by Ben Hale
Pulling several threads from less important projects, she gently wrapped them around the Harbinger thread and set them to work.
"Sorry Malik," she said. "I need the extra threads—yes I will help you with your laz mission later."
"—I found something." She spoke in the same instant that the Tess seeking charm came back. "She walked out of her light class and was met by . . . Drake?"
Every one of her threads spun to a halt as her surprise interrupted them. Then they went back to work.
"Drake is back?" Shorn asked. His eyebrows shot up. "That can't be good."
"You think?" Derek said. "Iris, what did Tess do . . .? Iris?"
Iris was deep in her magic, and watched Drake and Tess fly out of view. Just before she switched to a different monitoring mote she spotted a tumbling object fall to the ground. She jumped up from their dinner table without a word. She recognized the falling object as the glasses she'd made for Tess. Iris had already dispatched a seeking charm to find them. They had been on Tryton's but not with Tess. She inwardly kicked herself for not investigating their location further.
Part of her mind heard her friends’ demands for information as they followed her, but too much of her attention was already invested into other spells—and her homework assignment that was due tomorrow. Her Unraveling Professor didn't seem to care that Iris knew more about the subject than he did. Annoyed, she sent a screeching charm to enact at three in the morning at his house. He lived alone, so she doubted it would bother anyone but him, and his cat.
—She followed the faint traces that her glasses had emitted at her request, and their source proved to be inside a snowdrift.
"Look in there." Iris pointed.
Rox twisted both hands into fists. Her motion flattened the snow to the ground, revealing the sleek glasses that Iris had made for Tess. Derek picked them up.
"Didn't you make these for her?" he asked, turning to Iris.
"Yes," Iris said distractedly. She took them from him and cast a sifting spell that would pull the most relevant information to the forefront of her attention. An audio recording leapt to the front and she turned it on. Drake's voice started mid-sentence.
" . . . where it all began," he said. "We are going to Xshaltheria . . ."
"She recorded it?" Shorn asked. "That was smart of her."
"She left her recording on all the time," Iris said. "It made it easier for her to do her homework." She muted the audio and listened to the remainder by herself. Confused by the ending, she listened to it a second time.
"Where's Xshaltheria?" Rox asked. "I thought it was an ancient dwarven forge that Draeken used."
"It was," Derek said. His brow was furrowed in thought.
—Iris received the source message again and growled under her breath. The eye she'd placed on Tess was still not connecting—which was impossible. She'd specifically enchanted it to be accessible anywhere on earth.
"Iris, can you run a trace on Prometheus?" Warren asked.
Iris blinked, and her surprise caused several pending request enchantments to work their way into her consciousness. Once she'd dismissed two and replied to one, she said, "Stop distracting me, Warren, or I will regret letting you into the group."
"Wait," Derek said, "he's right. See what you can find about him."
Iris shrugged and altered a previous charm that was searching for the recipe of KFC's original chicken. It was faster than creating a new enchantment and she'd only started the charm out of curiosity. True to what she'd heard, the recipe had more mage shielding than the NSA.
"What does this have to do with Prometheus?" Rox asked while Iris was busy.
Derek’s eyebrows were pulled together in thought. "Auren lore has roots in the magical history of Earth. In Greek mythology Prometheus was a Titan that stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. Because of his betrayal he was chained inside a volcano and left to suffer."
"Get to the point, Warren."
Derek gestured to Warren, who said, "Prometheus is derived from his last name, but his first name . . . was Draeken."
"How's that possible?"
Warren shrugged, obviously uneasy with all the attention. "Greek mythology arguably comes the closest to revealing the truth about mage history. All you have to do is substitute gods for mages and Titans for Verinai. Every power of the 'gods' was simply magic. Zeus is regarded as one of the best lightning mages to graduate from Tryton's. Apollo was light, Ares was a body mage with a talent for weapons, etc.”
Derek cut in, and Warren looked relieved. "Everything about the Greek culture revolved around revering the mages that resided with them. There was even a rock troll clan that lived in Sparta for a while. It's where the Spartans gained their legendary skills."
Rox shook her head. "Wait, you said that Draeken was a Verinai? I've never heard that term before."
Warren answered when Derek gestured to him. "Thirty thousand years ago there was a guild of mages called the Verinai that ruled pretty much everything. A council of five oracles kept the balance between the Verinai, the other mage guilds, and the non-mage kingdoms. It's referred to as the Age of Oracles.”
"What made the Verinai so powerful?" Rox asked.
"The Verinai could do multiple kinds of magic—but not like today. Back then they were almost as powerful as the oracles—and they considered themselves superior. One of the oracles betrayed the others, and with the aid of the Verinai, sought to take control. They didn't account for the tide of anger that swept the kingdoms when the truth of the Verinai's abominable spells became public. The ensuing war killed four oracles and the entire guild of Verinai."
Rox blew out her breath. "So the Titans were the Verinai, who were killed by the mage guilds, but where does Prometheus fit in?"
"That's where the history books have it wrong," he said. "He didn't try to give fire to the aurens, he sought to take it. The symbolism of the fire is liberty. Draeken wanted to take away the people's ability to choose. It's what he tried to do in the First Draeken War—and what the Harbingers are trying to do today. He was chained in the ancient forge of Xshaltheria. I'm not sure where it is today."
"Mount Elbrus," Iris said.
While her friends had been talking Iris had finished several spells, including her trace charm on Prometheus.
"Where did you get that?" Warren demanded. "They don't teach that in History of Magic."
"Google," Iris said.
"And you believe it?" Warren asked.
"As you said, auren legend is based in truth," Iris said acidly. "And I confirmed it in my unpublished library archives. Besides, you all know that Google is run by mages."
"What do you mean, unpublished—"
Derek raised his hand to interrupt Warren. "I trust Iris. The question is what do we do? I think it's safe to say that the Harbingers are going to open the portal there—which means the Sword is probably there as well."
"The Guild," Iris said. "We can report what's going on to them."
"Are you sure you want to include them?" Rox asked.
"You want to take on the Harbingers by ourselves—without Tess?" Iris demanded. "We need their help."
Derek frowned, but conceded the point. "Let's go. I doubt we have much time left. Shorn, you coming?"
Shorn had been remarkably quiet throughout the conversation, and he jerked when Derek called his name. "Yeah . . . I don't think we have a choice."
On impulse Iris put a redirect charm on Shorn's glasses in his pocket. Following Christmas Tess had told Warren and Shorn everything, but it never hurt to be cautious. Then she nodded. "I already notified the Guild. They are expecting us."
Rox's face was determined."Then let's go. Tess has saved our lives enough. It's time we returned the favor."
Iris agreed, but was distracted by one of her spells tugging on her mind. She turned away and listened to the four words that her charms had managed to get out of the Harbinger thread. She frowned, but kept the information secret. Reenacting the charm, sh
e sent it to attack the thread from a different angle. Then she fell into step beside her friends.
By unspoken accord they quickened their steps.
Chapter 46: The Purpose
They found Janson in the street outside the secret Guildhall. Ritsu stood at his side, pacing. When they approached the two guild leaders whirled to face them, but relaxed when they saw who it was.
"You shouldn't come here like this," Janson said, frowning in annoyance. "Not in broad daylight."
Iris noticed the worry lining his features—and hers. Interrupting Derek, Iris demanded, "What's going on?"
Ritsu glanced around them. "Not here," she murmured.
Janson nodded and led them to a large tree. A bench sat against the trunk, and was the center of a small, secluded garden. As Iris stepped into the protective shroud all sound faded in an instant. Iris blinked, and realized that the muffling spell was probably attached to the tree itself. The immediate vicinity was clear of motes, but she cast a handful of protective charms, just to be sure.
"Be quick," Janson said. "We have our own issues to deal with."
"Tess was taken," Iris said bluntly, "by Drake."
Ritsu's expression froze in place. "They're doing it tonight. It's the only explanation."
"We don't know that," Janson insisted. "Hawk has only been gone for—"
"Hawk's gone?" several of them demanded in unison.
Janson released a resigned grunt. "He hasn't been heard of since Christmas day. It's not like him to drop out of contact like that."
"We believe the Harbingers found a way to trap him," Ritsu said. "We have been trying to discover their location for days now."
"Mt. Elbrus," Iris said.
Janson straightened. "Xshaltheria. They're going to open it where Draeken did."
"How do we get there?" Derek demanded.
"What makes you think you're going?" Janson asked.
There was a babble of protests and the conversation devolved into an angry argument. Iris ignored them.
She'd cast the first spell when they left Tryton's, but it had taken one hundred and thirty-seven breaking charms for her to hack into the CIA system. Once she was in, she began retasking one of their oh-so-useful satellites into position.
As if it came from a mile away, she heard their controllers begin to shout in dismay, but she cut the audio thread so it wouldn't distract her. In moments the view of Mt. Elbrus resolved into fuzzy white. She frowned to herself, momentarily confused by why it wouldn't be clear. Taking advantage of her confusion, a query charm burst into the forefront of her thoughts, demanding attention.
"Harris," she barked, "I told you that you were cut off for a week. You barely lasted a day." She crushed the query and sent it back in screaming pieces.
The lapse in attention had allowed others in, and she dealt with them as fast as she could. She wished she had her beanie, but knew its dampening effect would also slow her abilities—and right now she needed all of them.
Casting a trio of augmenting charms on the auren satellite software, she managed to break through the techno shroud that someone—most likely Keidon—had placed on the summit of the mountain. In seconds the scene resolved into clarity.
—Every charm and thread she commanded spun to a halt as they felt her shock. It took a full three seconds for her to recover.
"They're doing it now," she exclaimed. "With the time difference it's dawn there, and Ranson is pulling the Sword from a fire."
Interrupted, everyone turned to face her. "How can you possibly see that?" Janson growled.
Derek opened his mouth to respond, but Iris's irritation boiled over. Stepping forward, she slapped Janson, hard. Stunned, Janson recoiled. Everyone fell silent at the unexpected blow. Then anger surged across Janson's features—just as Iris's spell took effect.
Janson's eyes widened as he saw what Iris had seen, and his fury died on his lips. "She's right," he choked the words out. "The Harbingers have Hawk, Tess, and Alice encased in ice on the summit, and Ranson just stepped out. There's no way we can get there in time."
"They have Alice too?" Ritsu cursed.
"How do we get there?" Shorn demanded
"It's on the other side of the world," Janson groaned. His eyes had unclouded as Iris's spell faded. Helplessness and anger had taken its place. "Even in our world there is nothing that can travel that fast."
"So it's over?" Derek growled. "They die, the Dark is released—and we've lost? I refuse to accept that."
"Neither will I," Shorn and Rox said together. After a moment Warren echoed the statement.
Something was nagging at Iris, and she cast a temporary redirect charm onto any incoming messages, including her own. She knew that it was exactly what she told her students not to do, but right now she needed to think. The redirect charm only caused the messages to pile up. Within minutes they would burst through, clamoring for attention.
Iris took advantage of the moment to listen to the message Tess had left for them. It ended, and she listened to it again. The phrase at the end made no sense.
"Don't let me die," Tess had whispered, and then there was a crackle as she'd dropped the glasses.
It was a strange message to leave, especially considering that Tess had proven her bravery time and again. And her tone was at odds with the statement. Intense and rushed, it sounded like a warning, not a pleading request. Perhaps it was a message intended to . . .
—The realization struck her like a thunderbolt. The redirect charm broke and messages bombarded her, but for once in her life they went unnoticed.
"Let's go," Iris barked.
She turned on her heel and bolted from the tree. Truthfully she didn't care if they followed or not, but after a minute their rapid footfalls slapped the ground behind her.
"Where is she going?" Janson demanded.
"Who knows?" Shorn said. It sounded like he was grinning.
Derek issued a grunt of anticipation. "She only does it when she has an idea."
Iris barely heard them. She hated to run, but right now every second counted. A few minutes later she crossed from Westpoint onto Sentre, and headed straight for her goal. She slid to a halt in the newly made clearing . . . and looked up at the steel giant.
With its arms folded and the almost liquid shine to its skin, the giant had withstood every attempt to move it. In the end, the Magtherian had decided to leave it where it was. Unwilling to risk a second 'incident', they had placed massive chains of anti-magic across its shoulders and feet, binding it to the ground.
"This?" Janson growled as he stopped beside her. "You think this thing will help? The entire Magtherian couldn't move it. What makes you think you can?"
Iris ignored him. Gathering every signal in the air, she fused them together. Messages from mom's to their sons, business partners to clients, and other notes bonded until they appeared in the physical spectrum. The blinding display solidified into the shape of Mt. Elbrus. Glittering and spinning, the white lines shone bright.
"Iris . . .?" Derek asked in a rising tone.
Then Iris said aloud, "Don't let me die."
There was a groaning of metal as the steel giant bowed its head. Unfolding its arms, it grasped the black chains that bound it to the ground and ripped them apart. Shards of ink magic filled the air as the bindings disintegrated. Then the giant crouched and jumped into the air—and changed shape. Arms and body melted into a pointed bird, and tightened into a shape resembling a sharpened arrow. The wings flapped once, and the steel bird exploded from sight. In less than a second it pierced the cloudwall and disappeared from view, and the boom of a sonic echo rattled the air.
Shocked silence resounded in the clearing, and then Derek asked, "That was the purpose she placed in it?"
Iris nodded. "She said it at the end of her conversation with Drake. At first I assumed she was pleading, but then I noticed her tone was wrong. I guessed it meant the giant. I think she didn't want anyone to know how scared she was when it was trying to k
ill her."
"Can it get there in time?" Rox asked, her eyes on the cloudwall.
"It might," Ritsu said. "An entity's magic is only limited by the creator's power—and its purpose. If its purpose is to keep Tess from dying, her own need will drive it to greater speeds."
"So what now?" Shorn asked.
"We follow," Janson said. "Even if we can't arrive in time, we might be close enough to offer aid."
They nodded in unison, and one by one left the clearing behind. Iris remained the longest, her heart tight in her chest.
"Protect my friend, giant," she whispered.
Chapter 47: The Sword of Elseerian
The cold seeped into every molecule of Tess's body. Every bone, every muscle, burgeoned with a dull ache that screamed for relief. With her magic she could feel her blood slow and begin to freeze. Crystals of ice coursed through her heart and limbs like shards of agony. Every breath felt like her last.
She moved her head as much as she could, fighting to keep warm. Her gaze flicked between Hawk and Alice, who looked like she was just barely alive. Every few minutes she saw a touch of warmth radiate through Hawk, indicating that he was still alive. With all the frost and snow on him she doubted he would last much longer.
Then she had realized what Hawk had meant. It had taken her several hours to figure it out, and she cursed herself for not understanding earlier. In the end she made the connection to Draeken's ancient lair and saw the truth about the mountain she was trapped on. The mountain was a volcano, and far below her was a compressed reservoir of molten lava.
Tess had reached out with her magic, but had not even gotten close. Time and again she extended her will to reach the heat, but to no avail. After what seemed an eternity she spotted something unexpected.
Someone else was doing the same thing.
Another entity was gradually working the lava tubes that ran to the summit. It had already sealed the main vent far below. Doing so had forced a build-up of pressure inside the volcano's depth, a pressure that was forcing the searing liquid higher.