by Swanson, Jay
Searching the surrounding area was better than dwelling on the past, let alone confronting the coming future. Behind him lay the ghosts of everyone he had ever loved; before him lay the end of the rest of humanity. The here and now, for the first time in what felt like his entire life, was the only place he wanted to be.
In the end, no matter where his mind might wander, his thoughts couldn't help but settle on Alisia. She had been so real, so close to him on the Magaic plane, and now he wasn't certain how to call her back. He hadn't even returned to the floating fortress he had begun to build since he had traveled with Tristram. Since Cid had died.
The threat of losing that connection to her forever only put more anxiety in his heart. He was no longer worried about dying, he no longer feared pain, but the thought of being separated from Alisia forever still bit at him like cold steel. It planted a dark fear in him that he might already be losing her. It was irrational, he knew, but somehow the thought was slowly forming into a certainty. He had to figure out how to call her back to him; he needed to know he still could. But he needed privacy, and that was difficult to come by among the masses.
They camped that night on a high hill a few miles from the ocean shore. Ardin hoped that Tristram had been correct and that ships were coming. There was little to forage for here, and though the Truans seemed capable of living off of the soil itself, there was even less of that among the pebbles and sand that comprised the topography. What almost looked like mountains to Ardin stood high and faint in the distant north, blurred by the haze until they loomed like dark specters on the horizon. The hills they had traveled through days before appeared to make something mighty of themselves as they approached the coastline.
He walked a ways off from the group until he found a large rock that stood facing the ocean. From here he could just make out a small patch of water on the horizon as the sun cast long shadows before him. It would be dark soon.
Ardin sat on the rock, fanning his cape out behind him so as to keep from sitting on it. A few minutes on the rough surface of the stone made him rethink his priorities momentarily, but he ignored the discomfort. He closed his eyes and drew his consciousness into the plain. The space was more familiar to him now. The foundations and framework of his unfinished castle still floated in space, rotating slowly in the broad emptiness of the sphere.
His consciousness became a solidified body, and he alighted at the center of the massive structure. The desire to finish what he had started building came upon him with a sudden force. The satisfaction of creation tugged on him like a long-neglected friend, but he had to find Alisia.
“Alisia?” He said softly as he looked around the carved stone. “Alisia?”
There was no reply. He supposed that whatever happened in here couldn't be heard from without. That makes sense, he realized. What good is building a fortress for your mind if anyone can see through it?
He turned to his imagination, willing his call out through the exit in the walls and along the path to the outside. He focused on her face, calling to her with his thoughts. The idea of seeing her again caused his heart to beat a little faster. A smile slowly grew on his face until he grinned like an idiot.
Alisia! He knew she could hear him somehow. I'm waiting!
“You'll be waiting a long time, then, I'm afraid,” came a voice unbidden, deep and dark and laced with malice. “Though I'm glad to find you've left yourself a way out. That means you've left me a way in...”
Ardin took a step back, dropping his hands as his mouth went dry. Relequim...
“The same.”
What was he doing here?
“I will find a way in, Ardin. There is no easier way to defeat a Mage than to circumvent his defenses from afar and destroy him from within.”
You'll have more on your hands than you can handle if you get in here. The retort sounded weak even to Ardin.
“I'm not concerned about you, Ardin. Nor your friends the Brethren.” The laugh that followed was spontaneous, and it made Ardin's chest constrict to hear. “I know how to defeat those bird-men. I've already removed their crutch; the Magi stood no chance against their own pupils in humanity. The capacity of man for selfless good is only matched by their selfish ambition. It merely took the suggestion that the aid of the Magi was truly a yoke, and their foolish hearts took care of the rest.”
You were entombed. Ardin's desire to flee was only mitigated by the unique opportunity to know his enemy better. You couldn't have undone the Magi.
“You saw the effectiveness of their tomb for yourself. As for what I can and cannot do, I wouldn't so hastily erect limits if I were you.”
The sphere around Ardin shook as if in response.
“I think I've found the way through these mountains you've made.”
Ardin's gut dropped to hear the words.
“And I can always break through if I must. It's not only the Magi who knew how to work on this plain.”
Ardin threw up his hands, finding the gate in his sphere to seal it off.
“I can also sense where you are now...” The stone couldn't fall into place fast enough for Ardin. “I'm sure we'll speak again soon.”
Ardin withdrew the extension of his thoughts from beyond his sphere, closing off the rest of the gate as soon as he had. He took that time to add another layer to the sphere within itself, leaving space between the two and building a new maze of walls between them. His heart raced. He had never been so scared in his life.
He built and re-built the maze until it was so confusing that even he could just barely find his way back. Once his thoughts were inside the inner sphere again, he sealed the gate to look like just another dead end. I can't use the plain again... he realized as he stood in the center of his mind. I can't go beyond this place until the Demon is dead. I can't... I can't see Alisia.
“Ardin!” The sound of Hevetican's voice echoed through the sphere. “Ardin! Wake up!”
Ardin opened his eyes to find the world painted in the brilliant sunset hues of the fading evening.
“Ardin, what have you done?!”
“Nothing,” Ardin unfolded his legs and slid off the rock next to Hevetican. “What's wrong?”
“Don't tell me you did nothing, you young fool!” The old man's leathered face was taut in anger. “You were communing with the enemy! I could sense it from the camp!”
“I wasn't communing,” Ardin's voice rose in response to the accusation. “I was on the plain, building my defenses.”
“But you called out to him! You must have, or he wouldn't have made the connection.”
“I didn't call for him,” Ardin said, his heart still pumping from the exchange. “I called for my... friend.”
“By now he must be trying to break into your mind.” Hevetican grabbed the edges of Ardin's white chestpiece and pulled him closer. “He has found you now, and he will not leave you until he has finished you.”
“He can't get in.” Ardin wasn't so sure as he sounded. “Not yet.”
“I'm not concerned about him breaking into your mind!” Hevetican whipped around, as if searching for the now-departed sun on the horizon.
“What are you talking about?”
“THAT!” The old man pointed back the way they had come, and Ardin's gut dropped another notch.
In the distant light of the setting sun, he could see the dark, winged forms of two inbound monsters. He focused on them, drawing on the warmth to see farther than otherwise possible, but the light behind them made it impossible to see for sure. And then the realization of what they were hit as Hevetican shouted.
“Dragons!”
It didn't take long for the refugees to get back on their feet as the cry went out. Dragons hadn't been seen by these people since the fall of the great city Trua, but the distance in time made the memories of such monsters no less potent.
“He must have sent them to look for us when his Granhal never returned.” Hevetican ushered a group of children and their caretakers down the hill and towar
ds the coast. “Now he knows where you are.”
“He can find me any time?”
“No,” Hevetican said to Ardin's relief. “But if you try to call out from the plain again, I fear he will have no trouble doing so.”
They didn't have much time before the dragons would be upon them, and they had nowhere to flee. They were too far from the hills to seek shelter there, and Ardin feared that they would provide no safety in any case. Unless he could fend them off, the refugees were finished.
Ardin waited as Hevetican led from the rear, encouraging the people to run for the coast. They had miles to go, and once there, they would be trapped. Their only hope lay in the sea. If Cid's friend Donovan showed up, they had to be as close to the shore as possible.
“What kind are they?” Ardin said as he watched the specks on the horizon grow.
“What?” Hevetican was ordering the last of his young men off towards the front to lead the way.
“The dragons.”
Hevetican turned to look as well, squinting against the sharp beams of the dying sunlight. “Onyx dragons... the purple fire.”
“Cid told me about them.” Ardin swallowed against the story that the name conjured up. Cid had watched dragons just like these destroy hundreds of men in minutes. He had said the Magi had barely been able to kill them at first, resorting to running them off instead.
“You'll need to use your magic to stop them, Ardin.”
Ardin turned to find Hevetican staring at him implacably, his dark eyes still in their unblinking stare. “I can't... I can't kill them.”
“You don't have a choice. You could keep them at bay as long as possible, but to what end? I certainly cannot kill them. You brought them upon us, so now you must stand to protect us.” With nothing else to be said, Hevetican turned and ran after his people.
Ardin turned again to face the west. His heart rate began to pick up as the light of the sky began to dim. The sun was no longer in sight, but dusk would last a while yet. The only question in Ardin's mind was if he would live as long. The wind picked up around him slightly, gusting from the sea at his back and calming his nerves. He put out his hands to feel the breeze run through his fingers. I can do this... I have no other choice.
The dragons were easy enough to see with the naked eye now, black silhouettes growing all too fast in size for Ardin's comfort. He thought back to Cid's story. The blue ones fear fire... red ones ice... His brow furrowed as he thought about these dragons. Black ones... the others are easy enough to remember.
He recalled the story about the dragons, their purple fire that set no flame, their black discharge that consumed metal. Metal! They're afraid of electricity.
As if in confirmation, somewhere in the distance he heard thunder roll. The dragons were scarcely a mile away from him now. They were massive, with bodies larger than his home in Levanton and necks and tails to match in length. Ardin's heart hit his chin as it beat in his throat. Let's just see if we can't cook you before you cook us then.
He imagined a storm cloud above him, sensing the crackle of raw energy in the air. His hair rose slightly as he brought his hands together. “Well,” he said to himself as he pulled his palms back. “Here goes nothing.”
The dragons saw him, or perhaps they had just been waiting to react. Ardin never knew, but one flew high as the other dove towards him. He thrust his hands towards the ground at his side, pulling a bolt of lightning out of thin air and striking the dragon flying high.
He cursed as he ducked, Wrong dragon! The one diving opened its mouth and let loose a black cloud broiling with purple energy. Ardin thoughtlessly surrounded himself with an invisible shield, forcing the dragon's breath to split and roll around him. He could feel the strength of it tearing at his defenses as it pulled up and circled away.
The other dragon had shied away, flying farther out before coming around for another pass. He had to hit this one to give himself some time; he didn't want to deal with both at once. He imagined the electricity forming in his palms this time, and willed it into existence like the fire he had created so many times before. The blue sparks jumped between his fingers, illuminating his darting eyes in the low light of dusk. Then the world began to skew sideways. Not now.
The nearest dragon swung down, opening its jaw as it angled straight for him. Ardin released a blast, electricity arcing out from him in every direction as only a fragment of it leaped towards the flying lizard.
This is impossible! Ardin dove to the ground, but the flash had been enough to startle the dragon and send it around for another pass. His hands twitched as he picked himself up, his knees threatening to buckle as his body tried to make the jump. Come on... not now!
Ardin got up, frantic in his movements as he worked to control this new experiment with his power and his frayed body at the same time. The other dragon was coming back. He didn't know if they would descend at the same time, but he didn't want to find out what would happen to his shield if they did.
The Shadow. The familiar burrowing in his mind that had pained him so severely once came back to aid him this time. Charsi was breaking through. It can multiply your power. Now focus!
“C'mon.... c'mon!” He focused on his hands, the sparks jumping furiously across them in no discernible pattern. “Holy shit, Ardin, FOCUS!”
The warmth churned in him in response to his need, forcing the sparks to the center of his palms. The dragons were closing, mouths gaping, the purple energy glowing deep from within them as the darkness grew in the distance. Ardin had no time to perfect the craft, only desperate need. He launched everything he had in him, pouring the warmth into his hands and converting it into flickering blue energy.
The bolts were unified this time, erupting like a condensed storm straight for the incoming monsters. The force of the blow was absorbed almost entirely by the first dragon, who fell from the air, nearly landing on Ardin in the process. The remainder of Ardin's blast leaped into the second dragon, knocking it off target as it spewed its purple death in impotent fury.
Ardin rolled forward to avoid being crushed, the massive body of his first target grinding into the stony ground behind him until it came to a stop at the end of a gravelly trough. The other dragon veered to the north; there was no sign of any intent to return that Ardin could read in its path.
He turned to his fallen foe. It pushed itself up, smoke rising from every crease in its scaly hide. “Looks like you're cooked.” Ardin couldn't help but smile. “That wasn't so ba–”
The tail caught Ardin in the chest, completely off guard. It was as thick as his torso was tall, and it sent him spiraling until he landed with a thud. Head spinning, Ardin jumped to his feet, willing the warmth to seek out and heal his injuries.
Focus! The voice again, the deep knowledge and memories that were not his own. He never thought he would be grateful for Charsi's forceful presence; he had never thought she would return ,and though this was different than before, he knew it was her. The Shadow are a bridge between the physical and the Atmosphere. Use that bridge!
He swallowed hard as he focused, expecting the monster to bear down on him at any moment. But as his vision cleared, he could see the dragon wasn't looking at him. It was looking down the hill at the refugees.
Its intent was clear to Ardin. For the first time in an encounter with the Demon's creatures, Ardin wished the hunger for his magic was stronger. Its thick wings unfolded, still smoking faintly in the last light of the evening. He had to finish it.
It took off faster than he expected, catching him so off guard that he forgot completely about using the lightning. Suddenly his whole being flexed as if it were itself a muscle, and then every part of Ardin's strange existence snapped together in unity. His hands shot out, and before he knew it, Ardin had his grip on the monster's torso with invisible hands. The dragon knew exactly where the intrusion was coming from, whipping its head around to send a burst of purple-laced blackness Ardin's way.
But Ardin pulled down so fast and so har
d that the lizard's neck snapped back, sending its deadly payload wide before it slammed into the ground again. The impact sounded like a cow in full steel plate armor falling off a cliff.
Not getting cocky this time, Ardin rebuked himself. He didn't hesitate, sending as much electric energy into the downed dragon as quickly as he could. The power was immense. He could feel the Atmosphere pouring into every part of his being, connected to every single cell. The warmth didn't just come from within, but from every part of him, and it poured back out just as furiously. The dragon writhed for a moment as its hide began to glow a faint purple. Smoke began to rise from it again before the rattle in its throat signaled its passing.
Ardin stood there a moment, disbelieving that he had actually killed a dragon. Something that had cost the lives of so many to accomplish in the past was done with his own bare hands. Perhaps godhood isn't out of the question. In the distance, towards the sea, something illuminated purple in a brief rolling flash. Ardin spun to face it, squinting into the darkness.
“Oh no...” Without thinking he made the jump into the metaphysical and launched himself from the hilltop. How could I be so stupid?
The sensation of flying was lost in the mists of the Atmosphere. He knew where he was headed, though he no longer knew how. The feeling of losing himself to this shapeless existence was revolting, but he had no choice. He could move much faster this way. He didn't know how he was so certain this was true, but he had long since stopped doubting his intuition. All around and before him the Atmosphere was arcing, curling and curving back around and into him. He had never seen anything so mesmerizing.
The purple fire looked like lightning in its own right in this form. He was close already, but not close enough. He pushed onward, forcing himself to move faster. The purple lightning was very close now; he made the jump back to find himself in the midst of chaos. Refugees ran in every direction, screaming as the dragon burned them alive.