beating of my heart.
One...two...three...
“You mean you can’t...?” I said finally.
“I don’t know what happened. Must have been the last Glitch. But I can’t....I can’t. They’re just not there anymore.” His shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry.”
This was bad. This was really bad. Cael was the only one among us to have the power to manipulate the Tears, and now he couldn’t even do it. How had he lost such a powerful ability? My hands clenched into fists.
“We should go indoors.” Fel said, looking around. “The threat may be gone for the time being, but its still not safe out here. We’ll regroup back at the Hideout, and we can figure out what all this mess means. Let’s go.”
The basement of Fel’s establishment felt like a prison. The walls seemed to press inwards, drawing all of the air out of the room. No one said a word the entire way back. Even Tris, with her normally fiery retorts, had been shocked into silence.
With Cael’s powers gone, what hope did we have?
I saw the book go through the Tear. That book had meant everything to Cael, and he’d sacrificed it in the hopes of saving us all. But in the end, the Tear stole Mabel away from us.