by Ben Hale
Siarra closed her eyes and drew in a breath. When she opened them again her gaze was clear. "You speak with wisdom, young one, but there is insufficient time to gather them. We will have to Gate them out one by one."
Tess's gut tightened, but she nodded. "We can take them to Oakridge." She touched Siarra's temple and passed an image of the destination.
Siarra cast a look of longing at the Aspect, and then nodded. "I'll take the west and east. You take the school. We'll do the Spirus together."
Tess nodded and reached for the right energy. As if sensing their departure, the Aspect surged into a sprint. Its sword passed through thin air as they disappeared. Left to its own devices, it whipped its sword upward and continued its destruction.
Tess reappeared above the school. Spotting Professor Lerik floating above the gravity school, she Gated to her side. Lerik jerked back at her sudden appearance, but Tess caught her arm and Gated to Oakridge. Depositing her on the cobblestone road, she Gated back to Tryton's and sought another.
She found Agent Bracken next. He'd been walking to the earth school when the ground sank beneath him. His eyes were wide with alarm as he spoke into his radio. Tess appeared at his side and Gated him out.
"—city is going down!" He finished his statement in Oakridge.
Tess caught a glimpse of his look of astonishment before she Gated again. She found two soldiers on the edge of Tryton's, and caught them both together. Depositing them next to the growing crowd, she returned.
In the span of seconds the wind around Auroraq had picked up. Her fear mounting, she tried not to think about what it heralded and kept going. One by one she caught and emptied Tryton's of people.
After ten she returned to find a small group forming on the school. Led by the rock troll, Kellon, they were forming into groups of two to make it easier for her to Gate them out. Tess threw him a look of gratitude and took the two beside him. Their looks of shock and terror hammered home what was happening. The mounting whine as the school continued to accelerate had even more impact.
Her heart beat in her chest as she caught the next two, and the next two. Each time she returned she found more, and her heart sank. Could she rescue them all in time? Or would they be crushed to powder when Auroraq struck the ground?
The next time she came back she found the city had begun to lean. Those needing rescue clung to trees bending from the rising wind, and reached their hands out at her appearance. Her heart rent as she saw their frightened faces. Then Iris's voice spoke into her mind. Caught between the Gates, the phrase came in a burst of words.
I'm moving the city east—
To avoid the Stacks—
And gathering everyone—
In the Spirus—
To this floor—
Tess sped up. Risking fatigue, she caught them in groups of three or four and brought them to Oakridge. Finally the group began to diminish, until only Kellon remained. Having avoided her grasp until he was last, he reached to her.
Her breath coming in ragged gasps, she sank her hand into his huge grip and tried to Gate the rock troll out—but nothing happened. Tess tried again, but again the Gate would not open large enough for both of them. At twice her height and three times her weight, he was too large to pull through a hasty spell. Kellon pulled his hand free.
"Get the others," he said easily.
A burst of anger filled Tess, and she snatched his hand. Without a word she forced several specks of Gate energy together. A white circle rippled around them, swallowing them and depositing them in Oakridge.
"I'm not leaving anyone behind," Tess snapped to the startled Kellon, and then Gated to the Spirus.
She sucked in her breath as she appeared inside the command center, and saw the hundreds of people facing her. At a glance she realized that many faces were not present, but guessed that Iris had sent them all to Sundrops or the Terminous launchers. Gritting her teeth, she caught the Japanese generals nearest her and Gated out. She appeared a moment later and picked up the soldiers next to them.
On the next trip she spotted her mother against the rear wall. She was on her knees with her hand on the blanket-shrouded body of her father. Her heart thudded in her chest as she caught them both.
Each time she returned the scene became more chaotic. Like strobes of light, she caught the images in snatches as she flitted in and out. Wind shrieked and howled, indicating that Auroraq gravity charms had finally failed. Men and women huddled on the floor. Air coursed through any openings in the windows, whipping their clothing and hair into a frenzy. They grasped anything they could and looked with hope each time she or Siarra appeared.
Thirty seconds—
Iris's voice sounded even more distorted, as if she were trying to hold the city aloft by sheer force of will. Each time Tess returned she saw Iris standing in her vortex of purple magic, her face chalk white and her body trembling with fatigue.
Tess and Siarra sped up. Winking in and out of the room, they pulled mages, soldiers, and others into the appearing Gates. Spotting Quad and the president holding the wall, she took them next. In the distance Tess caught sight of Sundrops streaking away, and Terminous launchers casting glass orbs into the sky. Each was packed with people fleeing the dying city.
As the crowd dwindled Tess heard another sound. The Aspect of Justice had not been content below. It's sword swinging with frenzied anger, it bored through the Spirus like a mole through the dirt.
Men screamed as the floor gave way beneath their feet. Before Tess could catch them they were crushed as blocks of white granite fell on top of them. Cringing, Tess caught a woman who hung from the edge, and came back for more. When she reappeared the hole extended up for several floors, and she caught a glimpse of the Aspect continuing upward.
Five seconds—
Iris's voice sounded distant and fading, prompting Tess to drive herself even faster. She knew that Iris needed time, but she wasn't about to leave her behind. Tess Gated in and caught two while Siarra grabbed Gerik and his companions. They appeared in Oakridge simultaneously.
Tess didn't wait. Snatching a speck of Gate energy, she appeared beside Iris and wrapped her arms around her friend. They screamed together as millions of threads cut into her mind and flesh.
Tess, don't—
—The city struck the ground with the force of a meteor. Bound by fading magic, much of the city shattered. Great buildings enchanted by mighty mages flattened in an instant. Hundred foot trees snapped like dead sticks and collapsed to the ground.
The Spirus crumpled. Folding in half, the sixty-three floors disintegrated into dust and bits of rubble. At the summit of it all, the Halo of Dawn was torn apart, its magic destroyed, never to fire again.
Tess hovered in the air above Oakridge, hugging Iris to her and praying she was alive. Her fear of the answer bound her, until finally she could bear it no longer. Leaning her head back, she watched Iris's head flop to the side, and her heart cracked in two. Then Tess saw a flutter in her eyelids.
"Iris?" Tess asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I told you not to touch me," Iris mumbled.
Tears blossomed in Tess's eyes and she embraced her with a fierceness that drew a complaint.
"I feel like half my brain was ripped out by fishhooks," Iris said, and her eyes opened. "Can you take it easy?"
Overcome with emotion, Tess could only shake her head. Iris flashed a faint smile, and then her gaze was drawn to the devastated city of Auroraq. Her features tightened.
"Did you get everyone out?"
"As many as I could," Tess said.
"Yes, Uri, I'm fine—and stop complaining Jason, you weren't the hub. Yes, I know it hurt. I was in the middle of it. Selina, connect to whatever threads are still active. It's not over yet . . ."
A smile spread on Tess’s features. Iris had been an inch from death and was already stepping back into her magic as if falling from the sky was a daily occurrence. Relief flooded her, so intense her vision swam. Then she lo
wered them to the Oakridge street and set Iris gently on a bench. In spite of Iris's bravado, her body trembled from weakness.
The moment she landed they were bombarded with those Tess and Siarra had saved. Before Tess could extricate herself, the president and Gerik caught Iris and asked for a status. Iris turned to Tess before joining them.
"I found the Forge of Light," she said.
Tess and Siarra leaned in, causing her to smile.
"Where?" Tess asked.
"You said it was on a mountain, and in your vision you saw the summit above the Dark. There are only so many mountains higher than twenty thousand feet, and I cross-referenced them with myths and legends. One is called Chomolungma by the natives, and means Mother Goddess of the Earth. In older dialects it appears as a different meaning, Mother of Life."
"So where is this mountain?" Tess asked.
Iris raised an eyebrow. "It straddles the border between Nepal and Tibet. Most people know it as—"
"—Mt. Everest," Tess finished. Understanding washed over her, sending a chill across her skin. "The Forge of Light is on the tallest mountain on Earth."
Chapter 42: A New Target
"Here!" the Swordsman called, drawing Robar and Indigo to him.
After fighting the entities of luck, they had returned to the tower in search of a way back. To their dismay they found it sealed. Only when the sun had risen did the Swordsman locate a secret niche with a rune that unsealed the door.
The barrier flickered and evaporated, allowing them inside. Pushing past the destruction from the conflict, they checked each room, hoping for a route to Auroraq. Then the Swordsman found the world chamber.
Dominating two floors near the middle of the tower, the chamber held a giant, glowing sphere. Continents and oceans were displayed on its surface, their detail and movement sufficient to indicate a current connection.
Like a dying flashlight in the night, the center of North America stood against the Dark. A thin mist of blue marked the location of every member of the Earth Army, while a larger mass huddled in the Stacks at the center. Surrounding the beleaguered army, the section inside the cloud brimmed with green. The mass of Twisted was so thick it spread for thousands of miles in every direction.
Indigo flew to stand beside him with Robar only a step behind. "I had no idea there were so many Twisted," she breathed.
Robar pointed to the map. "Look at the gaps in the Earth Army. They're already pushing through the defenses."
They fell silent, the truth of what they were witnessing settling on them. Minute by minute the green forces were overwhelming the blue. Holes were being forced open, and any moment now it would become a rout. Alice was likely minutes from declaring victory, and the only thing holding her triumph at bay was the Halo of Dawn.
Auroraq floated high above the Earth's surface. As the trio watched, the Halo of Dawn fired, and a tiny ball of fire disappeared into a Gate. A split second later it reappeared above Colorado and slammed into the green forces exiting there. Thousands of the figures went dim, but it was like removing a pail of sand from a beach.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Robar asked, and stabbed a finger at the map. "Alice left because she's about to win. Even if we had killed her, I doubt it would have stopped this."
"We have to get back," the Swordsman said. "We need to keep looking."
Indigo caught his arm. "And what are we going to do? There are trillions of Twisted. I don't think it matters who we target. One kill isn't going to make a difference."
"I'm not going to sit back and do nothing," the Swordsman said.
Robar shook his head, his expression resigned. "I hate to say it, but she's right. It's over."
"I refuse to accept that," the Swordsman snapped.
"Why?" Indigo said.
"Because there's no place in Alice's world for us." The Swordsman rounded on her. "And I'm not going to lose either one of you."
"I know, but what can we do . . ." Robar's voice trailed off, and the Swordsman looked at him. Robar's forehead was creased in confusion as he stared at the map. Following his gaze, the Swordsman saw what he was looking at.
"What's happening to Auroraq?" Robar asked.
As the seconds passed the Swordsman realized that Auroraq had begun to drift. He felt a cold fear seep into his gut as he realized it had taken a distinct tilt, and continued to sink toward the Earth. There was only one explanation.
"It's falling," he said.
"But how?" Indigo asked. Abruptly she launched herself into the air and came to a stop in front of it. Her eyes widened. "One of Alice's army is inside the city, but it's different than the others. From what we've heard I'd say it's—"
"The Aspect of Justice." The Swordsman straightened. "One of the two generals of Alice's army," A grim smile spread on his features. "And our new target."
"You can't be serious," Indigo said, and dropped to the ground next to him.
"One kill matters," he said. "You taught me that." He turned on his heel and strode to the door.
Robar threw Indigo a glance, but shrugged. "Let's find ourselves an exit."
The Swordsman cast speed and raced upward. Kicking the doors in, he searched for any hint of a way out. Robar checked the opposite side of the tower, while Indigo flew to the top and worked her way down. Thirty seconds later her voice drew them to her.
"A Gate," the Swordsman said as he slid to a stop. "She must have set this up when she had control of Auroraq. Think it still works?"
Robar rounded the corner and came to a halt. "Think it will work on me?"
"One way to find out," the Swordsman said.
"Wait," Indigo said. "The city is falling from the sky, and you want to Gate inside it?"
"Yes," the Swordsman said, and turned the rune key that connected to Auroraq.
The mirror shimmered, indicating it had connected. Indigo darted forward before the Swordsman could stop her, and disappeared into the mirror.
"No sense in me breaking it before you," Robar said.
The Swordsman hesitated and then stepped through. He exited into a maelstrom of sound and wind. On instinct he dropped to the floor, seeking for something to hold onto, but the floor was dropping beneath him. Indigo was hovering off the floor at a huge gap in the outside wall. Her eyes widened as she saw something outside his vision. Then she turned back to him.
"Thirty seconds to impact!" she shouted.
Then a loud grinding noise ended with a body colliding with the Swordsman, sending him tumbling forward.
"Took a running start," Robar shouted in apology. "What's going on?"
Indigo appeared as they disentangled themselves, and the look on her face sent a spike of ice into the Swordsman's gut.
"The Spirus is crumbling," she said in a rush. "We have to get out of here."
The Swordsman climbed up the tilted floor and grasped the open door. Reaching back, he cast strength and helped Robar up the slope. Then they pushed their way through while Indigo floated beside them.
The offices that ringed the high council chamber had begun to disintegrate, allowing the howling wind to enter. Chairs and other furniture were knocked around and sent tumbling down the tilted floor. Outside the shattered windows the Swordsman caught a glimpse of rushing air—and the Aspect of Justice streaking past. Its sword sliced through the exterior wall and the protective charms, sending sparks and fire igniting on the interior.
"I'll go back through," Robar shouted. "Take the Gate with you!"
"Twenty seconds!" Indigo yelled. "Go now—"
The Aspect of Justice exploded through the ceiling and into the floor, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. The already weakened floor collapsed into the hole, taking the three of them with it. The Swordsman rolled away from the falling debris and leapt into the air. Activating his air board, he dodged a chunk of granite. Then he saw his brother.
Robar had slid to the hole before he managed to catch himself. Dangling over the edge, he fought to hold on. The Swordsman's gaze co
nnected with him. The Swordsman was on the other side of the chamber, and Indigo was out of reach. There was nowhere for Robar to go, and no magic was going to help.
Then his gaze fell on the Gate. The mirror had fallen and slid into a teetering wall. It remained intact, but not for long. Banking his air board, the Swordsman dodged debris and shards of solid magic raining down from the ceiling. Spinning in a tight barrel roll, he scraped past the falling wall and snagged the edge of the mirror, yanking it out of harm’s way.
Blocks of granite rained down on him before rolling toward the hole. Counting the seconds, the Swordsman dismissed his air board and activated agility. Leaping over a fallen pillar, he tossed the mirror into the air and slid under a gap. As it collapsed into his shadow, he leapt high and caught the mirror. Through the curtain of debris and haze of dust, he spotted Indigo streaking to the opposite side.
"Slide it!" she shouted.
Ducking low, he threw the mirror along the floor. It skipped like a stone on water, barely missing a falling statue. The illuminated figurine shattered and went dark just inches from the mirror. Then the Gate slid off the edge and fell into the hole directly opposite Robar.
Robar kicked off the ledge and let go. Then he pulled his hands and arms in and slipped into the Gate. Indigo followed the mirror down and caught it just before it struck, and then bolted out of the Spirus.
The Swordsman exited three floors above her, and felt a wave of relief when he saw her with the mirror in tow. Then his vision expanded to include the ground below. Even as he registered the impending impact, he stomped on his board and rocketed upward, willing it to go faster.
—The city smashed into the ground with a titanic boom. Exploding upward, the dust cloud swallowed them in its gritty embrace. The Swordsman shielded his eyes with one hand and headed east. Coughing on the clogged air, he strove forward until he burst into the open. Then he spun and waited for Indigo. His heart rising in his chest, he hovered until she emerged nearby.
Relief flooded him, and The Swordsman motioned her down. Blinking the dust clear, they dropped toward the rows of shipping containers that represented the western edge of the Stacks, alighting together. He turned the rune key that would allow Robar to return. The magic ground like steel on steel as it struggled to combat Robar's immunity, and then he appeared.