by Mike Truk
Neveah’s smile was hard. “I’m sure Lilith would be willing to cover your damages.”
“Imogen?” I asked. “Could you compel her to wait for us with Psyche-Imperium?”
“Assuredly. But I’d rather not.”
“Why not?” asked Neveah. “That way we’ll be sure of the truth.”
Imogen leaned forward. “We’re trying to establish trust here. Noah swore a sacred oath. This relationship only works if we continue to treat each other with respect.”
Neveah snorted, leaning back against the door.
“Captain?” I asked.
“So strange, for you to call me that,” said Aisha, her tone turning contemplative. “All my life I’ve coveted the title, and now here it is, and I want nothing to do with it.” She paused, studying me with a curious expression. “Are you really the tenth Savior?”
As an answer, I drew Shard and willed its length to incandesce. Golden light radiated across the study, causing the waxed furniture to gleam and Aisha’s eyes to widen.
“I am the tenth Savior,” I said. “I was chosen by the Source and passed the five trials in the heart of Bastion. Together with my companions we have traversed Ghogiel, passed through Tagimron, and fetched up in Gharab. All that remains for us to accomplish is to pass through the Fulcrum and into Malkuth, where I shall confront and defeat Lilith, setting the universe free of her tyranny.”
On instinct, I pulsed some magic into Svadhisthana, just a ghost of a tendril, causing the great sunflower petals to open within my core and its golden power to insinuate itself in my words.
Aisha blinked, bit her lower lip, then gave a slow, contemplative nod. “To think I’d… it’s an honor, I suppose…”
“She supposes,” said Brielle, rolling her eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” I said, allowing a little more Svadhisthana into my words. “Can we work together on this, Aisha? Can I trust you to take us to Tantaghrast as promised?”
Aisha tongued the inside of her cheek, glanced at each of us, then nodded. “I understand. And… yes. You can trust me.” She exhaled as she said these last words. “I’m not sure why, it’s not in the best interests of the Druach, but… maybe… maybe this is a chance to do something for its own sake. To help the Source. I don’t know. I find myself perplexed and entertaining strange emotions, strange ideas. I’ll deliver you to Tantaghrast.”
“Thank you,” I said. Within my core Svadhisthana began to slow, to calm, and its great petals folded back over its face.
Imogen was watching me thoughtfully.
“Then that’s the plan,” I said. “We transfer into a large cavern, fly out, and discover where the Fulcrum and Valeria are before heading on to Malkuth.”
“And give Morgana the middle finger as we do so,” said Emma with a wicked grin.
Brielle’s smile was radiant. “I can’t believe we’re going to skip out on Carcosa, Byzul, all those realms.” She curled a lock of crimson hair behind her ear and grinned at me. “Absolutely brilliant.”
“Will that ruin anything, our skipping out on those realms?” asked Emma.
Everyone turned to Imogen, who shrugged. “I don’t believe so. The Fulcrum’s ability to transport us to Malkuth should not be dependent on our having journeyed along a certain path to reach it.”
“But it will ruin everything for Morgana,” said Brielle. “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see her face when she learns of our trick.”
“I just ask because… I don’t know.” Emma bit her lower lip, brow creased in thought. It was a testament to how much the others had come to respect her that nobody rushed her, instead waiting patiently as she puzzled out her thoughts. “There’s been this symmetry to everything we’ve done. It makes me think of how the ancient Greeks used to respect different numbers, how they had this mystical significance, right? Maybe the number five is important to the Source. It wasn’t Lilith that mandated you have five companions. Maybe conquering these challenges is important in some way. To our path. To our powers.”
I moved to a porthole and stared through the thick glass at Ur-Gharab below, at the flowing rivers of cloud, the brutal architecture, the laboring masses in the forges and workshops. At the crenelated walls, the massive portcullises. I stared, feeling my resolve harden.
“No,” I said. “I hear you, Emma, and appreciate your thoughts. But no. I can’t believe the Source wants us to needlessly suffer through trials put before us by Lilith. It wants her defeat. Whatever we do to destroy her is valid, as long as it doesn’t come at the cost of our own goodness and integrity.”
I turned to face them all, the captain included. “I feel it in my bones that cutting right to the Fulcrum and Valeria is what needs to be done. There’s no value in destroying a thousand more of Lilith’s followers. Of killing her bosses across these many realms. There will always be more monsters eager to take their place. What we need to do is save Valeria as quickly as possible and get to Malkuth. Nothing else matters.”
“Agreed,” said Brielle, tone thoughtful. “And on some level, it feels like breaking free of Lilith’s games represents… I don’t know. A maturation on our part? Like we’re no longer children being led by a wicked adult but have grown and can now forge our own path.”
“I agree, for what it’s worth,” said Little Meow, reaching up to adjust her cat mask. “It symbolizes the move from passivity to dynamism. This feels right.”
“Then there you have it,” I said, my smile hard. “Let’s get to Tantaghrast and find Valeria. Aisha? Whenever you’re ready.”
The captain rose to her feet, her expression at once stern and conflicted. “Yes. I’ll check on the state of the Primus. With a little luck, we should be ready to gate out soon.”
“See to it.”
Aisha gave me a shallow bow and left the room.
The door closed, and my companions shifted about, not quite relaxing now that she was gone but lowering their guard a fraction.
“Shouldn’t one of us watch them?” asked Imogen, rising to her feet. “Perhaps I’ll stay on the bridge with Aisha.”
“I’ll do it,” said Neveah, pushing off the wall and crossing the room with deadly grace.
Such was the authority in Neveah’s voice that Imogen simply sat back down as the other slipped out after the captain.
When the door closed, Brielle crossed her arms, leveling a hard gaze at me. “All right, time to tell us what the hell happened while you two were gone.”
“She cut through those flying Morathi like they were children,” said Imogen. “That’s… I mean…”
“And the way she dropped Little Meow and me, she had to have known she’d kill them all in time to catch us again,” said Emma. “Right? She had to have known. That wasn’t a gamble. Was it?”
“I don’t think it was,” said Little Meow. “Though I’ll admit the experience was rather… unpleasant. While it lasted.”
“She’s integrated herself,” I said. “It’s hard to explain. But we stayed with her mother and grandmother.”
“Nice people?” asked Emma wryly.
“Lovely. Her mother ended up helping us. We went into Neveah’s sanctum, and she freed her imprisoned demon.”
Everyone leaned forward.
“And it was… yeah. I don’t know how to put it into words. But in the end, Neveah managed to find peace. Accepted her darkness, melded with the demon, and conquered it.”
“And now she can kill dozens of elite Morathi by herself?” asked Brielle.
“She always could,” I replied. “I don’t think any of us appreciate how powerful she’s always been. But now her powers are back. And yeah.” A nervous tremble of excitement rippled through me. “Lilith must be freaking out.”
“As long as she’s on our side,” said Brielle.
“Lilith?” asked Emma, confused.
Brielle scowled. “No, Neveah.”
“She is,” I said. “I think our challenge now is going to be keeping up with her, more than anythin
g else.”
“I guess we can follow the trail of dead bodies,” said Imogen, “if we get left too far behind.”
“I won’t be left behind,” said Brielle, defiant.
“You’re going to have to start working out, then,” said Imogen teasingly. “I think you’ve been coasting of late.”
Brielle stuck her tongue out.
A rumble passed through the airship. Looking back out the porthole, I saw the wisps of clouds around us shudder as if an invisible table they’d been resting on had suddenly been violently jarred.
“What the fuck?” I moved to the far left to peer right, then the other side, peering back left. “The clouds are acting weird.”
They shuddered again, then began to stream together in a large circle, like water funneling down a drain. Spinning around our ship, faster and faster, a funnel formed below them that wove its way down, down to the base of the tower.
I looked as best I could, the others gathering around me.
“Primus, perhaps?” asked Imogen. “A side-effect of the engine gathering energy?”
“No,” I said as a figure rose into view, her black hair streaming out about her in an undulating wave, arms extended, eyes burning with black smoke. Her voluptuous frame was clad in little more than purple robes that fluttered about her, revealing bare hips, an expanse of thigh, and knee-high boots.
“Fuck,” I said. “Get ready. Morgana’s coming out to play.”
Chapter 16
“I thought she’d gone to Tantaghrast with Valeria?” said Emma, tone slightly panicked.
“Nothing to say she couldn’t come back,” said Imogen. “Word must have been sent about our intentions.”
“Doesn’t matter if she stayed or left,” snapped Brielle. “What are we going to do about her?”
“Get Neveah,” I said, lowering my hand to Shard’s pommel.
“No need.” Neveah moved into the room. “I sensed her approach. This isn’t going to be easy.”
“She’s flying,” said Emma. “We’re nearly a mile above the ground. How are we supposed to fight her?”
“You’re not,” I said, stepping back, an extended arm herding the others away from the cabin wall. “We are.”
The world outside the porthole flared bright white, and the airship spasmed, shaking so violently that everyone but Neveah and I staggered.
“She’s attacking the ship,” said Imogen. “Tearing it apart.”
“Then we’ll have to stop her,” I said. Looked to Neveah. “Ready?”
Neveah placed a hand on Morghothilim’s hilt where it extended above her shoulder, giving a curt nod.
I glanced at the others. Emma was pale and holding onto Little Meow. Brielle’s eyes were wide, locks of her crimson hair fallen over her face. Imogen, fierce and focused, had tiny sparks of electricity flickering up and down her arms.
I gave them all a wink. “Be right back.” With that I drew Shard, unleashing a flash of golden light. It scythed through the air, cutting through the Contessa’s hull like a hot knife through a pad of butter. A second and third cut, then Neveah stepped forward to boot the triangular segment of wall clear into the void. Thrusting from the hips, the force of her blow sent cracks through the segment before it fell away, tumbling down to the world below.
Huge bars of lightning gripped the airship, shivering and writhing over the gap we’d created, constant and causing the whole vessel to groan and warp.
I took a deep breath. Clenching Shard tight, I drank deep of Manipura, then flew straight out, spearing out between the bars, out into the shrieking sky.
Neveah was right beside me, expression solemn, eyes narrowed as she followed the cloud funnel to where Morgana yet rose.
And hot damn, if the Morathi regent didn’t look amazing. Like some kind of elemental goddess, the clouds spiraling down to dissipate about her, lightning pouring forth from her upturned palms, one full thigh raised, the other leg pointing straight, face upturned as she smiled mercilessly at us.
“Noah!” Her voice cut through the vibrating roar of the lightning, the howl of the storm winds. “You think to trick your way through the challenge? I think not!”
“We were growing bored!” I hovered a good thirty yards above her still, Shard a living sliver pulled from the heart of the sun. “Thought we’d change things up!”
Neveah changed the angle of her flight, beginning to slip out wide.
I kept my attention on Morgana. What could she do? What couldn’t she do? Engaging the Priyam Mantra, I siphoned just enough of my power into Manipura to keep me aloft; tapering off the rest just before Anahata, I was ready at a moment’s notice to summon up a ward. I’d already burned through a lot of my power getting onto the Contessa; though I’d never been more powerful, I was going to have to be cagey with my reserves.
“I applaud your ingenuity,” called out Morgana, rising still, black hair rippling behind her, eyes burning purple behind the cloud of black smoke that arose from them. “But there are to be no shortcuts, dear Savior. You must be put through your paces like all before you.”
I pretended to consider it. “Hmm. Tempting. How about we keep the airship, we skip right to Tantaghrast, and you can go fuck yourself?”
Her laugh boomed out, rich, sultry, and completely confident. “Child, it’s time you learned the error of your ways. But have no fear. I’ll leave you alive. Enough that when I throw you back into Aegeria, you’ll at least be able to raise your head before Khalistria ends you.”
I inhaled slowly. My hair was whipping about my head, my body buffeted by ever stronger winds – winds so powerful that the Contessa was beginning to list over to one side, straining against the bands of levenbolts that scorched her ivory hull and warped her frame.
Fuck, I thought. She’s keeping up that much of an assault while still laughing?
“I’d say it’s been fun,” I called down, “but that’d be a fucking lie. Goodbye, Morgana.”
At that moment, I dumped a truckload of power into Anahata, summoning my platinum ward about me as I threw myself into a dive. I fell with ever more terrible speed down upon Morgana, Shard drawn back for my strike.
A feint. I just needed her to focus on me so that Neveah -
Morgana’s full lips twisted into a smile as she gazed up at me, then disappeared a split second before Neveah appeared behind her, Morghothilim passing through empty air.
“Shit -” I spun around, arresting my dive, searching the air for her. All around, up, down - there.
Morgana now floated some fifty yards above us. She pressed her hands together, then drew them apart, seeming to pull a sword of living shadow into existence. It was longer than Shard, and wickedly curved. It seemed a crack in creation, and black smoke wept from its steel. Morgana lifted the blade to her face; I saw her lick its edge.
“Astaroth,” said Neveah, flying up to join me, eyes narrowed. “She’s got the ability to teleport. Perhaps to modify her body as well.”
“And that blade?”
“Bad news. We must let her come to us. No sense in chasing her. Calm yourself. Let’s move back to back.”
I did as suggested, turning to press against her. My pulse was pounding; fear curled in my gut, like some sickening parasite making itself at home in my stomach.
But I inhaled deeply and engaged the Vam Mantra. All creation in a drop of water. All creation before me.
My fear fell away. I’d defeated Salathis back in Ghogiel, and he’d been able to teleport in to attack us when he wanted. We could do this. Neveah was nearly a goddess. Morgana didn’t have a chance.
“It’s been too long since I got to play,” said Morgana, and I startled; her voice seemed to breathe right into the porch of my ear. “For that, I thank you, Noah. What was it you said? Oh, yes. Let us begin.”
A bolt of lightning as massive as the world crashed down upon us, splitting the sky, blinding me with its brilliance. I screamed, crossing my arms over my head, and slit my eyes, but the attack was unceasing. My w
ard held up for one - two - three seconds, then began to crack, unable to sustain itself in the face of such concentrated assault.
I’d never been hit this hard, and it didn’t stop. I dug deep, thinking of Emma and Imogen, of Valeria and Brielle, and drove my love at Morgana, seeking to bolster my ward - but it wasn’t enough. The assault was like a waterfall of electricity, as wide as a river, and with a scream, I felt my ward collapse.
In its place Neveah’s ward flared into view, at first just wide enough to encompass us both, then expanding, a scintillating lavender, pushing the assault back, growing yard by yard till it was easily a dozen across.
I gaped, resisting the urge to turn and stare at my companion. How the fuck -?
Then Morgana was there before Neveah, her shadow blade sweeping through her ward, wounding it so it didn’t close behind its passage, leaving a festering crack in the lavender.
Neveah brought Morghothilim to bare, parrying the blow.
Black fire exploded when the blades touched.
I spun, unleashing a flare of gold from Shard that forced Morgana to deflect it with a wave of her hand. She sent the attack flying down into her palace tower, where it sheared a balcony clear of the facade.
All creation in a -
Morgana disappeared, clouds flooding in to swamp us, impossibly fast; within a second, we were drowning in cottony whiteness.
“Move!” barked Neveah, and I sensed her bolting upwards. I flew after her, but the clouds followed. Shard glowed within their midst like an ember, but all else was hidden.
A hand closed about my throat, tearing me around. Morgana was there, her burning gaze boring into my own. Her lips curved into a wicked smile, and I was bayonetted by lust. All higher thoughts fell away before the unequivocal desire to fuck her, to tear her apart, to pound her naked flesh till she screamed, till she begged for mercy, to fill her every orifice with my cock -
Morgana hurled me away with a laugh and turned to parry Morghothilim; I lost sight of her as the clouds swept through.
I fell, unable to bond with Manipura, wrestling with the lewd images in my mind. I heard myself bellowing like a bull, utterly lost to lust and frustrated beyond all measure to not be able to fuck Morgana. I fell, twisting and buffeted by the winds, hidden within the clouds that followed me, ever down, plummeting to Ur-Gharab below.