by Ben Hale
Iris looked smug. "I searched every normal channel and found nothing, so I turned to something more . . . ancient."
"You read a book?" Tess asked.
Iris snorted. "Of course not. I scanned the library and enchanted a memory reservoir. From there it was easy to search for the information. It turns out that there is quite a bit of information in the library that has never been added to the mage net."
The omissions suggested intent, and Tess considered who would have done it. Deciding it didn't matter, she said, "So the Crest of the Oracle was a pendant that was handed down from oracle to oracle?"
Derek nodded. "Looks that way, and the last time it was seen was on the neck of the Atlantis oracle. That's when this book was written. It also implies that the Crest contains something more. It says 'the oracle's knowledge is contained therein'."
"But that was six thousand years ago," Tess said in dismay. "Who knows where it ended up after that?"
"I think I might," Derek said. "Important people from that time were placed in elaborate tombs. If we could find hers, it might contain the crest."
"You think it would still be intact?" Tess asked.
Derek shrugged. "It's worth a shot."
Tess turned to Iris. "Is there any record of its location?"
"None," Iris said flatly.
Derek cocked his head to the side. "That might be a clue by itself," he said. “The tunnels below the Spirus contain artifacts from throughout our history—but there are still rumors about what is down there. The absolute lack of information on this might mean that this particular piece was never recorded. Anything recorded tends to have rumors about it eventually."
"Meaning the tomb was never moved?" Tess asked.
"Or it's gone," Iris said.
"Let's hope not," Derek said with a frown.
"If it's buried somewhere, how are we going to find it?" Tess asked. "Atlantis was sunk ages ago, and I wouldn't know where to even begin looking."
Derek's brow was furrowed in thought. "Maybe we can start with things that are equally as old. To my knowledge there are only a few things that are as old as Atlantis—the school library and the high council chamber in the Spirus."
"And the Recollection," Iris said. "There are several things there that are ancient, like the monument from The Second Draeken War."
"What's in there from the right time period?" Derek asked.
Iris's purple threads flickered and her eyes glazed over. Then she rattled off a handful of items. "The Memory of the Sea, the Staff of Diamond, the Great Sentinel of Mages, the White Dawn—"
"The ship?" Derek asked, and Iris nodded, frowning at the interruption.
Tess remembered exactly what they were talking about. Amongst the hundreds of artifacts from throughout the magical history, there had been a whole ship. Complete with a mast, sails, and ancient rigging, the ship had been unlike anything Tess had ever seen.
"The ship is that old?" Tess asked.
"It is," Derek said with a growing smile. "And the White Dawn was the Oracle's vessel."
"How do you know that?" Tess asked.
Iris's eyes were flicking back and forth, and then abruptly they focused. "He's right. The White Dawn was the oracle of Atlantis's personal transport."
Tess was doubtful. "You think it might have clues to the tomb's location?"
"I don't know," Derek said. "But it's a place to start looking."
Tess considered the suggestion. It seemed harmless enough. The Recollection was open to the public, and she doubted the old ship was heavily guarded. All they would have to do is sneak aboard when no one was looking and get a closer look. She shrugged.
How much trouble could it cause?
Chapter 22: Recollection
In the end they decided to wait until after dark, just in case. The following night they gathered with Rox and, at the last minute, Shorn. The five of them sat in the bushes outside the Spirus, waiting until long after the tower had emptied of people. At the appointed hour Tess nudged her roommate, who had fallen asleep early.
"It's time to go, Iris," Tess whispered.
Iris rubbed sleep from her eyes and yawned. "This is stupid to go so late," she said. "There is no reason we couldn't have gone when it wasn't the middle of the night."
"I don't want the Harbingers knowing what we are doing," Derek insisted. "And since the high chancellor is a Harbinger, the Spirus is like their lair."
"Derek's right," Shorn said, causing Derek to blink in surprise. "If the Harbingers don't know about the prophecy, we don't want to tip our hand."
She threw Shorn a glance, and felt a rush of gratitude that they had decided to bring him along. Rox had suggested it, and after some resistance from Derek, they'd decided to include him. After the Magic Melee it seemed they had all grown to trust him. He now knew most of what they knew, except for a few pieces that Tess had purposefully left out, for now.
"Fine," Iris grumbled. "Let's get going."
"Did you seal the motes?"
A crease formed on Iris's forehead. "Of course I did," she said. "I did it before I fell asleep . . . in the bushes."
"Eight weeks ago you could hardly work," Derek said. "How are you able to do so much now?"
"They had an army of techno mags," Iris said hotly. "What did you expect—stop playing Destiny, Julio. I don't have time for you to be distracted. Yes, I know it's awesome—and not out yet. Do you want me to demote you? I swear I will . . ."
Derek shrugged and gestured toward the Spirus. "Ladies first."
"How chivalrous," Rox said sarcastically, and stepped into the circular courtyard that surrounded the Spirus. The others followed suit.
Piercing the sky, the Spirus rose to sixty-three floors above Sentre. Currents of glass flowed throughout the white granite of the structure, evoking a sense of prestige and authority. The bulk of the interior was dedicated to the governing body of the mages, collectively known as the Magtherian. Only the first two floors were open to the public.
Grand, sweeping arches and twisting columns supported the Spirus, leaving an almost uninterrupted view into the Recollection. Weapons, orbs, and other magical artifacts from mage history filled the interior to overflowing.
One was a giant statue that was almost fifty feet tall. Its head brushed the ceiling. Lit by glowing light, enchanted weapons, orbs, and odd objects dotted the floor or floated in the air, and were visible even from the exterior. On the opposite side, Tess caught a glimpse of the ship that was their goal.
The group strolled across the stone courtyard that surrounded the Spirus. Then they casually turned toward it, as if they were curious about the Recollection. The lights inside were dimmed due to the hour, and there was no sign of anyone walking within. Striding under a sweeping arch, they walked into the shadows from the various displays.
"Are you sure we can't be seen?" Tess asked.
Iris shook her head. "All the motes have been sealed. We have thirty minutes before the enchantment will be noticed. There's nothing I can do about people though."
Shorn took the lead. "I'm on it." He turned his head slowly and swept the room with his gaze. Then he nodded. "No spots of air movement to indicate a guard or other person. Like I said, the Recollection is deserted at night, and it isn't locked or anything. Only the displays are protected."
"Then why do I feel like I am breaking and entering?" Tess said in an undertone.
Rox threw her a look of agreement. "Let's just see what we can find, shall we?"
"Remind me why we didn't tell Hawk about this?" Tess asked.
"We are just going to take a look," Derek reasoned. "There shouldn't be any danger."
Tess nodded, but couldn't shake her unease. Together, the group worked their way through the hundreds of displays until they reached the ship, and by unspoken accord stopped to examine it.
The hull was gray and weathered, but retained a sense of regality and poise. Close up Tess realized that it was larger than she'd first thought. No less than seven
ty feet in length, the ship curved to a raised prow, and flattened to two tapered points in the back. Underneath, the hull was divided, leaving a length of air down the bottom center.
Purple threads wove themselves through the wood, indicating that at one time the ship had been imbued with gravity magic. The charms were barely visible, and Tess had to squint to see them. The single mast stretched upward from the center of the vessel. On the ship’s flanks, great curving spirals pointed toward the empty sail. Tess could sense the latent air magic within them, and suspected that in its time, the vessel had been significantly faster than traditional sail boats.
Derek shrugged and led the way to the ladder. He snatched his hand back when Iris called out a warning.
"Hang on!" she whispered with harsh intensity. "I still need a second to disarm the curses."
"The ship is cursed?" Tess's eyebrows shot up.
Distracted, Iris didn't respond. Shorn answered for her. "All the artifacts here are equipped with enchanted traps to dissuade intruders, but some carry more than others. I would think something like this carries minimal curses. It's not like a powerful sword or anything."
Iris issued a satisfied grunt and her eyes cleared. "As far as I can tell it only had a few techno warnings that would alert the battlemages of tampering. They're disabled now, Derek."
"What's the punishment for this," Tess asked as she flew up to the deck. Climbing the ladder, Derek was right behind.
"Minor infractions are usually just a warning," Rox answered as she climbed over the rail. "At least, that's what my dad has told me. If we damage the ship, though, we'll be in trouble."
"Let's not break anything," Iris said acidly. "I don't need a warning—or worse—on my record."
What would the public think if they found out what I'm doing? Tess's eyebrows knit together. She didn't want to know. She had enough scrutiny to deal with as it was.
"Eyes open everyone," Shorn said. "And make sure and look with your mage sight."
Derek threw him an annoyed glance, and Tess interpreted the look to mean he didn't like how Shorn assumed the lead like that. Regardless he didn't argue, so Tess let it slide as well.
They split up and set to work. Shorn flew upward and examined the mast. Derek took the rear and poked his head into the spiraled wood that pointed toward the sail. Iris went to the front while Rox and Tess ducked into the two holds. As they entered, Tess sparked a flameless torch in her palm and tossed it upward. She added a few more until the ship's hold was well illuminated.
"Why don't you look here," Tess said. "I will take the other side."
Rox nodded, and stepped into one of the cabins on the side. Tess strode through a short passage and entered the starboard hull. Adding several lights to the environment, she began her search with the largest cabin near the front of the ship.
Evidently it had once been the captain's quarters, but it now lay empty and hollow. Even the shelves on the walls had been removed, leaving only a faded map that was embedded in the wall. Tess blinked into her sight but found nothing, so she moved on.
Crew quarters were on both sides as she walked toward the aft section of the vessel, but they proved equally disappointing. At the far back she found the kitchens. A glance showed that it had long been cleared out. Annoyed, she returned to Rox's side of the ship.
"Anything?" Tess asked.
"Dust and more dust," Rox replied. "It looks like this side has guest and leisure quarters. The chamber at the front is quite large. It even has a closet and a second, private bedchamber."
"Sounds like the Oracle's personal quarters," Tess said. "The other side has the captain and crew quarters. Let's take another look at the oracle's . . ."
She trailed off as a wisp of purple light passed by them. It slid along the wall and then darted into one of the rooms. A moment later it reemerged and moved to the next. Tess caught Rox's eye and shrugged.
"Iris?"
"Iris," Rox agreed. She grinned and led the way to the oracle's private chamber.
Tess peeked into her mage sight and scanned the interior, and then scanned it again. Finding nothing, Tess gestured upward. "Let's see if anyone else found anything."
They emerged on the deck, but the others had also come up empty-handed. Only Iris was still busy, and a trio of wisps returned to her as Derek showed them the air swirls. To Tess they resembled jet engines, and she wondered how they had worked.
Iris returned to their side. "I scanned every inch of the ship and haven't found anything on the surfaces. With Tess's help I think we can make a lightcast model later, if we want."
The disappointment in Iris's expression was evident, and Tess felt the same. Of any location Tess had thought the oracle's own ship would have something. With little time remaining, Derek suggested they examine the exterior of the hull itself. It was a weak suggestion and everyone knew it, but no one disagreed. As they stepped to the ladder Tess tried one last time with her mage sight.
Blinking into her vision, the world became awash in colors. Inch by inch she looked into the interior of the ship. Walls, wood, and her friends changed into their unique energy signatures. Frustrated, she scanned the ship again—and then she saw it.
Like a star had winked when she looked at it, she noticed a tiny white object embedded deep into the mast. She squinted to get a closer look. "Guys," she said. "Take a look at this."
Derek had already thrown a leg over the rail, but he returned with the others to Tess's side. "What do you see?" he asked.
"There's a ball of energy in the mast," Tess said, and pointed to it. "Anyone else see it?"
One by one they shook their heads. Then Iris asked, "What color is it?"
"White."
"That doesn't make sense," Rox said. "There is no white magic."
"But I see white in people sometimes," Tess said.
"Does it look like the same white?" Derek asked.
Tess squinted at it. "No," she said. "I've never seen anything like it. It's much brighter than anything I'm familiar with."
"What if . . . it's all the magics?" Shorn asked slowly.
"What do you mean?" Rox asked.
"Well, only Tess can see it," Shorn said. "And white is used to signify the combination of magics."
"I didn't know that all the energies could be combined like that," Tess said. "Iris?"
"It could be," Iris said. "There are a couple of references to 'the white light' in the ancient texts I have been scanning. My guess is that Shorn's probably right."
Tess shrugged and reached to the mast. Bending the wood the way she had learned in her plant class, she sank her fingers into the mast. When her elbow reached the outside of the pole, she touched her goal. Her fingers tingled as they came in contact with the pure energy. Tentatively she extended a little further and then wrapped her fingers around it. When nothing happened she carefully removed her arm.
The white ball of energy faded as she pulled it out, so by the time her hand appeared it was gone. Inside it, she was stunned to see a silver pendant with a simple stone on the end. Marked with the symbol of magic the concave triangle had a circle at its center. It could have passed as a trinket at a flea market. It warmed at her touch, but she saw no visible sign of latent enchantments.
Her friends gathered around her, eager to get a look at their prize. Collectively they froze when a rumbling crack sounded within the Recollection. In an instant they extinguished their spells and dived behind the railing.
Tess peeked over it, and scanned the darkened area for signs that they had been discovered. She spotted movement, but not where she had expected. Her eyes widened as she saw the giant statue shift. Stone crumbled off his body in great flakes, and crashed to the floor.
The holes revealed a polished steel skin on the interior. Almost liquid in texture, the material was smooth and shiny. The steel shifted as if it wanted to move, and more rock broke free. Then the entire frame flexed, and shattered the rest of the stone layer that had encased it.
T
he steel giant rose to its full stature and turned toward the ship, its eyes glowing orange. The entire floor shuddered when it took its first step, and then a second. Then it accelerated into a sprint toward them.
Chapter 23: Entity
The steel giant reached full speed in three steps. Heedless of the enchanted artifacts in the way, it plowed through the display cases. Enchantments lit up as they were activated, protecting the relics from harm. Enshrouded in protective spheres of energy, they were knocked spinning aside as the steel figure thundered toward the ship. A cacophony of shrieking alarms erupted as they were set off.
"Move!" Derek bellowed.
Taking his own advice, he leapt off the ship and sprinted aside. Tess threw the amulet around her neck. Then she caught Iris and Rox and launched them out of the way. Shorn threw himself off the opposite side of the ship. A heartbeat later the steel giant crashed into the boat.
The ancient wood snapped like a piece of chalk, and the boat exploded into shards of broken kindling. Dust billowed outward, enveloping the nearby displays in a haze of dirt and splinters. Torn from the boat, the mast flew aside and shattered on one of the arching supports.
"What is that thing?" Tess yelled as the steel giant began to extricate itself from the pile of wood.
Derek appeared at their side, a streak of blood on his cheek. "It's a steel entity, the largest I've ever seen. We need to get out of here before . . ."
There was a tinkling that overpowered the sound of bending metal and shrieking alarms. The next moment a wall of purple light began to descend, closing off every point of egress.
"Go!" Shorn yelled.
Ten feet away he lifted Rox and streaked away. Propelled by a cyclone, he continued to accelerate as he sped toward the closing gap. Tess gathered her magic, wrapped it around Iris and Derek, and then exploded after him. She threw a look back and watched the steel giant come after them. Ahead the rapidly descending shield was just feet off the ground.
Panic engulfed her and she angled their flight so they were flat on their backs. With her shoulders scraping the ground, she propelled them faster than she ever had—and just managed to shoot the gap. She breathed a sigh of relief as the shield closed into position.