by Skyler Grant
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Coldflame
Del Est Vor Kal Mer Sal
Coldflame is a complex magic that is designed for the purposes of converting human life force into black quintessence. Those that are the focus of the flame are compelled to reach into it whereupon they will be killed. The flame absorbs the essence of their life and transmits it to a mirror of the flame located elsewhere.
"It’s called Coldflame and it’s something very bad," Alex told Ryn.
The Grimoire wasn't giving him any advice on how to disrupt the spell. Still, he had to try something. When Alex moved closer to the brazier the runes flared and he was thrown backward with great force.
Alex went over the edge of the lighthouse rail. There was a panicked moment of thinking he was going to crash to the ground before he felt a strong grip on his wrist. Ryn was bracing herself with one hand against a stone column and with a tug pulled him back over the edge.
"Thanks," Alex said.
"Told you. Better to have someone to watch your back," Ryn said.
The spell was protected. That was no surprise and Alex didn't have a way past it. This was going to require Kationa.
Alex led the way down the stairs and he and Ryn left the lighthouse.
"Let's look around the perimeter of the island. We're looking either for signs of Glitch or for any caverns going underneath," Alex said.
"What are you expecting to find?"
"A lot of trouble. If we get attacked, we're likely to get outnumbered in a hurry. Make it back to the boat and get out of here. If you have to, swim. The water isn't safe, but staying here isn't either," Alex said.
Ryn nodded, not arguing.
They hadn't gone far when Alex heard the dissonance growing louder and he raised a hand to slow the pace. They crawled to the edge of a cliff face and looked over.
Below a narrow shelf of rock rose out of the water and a dark mouth of a cavern loomed. Grey-skinned and dark-eyed horrors moved about, and another figure both similar and different.
While she shared the greyish skin and dark eyes of the Deep Spawn, the Deep Maiden otherwise looked human. A beautiful woman, naked with seaweed dotting her body. She sat looking out over the water. Nearby were several skeletons, human.
Alex had seen enough and he motioned Ryn back from the edge. A look urged her to silence until they were nearly back to the boat.
"You know I'm going to ask," Ryn said.
"Coldflame calls people to their deaths. I think it’s being used to call the sailors of those missing ships. The woman down there, she is what is called a Deep Maiden. Has sex with men and lays eggs inside their flesh that spawn into the others called Deep Spawn," Alex said.
"So this whole island is what ... some kind of monster nursery now?"
"Exactly, and it’s worse than even that. All the energy from those deaths is going somewhere else and something is happening to it."
"So, is this the big danger or just feeding the big danger?"
Alex didn't know, he wished he did.
Alex made for the keep as soon as the fisherman landed the boat back at Falkirk. Ryn went with him.
Alex was hoping to find the Magess in her lab, but she wasn't there. The keep's servants weren't certain where she might be. A good twenty minutes of waiting and still nothing. So Alex went in search of Jess.
They found the Djinn in a sitting room looking over the ocean. She was strumming idly on a mandolin. Jess was actually decent, which Alex for some reason found surprising. Jess always seemed so flighty and learning an instrument was hard work.
"Alex! Ryn!" Jess said, bouncing to her feet excitedly. "You're both here? Does that mean we're going to steal something?"
"Sure," Ryn said, scooping an ornament off a table and stuffing it one of her pockets.
"I don't think that was actually a request," Alex said.
"Never waste a moment," Ryn said.
"We're here for those communication crystals you took from the tower. Do you still have them, and know how to use them?" Alex asked.
Jess looked disappointed but nodded. "Yeah I have them. Who are you trying to reach?"
"Kationa. I found something bad and she isn't in her lab or in the keep. I'm thinking she might have gone back to her tower." Alex said.
"Oh, she isn't in any of the crystals I have. There’s one back at the lab so Sabrina can reach her. Come on." Jess led them back in the direction from which they'd just come.
Alex had never even noticed the assemblage of crystal and latticework in one corner. Not quite a mirror to Renauld's but similar. Jess spun it around and tapped on a greenish, hexagon-shaped crystal. In response to her touch it thrummed, a faint echo.
"Hey Kationa, wherever you are. It's Jess. Alex wanted to talk with you and he says it is pretty urgent." Jess turned to Alex. "Wherever this is, she'll be able to hear it. She always keeps a crystal on her."
There was only silence in response.
"Can she talk back?" Alex asked.
"Yeah," Jess said, frowning at the sculpture and tapping at the crystal harder.
"Kationa, if you can hear me, it’s Alex. I found the cause of the missing ships and it is magic. I really need to speak with you."
Again, there was nothing but silence.
"Kill the connection," Alex said.
Jess twisted the crystal. "Maybe she is asleep?"
"In the middle of the day?" Alex couldn't keep how troubled he was out of his voice.
"What are you thinking?" Ryn asked.
"I'm thinking how suspicious it is that we find a magic spell strongly related to what is happening, and that the one mage we know in town suddenly goes missing."
"You think she's the bad guy?"
Jess said, "I like Kationa, she seems nice. Well I mean, she seems like she is kind of mean, but I've gotten used to her and now we're almost friends ... kind of."
Ryn said, "I'm all for being suspicious. I mean seriously, I'm really good at it, but before we act on this we need to give it a little more time. For some reason she might just not be reachable." Alex had to agree that was fair. But they needed to act now and Kationa being missing was eating into what little time they had.
"Search the lab," Alex told them.
Alex activated his Analysis Mode and the others joined in. Alex wasn't sure just what he was looking for, only that if someone was going to be working towards great villainy they'd leave some sort of clues around.
There was a logbook with what looked like the results of various alchemical experiments. Ryn found a binder of handwritten notes on one of the shelves, largely about the political going-ons of Falkirk. They didn't go as far back as the old baron unfortunately. Alex remained curious if she was as disinterested as she claimed.
"There is something else we can maybe try?" Jess asked, uncertain.
"You've got an idea?" Alex asked.
"Just, I mean, she isn't the only member of the House of Towers or the Grey Tower. If you're looking for magical help they’re full of them—and she has a lot of their crystals here so she can talk with them."
That was an idea worth pursuing.
"Can you kill your dissonance? I need to focus," Alex said, going to the crystals and activating Analysis Mode.
Most were marked with runes that Alex figured must identify who they were linked to. Alex didn’t understand them, but perhaps his bracer did. He started to cycle through the crystals.
Alfoso Giovanni
House of Towers
Red Tower
House of Bats Reputation (Neutral)
His bracer could make sense of them. Alex needed someone that he could trust—ideally somebody who had worked with the House of Bats before.
Omalina Trent
House of Towers
Grey Tower
House of Bats Reput
ation (Negative)
Asaria Moroe
House of Towers
Grey Tower
House of Bats Reputation (Neutral)
Malia Kass
House of Towers
Black Tower
House of Bats Reputation (Ally)
That was the one. Perhaps the Black Tower had some connection with black quintessence? Whatever the case, this Malia Kass was an ally of the House of Bats and that would do.
"This one," Alex said. "Can you contact her?"
"No problem," Jess said, reaching out to tap it.
33
“There is no right and wrong, only sides. The wise ruler must distance themselves from their illusions and find their true place in the world to know who stands beside them.” Teachings of the Grey Tower
A voice came from the crystal. "Kat, unless you've got some new data nothing is going to change my answer. I'm at a party and have little desire to be bothered with this nonsense."
"This isn't Kationa," Alex said, trying to speak into the crystal and feeling a bit weird. "This is Alex Glaive of the House of Bats."
"Malia Kass of the House of Towers. You're calling on Kationa's crystalwave. Why?"
"Because she seems to have gone missing and I've a nasty bit of magic that urgently needs a solution," Alex said.
"You're in her lab, I assume. I'm stepping through."
A fissure of light appeared, space warping and twisting around it, and from it stepped a woman. Blonde, she looked to be in her mid-twenties and was wearing a revealing gown of blue and white.
"Hi! I like your dress," Jess said.
"Kasina of Towerholm, woman is a wonder with a needle in hand," Malia said, raising a crystal to her eye to study them each in turn. "A Djinn? Really?"
"I know, I'm really cool," Jess said.
Malia ignored this. "Kationa has been trying to mine my expertise to help figure out how a vortex of black quintessence could be forming here, and to identify its epicenter. You must be the novice Glitch Hunter she was working with?" Malia asked Alex.
"I am. I found something I think related and when I came to consult Kationa, she’s missing," Alex said.
"You wonder if she is behind it? Given how irritating she was pestering me for answers, I doubt it, but keep that suspicion. First of all, I am not going to solve your problem for you. I will however offer my expertise and then I'm going back to my party before my date leaves with another woman.” Malia added in a different voice, “Glaive bracer, this consult is going to be at my standard rates."
Alex's bracer flashed blue in response.
"You can talk to my bracer?" Alex asked.
"Anyone can talk to your bracer. It is getting it to talk back that is the trick. Let’s start with what you've found."
"There is an island offshore where the lighthouse is built. Ships have been going missing. The beacon fire had been replaced by something called a Coldflame."
Malia frowned. “I'm aware of what Coldflame is and its presence is nothing good. Did you discover anything else?"
"The island was filled with Glitch. Deep Maidens and Deep Spawn."
Malia gave a dark chuckle. “A necromancer in Halidan once used the same trick to simultaneously build an army and transform himself. Different Glitch, Halidan is a desert, and the magic preyed upon trade caravans—but much the same."
"I'm dealing with warnings of all of Falkirk being destroyed. Do you think what I found is sufficient to do that?" Alex asked.
"Possibly, but if so there is going to be more than one. Three would be my guess, equidistant around the epicenter—which would be somewhere in town."
"You're certain?"
"In matters like this it is very hard to be certain of everything. Still, what you have to understand is that someone with some magical ability and an aptitude with quintessence is drawing in power. Probably in an attempt to transcend into some more powerful form," Malia said.
"They'll already be a Glitch?" Alex asked.
"I know, it makes you suspect Kationa all the more. Again, you may be right, but I still don't think so. Your time is running out, ask me something more interesting."
"How do I stop it?"
"You douse a Coldflame by, one at a time, chanting the runes used to create it in reverse order and dousing them in blood. I don't suppose you know the runic tongue?" Malia asked.
"Does Del Est Vor Kal Mer Sal sound right?" Alex asked.
"You have the right upgrades, good for you. That is it, so reverse it. Sal Mer Kal Vor Est Del. You have one more question before I go," Malia said.
"I'll take your best piece of advice instead," Alex said.
Malia tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "You are probably too late to stop the transformation. If ships have been going missing for some time, the magic has already been feeding. It was probably too late by the time your bracer first picked up what was happening. Magic and Glitch both have rules and they can always be exploited. Some Glitch Hunters are all swords and hammers, and no brains, so I recommend thinking.” She tapped her head. “Good luck, I am off to seduce a duke."
Malia snapped her fingers, the ripple of light returned, and she stepped through it.
"I liked her," Jess said.
"You like everybody,” Ryn said. “So, there are two more of those Coldflame things somewhere."
"Track down Cassandra and tell her to get people looking outside of town. People are going missing somewhere and we need to figure out where. Once we do that, we can neutralize the others and maybe figure out the source for all this," Alex said.
"I already have one idea. She mentioned trade caravans going missing. Remember how the smugglers road coming here was empty?" Ryn asked. “Maybe it’s not just a lack of any black market?”
Alex remembered asking Ryn about it. "That’s to the southwest of town. The lighthouse is almost due north. Southeast for the third Coldflame, if you're right?"
Ryn nodded. "I'll go make sure. Jess, go with Alex and watch his back."
Jess bounced happily. "This keep is so boring. Where are we going? Is there treasure or monsters?"
"One of the two," Alex said. "I'll deal with the lighthouse Coldflame, then take care of the drake and meet you back at Cass's in the morning."
Jess said, "I like drakes! They are kind of like dragons, but less stuffy."
"They also like to kill young women," Alex said, leaving the lab. Jess followed along.
"Oh, I know, but I mean, that isn't really a problem for me as you know. At worst they keep you in their nest for awhile and feed you really awful food until someone comes to the rescue," Jess said.
The trip back out to the island was long and another slog up the stairs was exhausting. Jess was shivering by the time they reached the top and she glared at the Coldflame.
"That I don't like," Jess said.
"It isn't a good thing at all," Alex said.
Toggling on his Analysis Mode he found the 'Sal' symbol and uttered the word. There was a tremble in the air, a solemn sort of roar that staggered him.
Alex ran his palm along the edge of his Songblade, slicing his skin, and pressed his bleeding hand against the rune.
The blue glow faded to be replaced by red and Alex felt a flood of power rush through him that was both sickening and intoxicating all at once, and somehow familiar. There were echoes of loss, of rage. Alex's vision blurred and flickered, strange dots crossing his sight.
WARNING
Corruption Detected
You have gained 2 Black XP
Was he leaching off the spell? Malia hadn't said that this would happen. Alex didn't think she'd known, this wasn’t supposed to happen. He should be a unfamiliar, unwelcome force shutting down this magic. Instead it recognized him just as he recognized it.
He was somehow attuned to the caster of this spell.
Alex could only think of one person that might be. His first corruption warning had come after Kationa opened up his magic. Some part of her must have linked w
ith him. Closing off this magic would only strengthen that bond, but Alex didn't see where he had any choice.
Ships would vanish and people would continue to die so long as this Coldflame was active.
"Mer," Alex said and the second rune glowed. He slammed his bloody palm against it.
WARNING
Corruption Detected
You have gained 3 Black XP
Alex wondered what the quintessence rate was on a human life. Had one person died for what he'd just absorbed, five? It wasn't something he wanted to think about too much.
One at a time he worked his way through the rest of the runes. With each came a warning and a new rush of Experience, and with each that sense of intoxication grew.
'Del' was the last and when Alex placed his palm against the rune it flared a brilliant red and the fire in the brazier joined it.
WARNING
Corruption Detected
You have gained 2 Black XP
The flames faded as did the runes, and along with them the freezing chill in the air. In all Alex was fifteen Experience points richer from shutting down the Coldflame and he couldn't even speculate what percentage more tainted.
It didn't feel bad, quite the opposite. Alex figured he should probably be worried about that.
Alex checked on the Glitch before leaving the island. It was a bit much to hope that dousing the Coldflame might have in some ways taken their lives. It was worth hoping. Unfortunately they were still about, and there were far too many of them to take on alone.
For now, they would have to remain, and Alex and Jess returned to shore. From there he led Jess to the old harbormaster's shack. Dusk was just falling so there might be a bit of a wait yet.
Jess poked around the interior, any valuables long since looted. She at least managed to find a stool.
"You take me the best places. We don't have anywhere like this back home," Jess said.