Genesis: War Mage: Book One (War Mage Chronicles 1)

by Charles R Case

  Cora is taking a chance with the core. Should I do the same with Alister? Or is the fact that Cora is already taking a chance a sign I should hold back, so at least one of us is still in the fight?

  She wished she had a little time to resolve all this before Command sent them into the fray. She reached up and squeezed the back of her neck, trying to loosen the knot of stress that was building there.

  She had an idea, but she didn't like it. “That dome is going to have to come down when they move out, right?”

  Baxter turned to her, an eyebrow raised. “Not necessarily. They could just modify the spellform to open a gate. Even if it’s a physical form they are channeling into, they will have a way to switch to a gated shield.”

  Sara nodded. “Right, but at some point, it’s going to be open. The Teifen are notoriously bad at shields, and they are not creative with their use. It’s not like they are going to be moving the opening around. Is there a place where it looks like they are building a defensive exit?”

  Baxter looked at the map and pointed to a section of the dome that faced a main road out of the park. “If I had to guess, I would say right here. But if we try to just blast through the opening, they will put the shield back up. They have enough troops in the city that are not under the dome that they can protect the area; we can’t get a significant number of troops in without taking heavy casualties.”

  “What if we only send a few troops? Could they get me close enough to see where it would open without being caught?” she asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

  He thought about it and then nodded. “I can see a route, but you would have to be very careful. Not all their troops are showing up. Some were lost in the buildings, and there is still at least one more mage on the ground somewhere. Why do you want to get close? Couldn't one of the other mages do it?”

  Sara shook her head. “Honestly, for what I’m thinking, they wouldn't be powerful enough.”

  He thought on it for a second, and then called for Gonders and her squad to meet him in the command tent. When they had formed around Baxter and Sara, he laid out the plan. “I’m sending you with the captain on a special mission. She has an idea to cause some trouble for the Teifen at the dome. That means you’re going to need to get close and stay hidden. The most important part of this is you are going to need to get her back here safe and sound. We don't want to burn our ride home, so be careful,” Baxter said, looking at each of the soldiers to make sure his words were sinking in.

  Gonders snapped a sharp salute to the sergeant major, then turned to Sara. “Ma’am, we would be honored to accompany you. When do we leave?”

  Sara gave Gonders a nod of thanks. “Now, Specialist. I want to be in position when that dome opens. I have a nasty little surprise to deliver. Sergeant Major, have the troops ready to let loose on the grounds if the shield happens to come down completely.”

  Baxter gave a nod and then turned back to the map, and the job of organizing strikes and defensive actions.

  Sara motioned for Gonders and her people to follow, and exited the tent. “Lead the way, Specialist. I’m just a passenger who needs to get somewhere.”

  “Right,” Gonders said, pulling up a map on her palm projector. After consulting with her troops, she motioned for Sara to follow. “This way, Captain. We are going to use some of the old buildings we know are empty to get us most of the way. How close do you need to get?”

  Sara thought for a moment. “A clear line of sight would be best. I will be placing a spell inside the dome, so I will need to be able to see into the grounds, through the dome’s opening. Say, a hundred meters?”

  Gonders nodded. “About what I figured. Okay, men, let’s move out. Don't engage unless we are spotted and engaged with first.”

  They jogged to the edge of the park and took a side street. Making their way down one of the ancient sidewalks, they kept to the shadows as best they could, darting into buildings when the way was open. They crossed several blocks this way, spending most of the time on the streets, but the closer they came to the Teifen-occupied park, the more Gonders tried to keep them under cover.

  The buildings they crossed through were mostly standing, but a few were little more than piles of rubble with an occasional upright wall. Most ceilings and upper floors had collapsed long ago, leaving trees and ferns growing in the bricks and dust.

  Occasionally, Gonders would call for a stop and consult the map. On one such occasion, they were against a wall with a gaping hole that, Sara guessed had once held a door, but was now only a circular opening.

  As they waited for Gonders to find the best route, the sound of footsteps caused everyone to lean back into better cover.

  A troop of twenty Teifen came around the corner, weapons held at the ready, and searched each building with quick glances inside.

  “Shit. They’re going to stick a horned head in here when they pass. Stephens, are they going to spot the movement if you come back deeper in the building?” Gonders asked, sticking a finger around the edge of the opening in the wall. Sara realized she was using the camera embedded in her glove to peek around the corner without exposing herself.

  “I believe so, Ma’am. They just happen to be at the optimal angle to see in here. Do we take them out?” Stephens asked, pressing himself as flat as his armor would let him.

  “We’re going to have to, it seems,” Gonders growled in frustration.

  “Specialist, wait. Do we know our route from here? If I can make a distraction, could we be on our way and not be here when they return?” Sara asked.

  “Hell yes, Ma’am. It’s the building half a block down. There is a way through that wall that’ll put us on the main street to the park. It’s just a matter of a few hundred yards after that, and it’s all under cover.”

  “Okay. Be prepared to get over there quick,” Sara said, peeking through a small hole with a view of the street. She scanned the tops of the buildings until she found what she wanted.

  There was a section of a wall that had crumbled, but still had a few stories up off the road. She concentrated on an area that looked like it would tumble at the slightest breeze.

  “Alister, I need a force spell that is going to have to change as we use it. Is that something you can do?” she asked the little cat on her shoulder.

  He gave a determined “Mrowp.”

  “Okay, so we need to start off soft, so we don't make an impact sound when we first hit the wall, then I need to ramp up the speed and push hard. I want to throw those bricks to the next street over. Can you do that?”

  A spellform appeared, and then began to change as she watched. It was exactly what she wanted.

  “Amazing. I have no idea how you do that, but it’s going to open a whole new set of spells for us.”

  Sara focused on the bricks, and gave Alister a nod. The spellform blazed to life, and she gave it a small feed of Aether. She could feel more than see the flat plane of force. She fed it a little more Aether and watched as it pushed up to the bricks; right as they began to topple, she whispered “Change” to Alister, and the spellform began to morph. She pushed a small blast of Aether into the changing form, and the force plane picked up speed at an incredible rate. She had to cut her Aether before she flung the bricks across the city, but it looked like she timed it just about right. The small mass of loose brick arced over the building and clattered to the ground on the next street.

  The entire Teifen patrol stopped to listen. The leader gave the signal, and they all came to full alertness and turned to the corner they had just come around. After checking his corner was clear, the leader motioned for them to follow.

  Gonders motioned for her team to move as soon as the last Teifen was out of sight. They sprinted as light-footed as they could to the indicated building. In less than ten seconds, they were inside and picking their way through a crumbling hallway to a back entrance, and through an alley.

  Fifteen minutes later, they were looking at a heavily armed group of Teifen, guarding
the brilliant golden shield wall of the dome.

  “Is this close enough?” Gonders asked as they took up positions in the second floor of a building a hundred or more meters from the wall.

  Sara liked the position, but wasn’t sure how far she would be able to cast inside the dome, from this high up. The defensive advantage the spot gave them was worth it, though.

  “It’s perfect, Specialist,” Sara said, sliding down the wall and peeking over the lip of a rotted-out window frame.

  She had an uninterrupted view of the shield wall. The more she thought about it, the more she realized this was better than being on the ground. This way, she could cast over the heads of the Teifen guarding the opening.

  “It’s perfect. Now we wait.”

  36

  Sara peeked over the window ledge again, checking for the hundredth time on the Teifen forces. They had been doing a slow build-up of their forces for an hour, and it looked like they were going to blitz from the dome with everyone they had.

  Her timing would be critical.

  She and Alister had reviewed what spellforms she would need to pull off her plan. The more they talked, the better she liked her idea. They now had a set of spells ready to go.

  Gonders and her team had been keeping watch on the dome and the surrounding area, and sending reports back to Baxter, who was preparing for the coming battle. Tension was high, but the troopers kept their cool—some even taking quick naps in shifts. Sara never understood a soldier’s ability to nap when surrounded by the enemy. She could appreciate the ability, though, even if the skill eluded her.

  The sound of a call coming in crackled over her comms, and she accepted the call, keeping one eye on the Teifen.

  “This is Captain Sonders,” she said distractedly.

  “It’s Grimms. We’ve gotten word back from the fleet. It’s not good, Captain,” he said, voice shaking.

  His tone snapped her into focus. “What happened? Is Cora all right?”

  “She’s fine. We’re still getting her ready to take the core. Command has sent word that the Elif have been called back to their home system. They left the Sol System shortly after we did, but we lost communication with the Elif fleet soon after they arrived in their home system. It is assumed they were lost in battle. The Elif High Command is not answering any communications. They have reached a few ships that were too far from the home system to make it back, and they are going to report when they arrive.

  “Captain, it looks like there is no Elif fleet coming to relieve you and pick up their people. We’re on our own.”

  Sara’s heart stopped.

  There is no more fleet. We’re going to have to win this fight on our own. Then what?

  Without the Elif to guide them, humanity was just a single planet in a vast enemy empire. There was no way they could fight the Teifen with the few hundred ships they had.

  “Captain?” Grimms said, concerned at the silence.

  “I’m here, Commander. I was just thinking about the future. Without the Elif backing us, we will be crushed. Now that we have destroyed a carrier, the Teifen know there is a new player to target. If I didn't know better, I would say the Elif sent us into battle on purpose, just to guarantee we would have to stay in the fight,” Sara said, rubbing the knot in her neck.

  “Good thing we know better,” Grimms said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “It looks like their High Council has thrown us to the wolves. Again, if that video is to be believed. Do they expect us to avenge them?”

  “It looks like,” Grimms conceded.

  “Thanks for the update, Grimms. Just so you’re aware, I may have to do something drastic down here. Cora will be able to get you home, but her days as a controller may be over, if something doesn't change,” Sara stated, staring daggers at the Teifen’s formed ranks behind their wall.

  “Good luck, Captain. Don't take any risks you don't need to. I have a feeling the fleet is going to need you and Cora in the coming war. Grimms out.”

  Sara sat back, stewing at the news that they were alone. Sure, there were still Elif around—it wasn't as if they had been wiped out completely—but if the Elif fleet was gone, then they were just civilians. The Teifen had delivered a blow that she wasn’t sure the Elif would ever recover from.

  “It looks like it’s happening, Captain,” Gonders reported, snapping Sara out of her thoughts.

  Sara peeked over the ledge again to see the Teifen were getting ready to move. The shield dropped in a flash of Aether and then snapped back up, but with an opening large enough for two tanks to roll through side by side. Tanks and troopers began to pour through the opening at speed.

  Focusing on the ground as far into the dome as possible, Sara whispered, “Now, Alister.”

  The form came to life, and she began feeding it with Aether. The form drank it up, and began to hum in her mind.

  It was best to rely on physics when it came to weaponing spells. Magic could create and destroy things from nothing but raw Aether, but that was far too inefficient. It was better to keep the laws of physics intact when dealing damage. It was easier to use the excess Aether to force matter into new shapes, rather than try to build them from scratch. If an explosion was wanted, it was not created from the Aether; existing matter was simply excited until it exploded. Similarly, a fireball was just compressed air that was excited to the point of ignition and then held together with Aether.

  Sara was using the same concept here, but instead of compressing air, she was compressing rock and earth. She focused on a spot underground inside the dome, and dumped power into a meter diameter sphere, compressing it as quickly as she could. The smaller the sphere, the more it compressed the earth trapped in it, and the more Aether it took. She was pumping Aether into the construct with reckless abandon.

  The sphere was down to the size of a basketball when she felt it ignite, the pressure and heat becoming too much for the compressed matter to take.

  Everything burns eventually.

  Sara released the spellform, and Alister immediately replaced it with the second form. She pumped the remaining power she had into a shield that sprang up ten meters high, and ran the entire circumference of the dome. It was open to the sky, except for a portion that angled over the top, meant to direct the blast to an unoccupied portion of the city.

  The stream of Teifen troopers not yet out of the dome stumbled back a step, confused at why the shield had come back up. That second of confusion was the last they knew, as the compressed earth below them erupted.

  The ground buckled then. The entire center of the park ripped up and out in a brilliant burst of heat and fire. It filled the dome in a hot white flash, incinerating anything trapped inside. The dome blinked out of existence as the explosion was directed upward, blasting against Sara's shield, sliding along the angled side. Fiery wreckage shot over the abandoned city, tearing down structures that had stood for as long as humans had existed on Earth. The damage was incredible: furrows of fire and molten stone streaked from the park to the wall surrounding the city.

  Sara gritted her teeth, dumping everything she had into the shield. If it failed, the debris would rain down on the entire city, causing as much damage to them as to the Teifen. She felt her well of Aether begin to go dry, and she fell to her hands and knees, blood running from her nose at the effort.

  Then it was over.

  She stopped the spell, her head swimming. She turned in time to see Gonders and company staring at the destruction in awe. The specialist looked down at her just before Sara collapsed, the warm embrace of unconsciousness taking her.

  37

  Grimms stood with his arms crossed as he stared at the still form of Cora floating in her tank. She had folded into a fetal position, her Carnelian red hair spread out like a halo. Dr. Teichek and Dr. Green both leaned over a console monitoring Cora’s vitals.

  She looks so peaceful considering the stress she’s under. Grimms sniffed, and frowned. If she were my daughter I would never
let her plug in an alien computer core. But she’s not my daughter. She’s my captain.

  “Commander, I think I’ve found the sequence,” Chief Engineer Sabine said from the temporary station they had set up using the core Sara had sent. They had found a monitor and, through some tech magic Grimms didn’t understand, had attached it to the core’s box.

  Grimms turned to the chief and stepping up behind him leaned in to look at the monitor. “What does it say?” He asked, not comprehending the jargon as the chief scrolled through it.

  “Well, essentially we just need to plug it in. The core is programmed to run a diagnostic sequence then connect to the tank system,” he said, running a hand through his black hair. He pulled at the helmet collar of his battlesuit, and with a shake of his head cracked his neck.

  Grimms had ordered the crew to put on the battlesuits with the helmet collars as a precaution while the ship was running on minimal systems. The helmet collars had a small spellform on a retractable armature that the user would power with a shot of Aether. The Aether was held in a kind of potential state that would activate if there was a pressure loss, and snap a shield over the wearers head. The shield acted as a helmet, and the atmosphere was provided through a secondary spellform the wearer would need to feed with a trickle of Aether.

  “I’m not one hundred percent sure what will happen after that. These ancient humans used some odd phrasing, so it’s not exactly clear. But the gist is that the core needs to run through all the systems, so it can make connections. Each core is unique and programs its own language on the fly to best suit the user.” Sabine continued.

  Grimms frowned, “So, we plug it in, then who knows what happens next?”

  Cora broke in, “Commander, I know you don’t want me to do this, but I feel like we don’t have much of a choice. The Elif have abandoned us in the Sol System; we don’t have support coming in time. There is a carrier in orbit, and troops on the ground attacking our people. If the specs Sabine pulled up on the Raven are correct, then we are operating at half our capabilities at best. There are at least three systems we didn’t know this ship had; one of which is an auto repair system.”