by Ben Hale
"I'm just glad we found an arrangement suitable between us," the woman called Indigo responded.
He wanted to interrupt, but remained silent. They clearly had the upper hand, and he had no desire to give them reason to gloat. His expression hardened as he looked at Indigo. They had given him enough reason to guess that she was to blame for his place here.
"Why?" he asked simply.
Her smile was mocking. "You should have told me your name, Swordsman. I shared with you the thing that meant the most to me, and you spit it into my face. This is exactly what you deserve."
She leaned in closer. "Do you feel the calluses on your hand? The twitch of your muscles as they miss your weapon? It is a feeling that will haunt you forever. You are an assassin without a sword, a Swordsman without a blade. Until the day you die you will be a man forgotten."
He glared at her, but didn't respond. There was nothing to say. Instead he deliberately spit onto the floor. It was a warning of what he intended to do to her. He may not have known his name or what he was, but he was confident in one thing. She was his enemy. Her expression seared into his memory.
The other woman strode toward the door. "Come. It's time for you to take your new position. Our adversaries are going to be here soon."
Indigo joined her at the door, and then threw a look back at him. "Without your memory your magic is useless, Swordsman. And I promise that your blade will turn to rust before you ever leave this hole. Your renowned magic will never be used again." Her words echoed with triumph as she departed.
Again he didn't answer, and the door swung closed with barely a whisper. Alone in his chains, the Swordsman seethed at his captivity. What unspeakable act had he done to inspire such vehemence from her? Did he deserve it? Or was it unfounded? Bereft of understanding, he could only languish in his cell pondering the greatest question.
Who was the Swordsman?
Chapter 33: The Red Blade
"You want me to go where?" Tess asked.
The hanger, Iris replied. Just turn to your left and I will open a hole in the Auroraq techno shroud.
"We're running on fumes," Bracken said. "Where do we go?"
Tess stared at the edge of Auroraq. They had approached from below, and then Tess had contacted Iris. As usual, Iris had come through figuring out where to go—but she'd never expected her direction.
"Turn left," Tess said. "You should see a hanger in the rock below the city."
"A what?" Robar asked. "I don't recall a hanger existing in . . ." He leaned forward, his expression wide as the stone rippled. Then the illusion peeled open, revealing a gaping hole in the underbelly of the city.
They glided in and settled down. The illusion sealed behind them and she killed her sound dampening charm. She stepped from the helicopter to find a number of people waiting for her. On the other side of the cavernous space Derek, Iris, and Rox stood clear of the chopper. Stel leapt off Iris's neck and morphed into a cat, and raced to her.
Leaping into her arms, the metal grend changed into a monkey and climbed around her neck. Unable to sit still, he crooned ceaselessly. Tess tried to settle him down but Iris closed the distance in a rush as the helicopter blades slowed.
She leapt at Tess, nearly knocking her to the floor. Tess hugged her back just as fiercely. For a moment no words were exchanged. Then they parted and Tess wiped her eyes. Iris did the same, a wild grin on her face.
"You have no idea how much he missed you," she said, relief and anger thick in her tone. Stel lifted a toothy mouth and chirped in agreement. Then he settled around Tess's neck as a necklace, his body vibrating with content.
Rox stepped in and gave her an equally forceful embrace. "It's good to have you back," she murmured in her ear.
"It's good to be back," Tess whispered in turn.
Rox let go and Tess turned to Derek, who had not moved. His eyes were wide, and he was breathing fast. His hands trembled and he gripped them tight to stop the motion. Tess closed the gap and reached out to him. His arms wrapped around her, weak at first, but they quickly tightened to the point of crushing.
"I thought I'd lost you," he said.
She clung to him, drawing on the strength she always felt from him. "Not this time."
He pulled away and issued a bark of laughter. "Not ever."
"Agreed."
"So . . . how did you get back?" Iris drawled.
Tess turned and gestured to Robar. Then she briefly outlined what had happened to her inside the Dark, and how they had escaped. She glossed over the details of the bloody conflicts. There was no need for them to have those images in their heads. When she finished Derek ran a hand over his face. Rox appeared stunned, and Iris shook her head in disbelief.
"I swear," Iris exclaimed, "you have the strangest things happen to you."
"I'm just glad you survived," Derek said.
He caught her hand and squeezed it, and didn't let go. The contact elicited a surge of warmth for him, causing her to almost miss Rox's comment.
"An immunity to magic? I've never heard of such a thing."
"I'm more curious about Alice," Derek said. "The magic of luck? That's got to be a unique."
"What's a unique?" Bracken spoke for the first time.
Tess's memory sparked, and she recalled Derek mentioning the phrase before. She raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged and pointed to Iris.
"She can explain it better than I."
Iris had begun muttering to herself and flicking her fingers. Bracken motioned to her as she began to yell at individuals not present. "Er . . . is she alright?"
A deep laugh built within Tess. It ended in a strangled cough as she realized she had no idea how to describe the girl. She hadn't thought to prepare them for Iris, and knew there was no way she could in a few words.
"She's fine," Tess settled on, and then raised her voice, "Iris, what's a unique?"
Iris swiveled back and answered like she'd never left the conversation. "To quote Belostes, all magic is energy, but not all energies are controlled by mages—that's exactly what I said, Billy, you should pay more attention—he even postulated that there were hundreds of magics that had yet to be wielded because they required a unique combination of energies within a human body."
"So there are others?" Bracken asked. "Like Alice?"
Derek shook his head. "Not with luck, but Earth's history boasts a handful of people with unique magic. Commander Braon from the Second Draeken War had the magic of strategy, as did Genghis Khan and Napoleon. Winter Roh had the magic of teleporting, and is considered the founder of Gate magic. Many thought Siarra Elseerian was a unique until they discovered that quite a few had gravity magic."
Iris gestured to Tess. "Uniques Throughout the Ages describes an oracle as the most recognizable type of unique."
"So what does that mean for us?" Bracken asked.
Derek folded his arms. "It means there is a way to beat her. Every magic has a weakness, so we have to figure out the weakness of luck."
"Later," Tess said. "Right now I want to know how you thought to build this." She motioned to the cavernous space.
Rox released a laugh. "Derek thought that when you returned you would want to take Alice down, so we laid the groundwork for you. We've built a hanger for auren helicopters and prepared a place for all the students to go when the fight breaks out."
Tess was stunned. "How did you know?"
"Let's just say I hoped," Derek replied, and flashed his lopsided grin. "Once Iris heard that you were alive we set things in motion. We've hooked up with the dismissed battlemages and everything is set. Your parents are already on their way."
"A lot hinges on you crafting a weapon against the Dark," Rox added, "and Iris stopping the techno shroud."
Iris threw her a scathing look. "Of course I can. I won't let Keidon get the best of me again."
The fierceness in her tone caused Tess to laugh. It was the sound of anticipation, and yet a trace of nervousness seeped into it. Tess felt the same.
As much as she feared the outcome of her plan, she would not stop it.
Derek's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Then let's get started. What are we waiting for?"
Iris growled and snapped at someone named Jerry. Part of her felt glad they'd done so much in her absence, but she mostly felt embarrassed.
"How soon until my parents get here?" Tess asked, shifting the conversation.
"Tomorrow night," Iris replied. "You should get some rest."
Tess rubbed her neck, abruptly aware of her weariness. "No," she said. "There's one more thing I need to do. Without a weapon against the Voidlings this entire venture is dead in the water."
"Are you sure you are up to this?" Derek murmured. When she nodded, he sighed. "Then what do you need?"
"I need a sword."
Rox grinned. "I know just where to get one."
While she was gone Tess took advantage of the bath facilities that the Order had built in the side of the hanger. After a shower and change she felt much better. It was her first in days, and she relished the heat. When she exited Agent Bracken took her place. By then Rox had returned with an old blade.
"When we were trying to find the refuge in the Library I found an old armory. Will this do?"
Tess grasped the hilt and admired the handiwork. "It should. Robar, you ready?"
"What exactly are you planning?" Robar asked.
The idea had started after her battle with the black reaver. It had continued to grow until she was certain. "I'll need some of your blood," she said.
He frowned, and then shrugged. "Whatever you say. Do you have a needle?"
"I think I can do without it," Tess said, and lifted the sword.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Just how much blood do you need?"
"If I use some of your blood and fuse it to the metal I think it just might work."
"Might?"
"We're in uncharted territory here," she said, and then mollified her tone. She didn't want to sound so uncertain. "When we were with the dark elves they implied that our power comes from our blood. Are you ready?"
He put out his arm, and she placed the end of the sword against it. "Don't move," she said.
He didn't, and she blinked into her magesight. Like before, his body appeared as a void of energy. Feeling a rush of gratitude for her healing tutor, she reached out with her mind and touched the blood coursing in his arm. It pulsed at the contact, and he flinched.
When he stilled, she split the flesh with the tip of the sword and coaxed the blood out onto the blade. It didn't want to come, and resisted her effort. It moved like molasses, so she pushed harder. Now using both body and gravity magic, she drew out enough to leave a bead of material all the way to the hilt.
She felt weak as she pulled the sword away. Gesturing for him to step back, she focused her magic on the metal rather than the blood, and melted it with a burst of fervent heat. The blood dissipated and sank into the material. Of its own accord the ancient sword turned dark red as it cooled.
She opened her eyes to find her vision swimming. Exhausted, she leaned against the lightcast table.
"Everything alright?" Derek asked. He'd moved to her side.
She nodded weakly. "It's like trying to see around a black hole. I can work with the basic components of his blood if I focus hard enough, but it isn't easy."
"Now what?"
"We send Shorn to test it."
He appeared a moment later and gave her a spinning hug. Then he flew below the school to see if the sword would cause the Dark to withdraw away from it. She waited with a tense knot in her stomach. If this failed their plan would crumble. She had no other ideas, and Alice would win. Ten minutes later Shorn returned.
The sword worked.
Chapter 34: Reunion
The techno shroud around the school cracked open, and Tess dived over the edge of the school. The wind billowed around her as she fell. After three hundred feet she curved aside before hitting the Dark. Skimming its surface, she rocketed away. Once she was clear she dropped the light masking spells and poured her magic into speed. Energy coiled around her as she accelerated, eliciting a surge of confidence.
She rolled several times in the twilight sky, relishing the pressure of the air and the flow of energy through her torso. Like strings of electricity her magic coursed inside her muscles, redirecting the ambient energy to hold her aloft and propel her forward. Stel seemed to echo the sentiment, and climbed onto her back to enjoy the motion. He opened huge jaws on his body and a tongue lolled out like a dog. It flapped in the wind, causing Tess to laugh.
"I don't think they are ready to see someone like you," Tess called.
Stel chirped, and resumed his position on her neck. The sound caused Tess to wonder about the energy intelligence. She'd only ever met one other, and she had been old enough to talk Was Stel learning to do the same?
Settling into a speed she could maintain, she flew south until a distant throbbing touched her ears. She slowed, and scanned the horizon for what she sought. Then a line of dark blobs appeared in the distance just above the surface of the Dark. As she approached they materialized into a series of military grade helicopters.
Lethal attack choppers led and flanked the small armada, while a trio of bulky, dual rotor choppers held the center. She sent a burst of techno magic at the lead chopper to let them know it was her, and then slowed. She may have been confident against smaller guns, but the sheer volume of large caliber weapons pointed at her was enough to cause some trepidation, as were the missiles hanging from their stubby wings. She jerked when her ear lit up with sound.
"We have you on visual, Tess," a male voice said. "Proceed to marker seven-zero-four."
Tess sent back a quick thank-you and bent her flight toward the center of the larger choppers. Her path took her below the lead attack chopper, and its rotors whipped her hair into a frenzy as she passed. Feeling a very womanly sense of annoyance, she cast a spell to calm the wind and tried to smooth it out.
She flew to the back of the lead transport chopper and alighted on the half-open ramp. The moment she was inside it closed behind her. At a glance she saw that the large interior was packed with men, weapons, and other gear. Most bore expressions of intense curiosity, others betrayed a hint of suspicion. Janson was the only she recognized, and she nodded to him.
She registered everything in a glance before she was engulfed in a fierce hug by her mother. Over her shoulder Tess could see her father talking to someone, but his expression matched the intensity of her mother's embrace.
It had been months since she had seen her parents, and Tess felt a well of emotion rise within her. The chaos of the last few weeks, the many times her life had been in danger, all of it flooded her mind. As if seeing it through someone else's eyes, she suddenly realized how her parents felt.
"I never get used to seeing you fly," Kate said into her ear.
Tess laughed, and the two parted. Both had tears in their eyes. "It's surprising how normal it becomes," Tess replied.
Jack disengaged himself from his conversation and joined them, and gave Tess a brief, but equally as emotional embrace. "It's good to see you alive and well," he said.
She smiled when they had separated. "You too, Dad."
Kate looked like she wanted to say more, but her expression shifted to serious. "How are things looking?"
"I don't think we've been discovered—yet," Tess said. "But that can change."
"I'm confident in Iris," Kate said. "She's running interference on the Magtherian's techno mage net."
Tess blinked, still at odds with the idea of Kate and her roommate talking. "She'll get it done," she said. "The Order and the battlemages should be ready in time."
"And Hawk?" Jack asked.
"Last I heard he was on his way," Tess replied.
"Chuck?" Kate asked, and turned to one of the men nearby.
Grizzled and sporting a flowing gray beard, the man rose to his feet and joined them. "We have a heat signature mat
ching his profile coming from the southwest. We received a report that says he helped the damaged Washington make it to safety. Unless he is detained he should arrive shortly after we do."
"Good," Jack said. "What's the status of the air wings?"
"We have Predator drones joining the Washington Carrier group off the coast of England. Hornets are already aboard, but the president managed to get a wing of F-35C's headed our way. They are being augmented by Hawk's personnel on the Washington as we speak."
"What about the other countries?" Tess asked.
Jack shook his head. "We couldn't risk the Harbingers hearing about this assault. As far as we know we're the only ones with techno magic shielding."
"Who'd you bring?" Tess asked, her gaze flicking to the soldiers lining the helicopter.
"We have SEAL teams three and seven, as well as the team members of the MIO on board," Jack said. "Chuck here is the tactical head of the MIO task force." He motioned to a trio of men for them to join the conversation.
"This is Captain Thompson, call sign Wolf," Jack said as the first stepped into the circle.
"Tess," the man nodded, "I've heard a lot about you."
He'd been applying combat paint, so his face was half lined in black and green. Loaded down with weapons, ammunition, and dressed in combat fatigues, his very presence screamed dangerous. The man that joined him was a matching version, albeit larger.
While Wolf's features were sharp and angular, the second team leader's face was twisted with scars. Most of one cheek was a mask of ugly scar tissue, while another scar cut down the opposite side of his forehead. As she looked at the two men she found the urge to swallow. They reminded her of the black reaver.
"And Captain Samuel," Jack said, "Call sign, Freezer."
The scarred man issued a grunt, but didn't speak. She could see where he got his name. The coldness of his gaze bored into her, chilling the breath coming from her lungs.
"It's nice to meet you," Tess said. She was glad her voice didn't shake.
"Can you give us some hard intel on what we're up against?" Freezer asked.