When he finally let her go, an unwelcome voice said, “Conryu, my boy. I might have known it was you that saved us.”
Ignoring Angus for the moment he asked his mother, “What’s he doing here?”
“I didn’t know he was. I’ve been focused on my sonic bomb.”
“Sonic bomb?”
“Yes, I thought it would be the best way to shatter crystal. It has a control panel to match the vibration of the explosion to that of the target.” She touched the tip of her chin, lost in thought. “I’m not sure it would be of much use in combat, too slow and unwieldly. My next move is to miniaturize it. Turn it into a grenade. The trick is matching the target vibration. I haven’t worked that out yet.”
“I’m sure you will, Mom. But in the meantime, I’m going to need your big bomb.”
“What for, dear?”
“To blow up the Heart of Atlantis.”
“Conryu,” Angus said in a more insistent tone. “We really need to talk. Please.”
Clearly, he was going to get no peace until he heard the pain in the neck out. When he faced Angus this time, a young woman stood beside him. It wasn’t one of the students, she wasn’t dressed in a school robe. Of course, that begged the question of who she was.
“What?” Conryu asked.
“I want you to meet Sienna.” Angus nodded toward the woman. “She’s descended from the people of Lemuria, Atlantis’s sworn enemy. She has information that can help.”
Conryu met Sienna’s gaze. Her blue-green eyes were hard and focused, a warrior’s eyes. “I’m listening.”
“You know of the floating island falling out of the sky?” When he nodded she said, “They did that. Madagascar was the Lemurian homeland in ancient times. It’s possible they plan to bring down more of them.”
“They did,” Conryu said. “Kai and I destroyed the devices they used to negate the island’s magic. Unless they have more of them hidden somewhere, no more islands will be falling from the sky.”
She flinched back, clearly surprised that he already knew. “You’ve encountered the Atlanteans?”
“Yeah. They’re made of crystal, immune to magic, and tough as hell. It was all Kai and I could do to kill one of them. I don’t know how many are left, but we’re in for a fight, that’s for sure.”
“You defeated one of them in combat?” She was staring at him now the way people used to look when they first learned there was a male wizard. “How could you have accomplished more in days than I have in my entire life?”
“I had help. Listen, if there’s nothing else, I need to talk to Dean Blane and figure out where we’re going to take everyone so they’ll be safe until Atlantis is dealt with. Excuse me.”
He barely turned his back on them when the Goddess’s gentle voice appeared in his mind. There is a matter we must discuss.
Why was he so bloody popular all of a sudden? He sensed her location and sighed. The students would be safe enough until he got back. It wasn’t polite to leave a goddess waiting.
Conryu flew through Heaven’s endless clouds until the train was out of sight. The Goddess was close. It seemed she didn’t want to be seen by the others for some reason. He shrugged, shot through a cloud, and there she was. Dressed all in white, a golden aura surrounding her, the Goddess was life and beauty personified, the polar opposite of the Reaper. If he had to be summoned by someone, he’d much rather it be her.
He bowed and offered his best smile. “Sorry about the train. I wasn’t sure where else to bring them.”
“It is of no concern,” she said. “I must speak to you of Atlantis.”
“I was afraid of that. The Reaper told me about the void power they tapped into and about the war with Lemuria. Is there more?”
“I’m sure he told you what he thought you needed to know. What I want to add may not be truly relevant to the current situation, but I wanted to share it anyway. You see, the war began before the Atlanteans broke through reality into the void. They turned to that power in desperation. My followers urged the others to sue for peace before it came to that, but we were outvoted. Lemuria was winning, they said. Why offer peace when victory was close?”
“He neglected to mention that, which is no surprise. I’m not thrilled about having to wipe out the last remnants of a race, but from what I’ve seen, any humanity they might have had is long gone. If you have another option, I’m all ears. Otherwise…”
Her glowing eyes clouded and her expression grew sad. “No. Much as I might wish it were otherwise, there are no other options. The power of the void is too dangerous to leave unchecked. I am sorry this burden falls to you. It’s hardly fair, but you were chosen for moments like this.”
“There’s one thing that’s bothering me. What happens to Atlantis itself after I seal the rift?”
“You will have to shift it into a pocket dimension. It will be safe there until the hole in our reality is fully healed. Don’t worry, when the time comes, we will guide you through the process.” She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “Good luck and be careful, my Chosen. Though they are much diminished, the Atlanteans are still a formidable threat.”
He bowed once more and when he straightened, she was gone.
“What now, Master?” Prime asked.
“Now we get everyone home and plan our attack.”
Chapter 27
At Dean Blane’s insistence, Conryu brought them back in a secluded place on the West Coast. It was beautiful, with a log cabin, fields and mountains all around, but there was no way everyone would fit in that one lodge. When he pointed this out, she assured him that by the end of the day, everyone would be distributed across the country to make them more difficult targets.
He was just closing the Heaven gate when Kai appeared beside him. “What happened? You vanished without a word and I couldn’t find you.”
“There was an emergency.” He gave her the short version of what happened. “I didn’t intend to worry you. Did you guys finish up the crystal soldiers?”
“Yes, without a leader, defeating them was not difficult. We are ready to strike Atlantis on your command.”
“Good. I have a few details to clear up then we’ll go. I don’t want to give them any more time to prepare than necessary.”
Kai nodded once and vanished back into the borderlands.
Maria, Dean Blane, his mother, Angus, and the new girl, Sienna, were standing in a circle around a box about two feet square. That had to be the sonic bomb his mother mentioned. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too difficult to use. He made the short walk to join them.
Before he could speak Maria said, “If you’re going to attack Atlantis, I’m coming with you.”
“As am I,” Sienna added. “It is my duty to put right my mistake.”
He glanced at Dean Blane, but she didn’t make an announcement about her intentions. “Actually, I was hoping to get a group of six or so light magic users to oversee a medical station where Kai and her sisters could retreat for healing. If you want to be in charge of that, Maria, it would be a huge help.”
Maria positively beamed at the idea. “Healing’s my best subject. I can totally handle that. I’ll go ask for volunteers.”
“Feel free to ask the light aligned teachers as well,” Dean Blane said.
Conryu turned to Sienna. “As for you, if you wish to come, I don’t mind. I’d offer you an extra Hell-forged mace, but it would probably melt your hands off.”
“I’ve never wielded a mace anyway,” Sienna said.
Finally he focused on the sonic bomb. “Okay, Mom. Show me how this thing works.”
Conryu’s plan to approach Atlantis was very similar to his plan when he and Kai attacked the crystal ship. They’d approach from below, out of sight, getting as close as the anti-magic field would allow, then fire grappling hooks into the stone below the city. After that it was just a matter of climbing and fighting until they reached the Heart of Atlantis.
He shook his head. If only it was that easy.
The library,
stuffed to the brim with ninjas, was in place beneath Atlantis. They’d been able to get closer than he’d feared. The bottom of the stone was only a couple hundred feet above the door. A tough climb but doable. Now they just needed to wait for Jemma’s distraction.
He checked his phone. The first strikes should hit any moment now. “Are the launchers ready, Kanna?”
“Yes, Chosen.” He’d asked three times already, but her tone held no sign of annoyance.
“Okay.” He moved out of the doorway and willed it wider so all ten ninjas could stand side by side. “Move them into position.”
The launchers were basically tubes that held a grappling hook and had an explosive charge at the rear. The army guy they got them from assured Conryu that they could fire three hundred yards easy. That was way more than they needed, but better too much than not enough.
He checked the time again. Thirty seconds, assuming they were on time.
A moment later he heard the distant roar of jet engines.
This was it. “Everyone ready.”
The launchers went up into position.
When the first explosion sounded, he said, “Fire!”
As one they hit the triggers and sent their grappling hooks soaring toward the edge of the city. They cleared easily. Everyone hauled their ropes back until they caught. Two came clattering back over the edge, having failed to hook an outcropping. It didn’t matter. Eight would be enough.
“Go, go, go!”
He grabbed the nearest rope, but Kanna caught his shoulder. “We will secure the entry point, Chosen. You come up with the second wave.”
He grimaced but nodded. Sending people into danger ahead of him wasn’t Conryu’s style, but he was the only one that could seal the void rift. If he fell before he completed his mission, that threat would remain, maybe forever. That wasn’t an outcome he could risk.
The ninjas climbed the ropes in seconds. On the opposite side of the city, RAF jets continued to pound away, though their missiles all slammed into an invisible barrier and detonated without doing any damage. As long as they kept the Atlanteans’ focus away from them, Conryu didn’t care what else the pilots did.
The first wave reached the top and after an agonizing half minute one of them waved the all clear signal. Conryu began his climb with Kai right beside him. He was honest enough to admit he’d lost a little fitness since gaining his magical abilities, but he still made the top without stopping to rest. Carrying a pack with his mother’s sonic bomb inside didn’t make it any easier.
As soon as he arrived, he moved aside to let the next group come aboard. As he fought to regain his breath he took in the view. Atlantis was a stunning place. Crystal towers filled the skyline. Even the streets were paved with crystal. Only the occasional park or tree broke up the endless expanse of shining, clear crystal. It was so alien he couldn’t begin to imagine how one would go about building such a place.
“You could probably do it with earth magic if you really wanted to,” Prime said.
He certainly didn’t want to. The next group arrived meaning they had a third of their force in place. They could at least start scouting around. The Heart would naturally be in the center, or so he assumed.
Just to be sure he turned to Sienna. “Where will we find the Heart?”
“I have no idea.” Her dark skin was so pale he feared she might faint. “No Lemurian has ever set foot in Atlantis proper.”
So much for their expert. “Kanna, send out some scouts to have a look around. If they don’t know we’re here, they will soon. I don’t want to be taken by surprise.”
She nodded, pointed at one group of four, and pointed east. Another group went west, and a third went straight down the street they were standing on.
While they scouted Conryu paced. There had to be some sort of defenses beyond the towers and their crimson rays. Guards, golems, something.
His cellphone buzzed, distracting him from his worries. “Jemma? How long? Okay, thanks.”
He disconnected and Kanna and Kai both looked at him. “The crystal ship is on its way back and it’s going like crazy. Jemma says we’ve got maybe an hour to finish our business before we’ll have an army of crystal soldiers breathing down our neck. I know we planned to take our time, but that’s out the window now. Get everyone up here as fast as you can. We’re making a run for the city center.”
Walking through the empty city may have been the tensest thing Conryu had ever done. Every moment he expected something to attack them. Once one of the towers lit up and he feared they were about to get blasted to ash. Instead in shot a beam at one of the fighters still buzzing around outside. The crystal towers would have made perfect perches for snipers, but none made themselves known. In fact, Conryu didn’t see so much as a door to get into the towers. Was it possible they were used strictly for external defense? He didn’t know. There was so much he didn’t know it was making him crazy.
When a pair of ninjas came running toward them, he welcomed the distraction. A moment later he frowned. They worked in groups of four, so where were the other two?
Kanna must have read his mind. “Where are your squadmates?”
“Gone to the aid station,” one of them said. “We found the enemy. Ten of the crystal people are gathered in a park. They have taken up defensive positions around a crimson crystal twice as big as one of our huts. When we tried to sneak in for a closer look, they spotted us and loosed one of those red beams. It singed Arie’s ribs so Kay helped her escape while we reported back.”
Conryu relaxed a fraction. At least no one was badly injured. “The crystal people, were they smooth or jagged?”
“Smooth, like glass,” the ninja said.
Ten of the stronger ones, great. “Call everyone back. I need to get something from the library.”
Kai followed him as he ran back the way they’d come. “What do you need, Chosen?”
“Shields. Without some sort of protection, those crimson rays will cut us to shreds.”
Kai gave him a curious look. “Do you have shields in the library?”
“No, but I can make them if I get somewhere magic works.”
Conryu ended up having to travel to the realm of earth to forge his shields. A pair of helpful elementals were kind enough to point him in the direction of a special metal that was highly resistant to heat. He made ten tall, wide shields with it. Now all he had to do was hope that the crimson rays were actually heat based.
The ninjas were gathered at the edge of where the Heart sat. He’d never seen a crystal that big and even from a distance he could feel it pulsing with power. In front of him, Kanna grasped the shield with both hands. They had turned out heavier than he’d wanted, but if they held up, he didn’t care. They just needed to force their way through to the crystal then make a wall so he could set the sonic bomb.
“I don’t know about this, Chosen,” Kanna said. “We’re not used to fighting with shields.”
“You’re not fighting with them now. Think of them as mobile barriers. Once we close in, you can ditch them and fight the way you usually do. Just remember what I told you about the crystal people.”
“We will keep their toughness in mind, rest assured.” Kanna looked around. “I believe everyone is ready.”
Conryu tightened his grip on his mace. “Give the signal.”
She made a chopping motion toward the Atlanteans and all ten groups surged forward.
A lance of crimson light shot out and struck the shield of the group to their right. The shield took the hit, turning orange in the center, before quickly cooling.
Conryu grinned. He owned those elementals a glass of whatever they liked to drink, assuming they drank anything.
His happiness lasted only a moment. A deep thrum filled the air and one of the rows of ninjas was sent flying back across the lawn.
They had switched to the low vibration attack he thought of as a battering ram. Against that the shields were worthless.
“Faster, Kanna. We need t
o close before they hit us with one of those.”
She picked up the pace. Any moment he expected to be sent flying.
More of the battering ram attacks struck home, sending ninjas flying in all directions. The women quickly scrambled to their feet to avoid the crimson rays that followed.
Kanna peeked around the edge of the shield. “We’re getting close.”
The words had barely left her mouth when a battering ram struck them.
Kanna, Conryu, Kai, and the woman behind her were sent flying. He landed hard, rolled to his feet, and scrambled for the shield.
Kanna was lying still, half under its bulk.
He ran over and picked it up just in time to intercept a ray.
Kai sprinted over beside him.
“Is she okay?” he asked.
“Yes, just knocked out.”
The clash of steel on crystal filled the air. One of the teams had made contact with the Atlanteans. They were going to need backup and fast.
“We have to leave her,” he said. A small group of the least experienced ninjas was on recovery duty. They’d see that Kanna made it to healers. “Let’s go. Prime, I want you to keep an eye out and let me know if one of the Atlanteans targets us. When they do, we break and charge together.”
“Yes, Master,” Prime said.
“Understood.” Kai gave a final look back at Kanna then shifted to get behind him.
Conryu marched forward as fast as he could without losing his balance with the heavy shield. They were three-quarters of the way back to where they first got hit when Prime said, “Now, Master.”
He hurled the shield forward with all his might then darted right. Kai went left at the same time.
They both made it out of the way seconds before the shield came flying back through the space they just vacated. That was their cue to charge.
He reached the female Atlantean just as she pointed at Kai. A hard blow of his mace drove her arm out to the side and the crimson ray streaked out four feet wide of its target.
Kai never slowed. Five feet out she leapt and drove the spike of her mace right between the woman’s eyes.
Atlantis Rising Page 20