by R N Skye
“Can I help?” Leslie almost pleaded. She was as caught up in the excitement as much as Laura was.
“Absolutely,” Laura exclaimed. “We need all the help we can find. Ari and Shew have figured out a way to free an entire company of soldiers but before they can do that they have to get this family out of Jehhet. We’ve decided to move them here. We need to get the infrastructure up and going and then find places for over one hundred men women and children.”
Ava stood back from the instructor. The palm of her hand was etched with the glyphs of the keys to the infrastructure that she had just obtained from the Records center. “I have an idea. I know where I can get more help. Here, “Ava held Leslies hand palm to palm with hers and with her free hand she drew a set of glowing glyphs in the air and willed them into the clasped hands. Pulling their hands apart the keys that had been etched on Ava were now etched upon Leslie’s palm. “You two get the infrastructure going, I’m going to grab a monorail ahead of schedule and see if I can get any of the tree folk from Red Oak Glen to come and give us a hand. Back in a while she flashed a grin and then in a blink she was gone.”
“How fun that you dropped by, Leslie. This will be your first activation of a city isn’t it?” beamed Laura.
~~~~~
Nuekirk Laughed as he plucked the one hundred gold, banknote, from the door jam. Reading the note he casually crumpled it up and dropped it to the floor. “What a bunch of suckers,” he said with disdain. He had stolen nearly a thousand golds in silvers and notes since he had been found stowing aboard the sloop. The men who had caught him were obvious very successful artifact smugglers but they were idiots when it came to being conned. He didn’t buy their stories that they were mages and spies. If he had had access to the artifacts that they had he would say that too. It was a perfect story. The war was a perfect cover for smuggling. Pocketing the money Nuekirk headed to the café.
Genae met Nuekirk at the door. Grabbing his arm in a flirtatious manner she steered him from the building before he had completely entered. “Are we going to your place?” Nuekirk blinked in pleasant surprise as he commented in a hopeful voice. He still had yet to be able to coax the attractive waitress into taking him to where she lived.
“Better yet,” she replied with a coy smile. “I thought that we could go back to your place.”
Nuekirk stopped in his tracks. The note that had been folded with the money was now suddenly important. “Um, that could be a problem,” he stalled. “The guys I’m working for told me to take the day off and sealed all the entrances. I think they are going after some major artifacts today. They never let me in on where they get them from.”
The Allyant possessed waitress smiled knowingly. “You’re not playing hard to get are you?” she said then giggled playfully.
“We can try,” responded Nuekirk. As he silently hoped that he could access the doors and a chance of being with her more intimately.
A half hour later, with every effort exhausted Nuekirk and a very cross Genae stood outside the door that should have allowed them to port to where the sloop was. Pechor knew from looking through the waitress’s eyes that the lumen had been removed from the glyphs that the boy had tapped endlessly; there would be no way to activate them without a Lumen mage or one of the Elios mechanical imbuement devices. It had been his goal, to have the waitress seduce the young man, and to find a way onto the boat so that he could kill or at the least sabotage the mage and the assassin that persisted in haunted his memories. As a last effort he caused the waitress to be affectionate and convincing. “I have an idea. Let’s go to the docks and see if it is there. We can board your ship from the pier.”
Nuekirk knew that the ship wasn’t docked at the pier - that it was in fact moored just outside Jehhet harbor. Figuring that it would give him time to talk his girlfriend into perhaps going somewhere more intimate, he agreed. An hour later the pair stood looking at an empty berth. “It was here earlier,” feigned Nuekirk, sensing that his relationship might be at an end. “They must be using it.”
Pechor had had enough. He had spent most of the day chasing this boy around Lu Y Onton on a wild goose chase. The boy was a useless greedy urchin who clearly thought only with his glands. It’s no wonder the mage and the man he knew as Stafford didn’t include him on their missions.
“I’m hungry,” Genae announced casually. “Let’s go eat.” Looking around the quiet pier she added, “This is a pretty desolate dock. Aren’t you worried about being robbed?” She reached over and held his hand. Looking down she glanced at the pair of rings on his right hand and grew excited. “Did I ever tell you how much I like jewelry? Can I try on your rings?”
Nuekirk looked at the rings - the warnings of never to remove them long since fled at the touch of her hand – he hastily reached down and removed the first; placing it in her palm. As he attempted to remove the second it stuck and wouldn’t budge. “I’m afraid that I can’t get this one off.” He said tugging and twisting it for emphasis. He lifted his hand to show the stuck band.
Genae leaned back and held out a red glowing sphere. “I have something for you,” she said suggestively. Placing the sphere into his hands she wrapped his fingers around the Allyant seed and with a vice like grip she held it fast.
Pechor in his new host drained the life from the waitress and casually shoved her off the pier into the murky water. Examining the ring that Nuekirk had removed he studied it. As he had suspected, it was a shield ring; if the boy would have left it on he would have never been able to take control of the youth. With a thought the Allyant mage summoned a vast burst of the soul magic at his command and melted the ring into a lump of brass and discarded it into the water as well. Examining the other ring he could find no glyphs. Using magic he removed the stubborn band from his host’s finger. Looking on the inside he saw the glyphs of healing and transport. The ring was obviously meant to be used in conjunction with another; the spell was there but no power or lumen resided with in it. Cursing himself for destroying the first without a closer examination he reconsidered his options.
Pechor began to scour through the mind of his newest host and discovered the many lies that he spoken in an effort to impress the waitress. He also discovered that the teen had known many things that he had not mentioned; likely due to him not understanding their importance. The images of the young man’s memories flashed past like a play. He found where the sloop was moored, that both Shew and Stafford were former agents to the King of Infin but it was the Mage known as Shane that was the real mystery. As much as he picked through the memories of the youth it became apparent that youth had feared the mysterious mage. Also attached to the memories of the mage he was able to learn that he was going to be married in a week and that a major ceremony was planned in some unnamed mountain valley. He also found why the lad had stayed away from the young mage. While he worked his way backwards through the boy’s memories he discovered the incident where he had been threatened to be dropped from the sky into the ocean. From that time forth the youth had actively avoided the young mage. Who was this mage and why did he seem so familiar and formidable. He decided that the ring was the key. He painstakingly began to read the glyphs that he was certain the boy had had no understanding of and slowly discovered where the teleport would take him. With sinister glee he read the last two miniscule glyphs. He not only had the location of the Star Seeds, but he now knew just what ceremony was going to take place. Thanks to the boys memories he knew when.
Ready or not, Pechor decided. The Starblade was nearly fueled to capacity; I will take it on a test flight and sink a boat this evening, he said to himself. He could would to the Great Ones as successful after all. He controlled the lumen of nearly a million people and soon the Star Seeds would be his.
~~~~~
Kaysee sat opposite Leo as he finished up showing her the glyphs that would be helpful to her if she needed to sift and separate very small items. He seems to always think of practical uses for lumen magic, she thought to herself
. As she paused she summoned up the courage to change the subject. “Leo does your instructor say anything about recording your thoughts or memories?” she asked carefully.
“I don’t know,” he said thoughtfully. “What makes you ask?”
“Oh, no reason,” she temporized. “I was just thinking that it would be a great way to transfer ideas or store memories, you know, in case you forget to write something down.”
“Let’s have peek, shall we,” he smiled. “This could be a great idea. You don’t know how often I misplace my stylus and have had to turn the place inside out just to make a few notes. If one could simply use a glyph to make a note that would be extremely convenient.”
“What would you have to make to contain it?” Kaysee prodded.
“Great question, Kay, Let’s find out shall we?” Leo said as he expanded his instructor to become several large crystal screens and was soon drilling through pages upon pages of glyphs. With a muttered sound now and then he continued his reading with Kaysee patiently watching for well over an hour. Finally he paused. “This is interesting. Yes this would work perfectly. Oh no, that’s not good. We would have to be very careful.”
Looking up he placed his elbows on the desk, his fingers forming a steeple in front of his mouth and nose with his thumbs under his chin. “It’s entirely possible, but there are some ethical issues. The footnotes are packed with warnings and cautions.” He paused as if deciding to expand. Finally he sighed, “A lot of what I’m going to explain will not be available to you until you are well past glyph mage and close to the end of your glyph mastery training. So if I go off on some unfamiliar tangents please bear with me.”
Kaysee leaned forward in earnest, “so it can be done?
Leo leaned back in his squeaky chair and rubbed his chin. “Yes it can and has been done. A simple crystal is all that is needed to contain the information and the mastery to accomplish the process is relatively simple. Beyond creating the container and transferring the knowledge the simplicity ends there. The complications begin with the ethics.
Once information is contained it is available to anyone who has possession of the container. Therefor the container should be well guarded as to not fall into unsuspecting or unprepared hands. It is thought by the Elios that too much knowledge too fast and too soon to one that is not prepared both mentally and morally can be harmful. It was determined that this moral immaturity was in part the cause of the fall of the Allyant – a group of mages that chose the quick and easy soul magic over the more stronger, stable and more ethical magic of pure lumen – They were cast out from Elios due to their perversion of lumen and their disregard for the lives that were lost practicing soul magic. These soul mages not only stored their knowledge into their crystals, they began to store lives or the souls of others; which they used like normal lumen in their magic. They used them to control others and even to prolong their own lives by storing a copy of themselves and later restoring it to another body. The warnings state quite convincingly that only mages with an internal secure steadfastness of their embodiment of the Laws of Light should ever attempt the process.”
Kaysee was beginning to have a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Can you make a crystal,” asked Kaysee, unable to disguise a concerned expression on her face.
Leo thought for a moment. “I can,” he paused. “But I’m not prepared to go beyond that. The warnings are very serious and before I begin that level of magic I would want to consult my instructor and even Shane on something this potentially damaging and dangerous.”
“May I watch?” she asked hopefully
With a nod Leo began. “It isn’t very complex,” he said with a shrug, “let me get a piece of copper for a substrate, I’m going to be transmuting without mastery so you can see the whole process,” he said slipping as he often did into his professor mode. “The glyphs are going to generate some heat.”
A few moments later he placed a small board onto his desk to protect the finish and then placed a thin square sheet of copper on top of the board. Taking out his scribe he began writing glyphs on the metal surface.
Kaysee watched with not just her eyes as he completed the inscriptions but also magically as Brenner had shown her. She looked into Leo as he began to imbue the glyphs. She saw within him the rainbow of lumen that she saw in herself; his golden glow was significantly brighter than hers but other than the intensity of their lumen auras were identical and both of their center sparks seemed nearly identical as well. Then she saw him withdraw from his golden aura and extend a shaft of the golden lumen and imbue the glyphs. She didn’t even see the crystal form because of the tears that began to stream uncontrollably from her eyes; she was not a non-potent, but quite the opposite – she had been tricked.
A shocked Leo looked at his sobbing assistant. “Kay! What is the matter? Are you okay?”
“Oh Leo,” she continued to sob. “I have done something terrible.”
Chapter XI
The entirety of the D’roe fishing family and relatives soon swarmed the stacks of their belongings that Shane had just moved from Jehhet; being organized and directed by Leslie and Laura. Noting Ava’s absence to his mother she informed him that she had gone to the village of Red Oak Glen to enlist their help in getting the D’roe clan relocated.
Shane and Ari pitched in by helping magically to enchant wagons or create portals to help with the transport of the mountain of belongings to the new residences assigned by Laura. While Leslie helped others understand the way the magical plumbing, lights, and other appliances, worked, as the families began to start getting settled in. Shew expertly supervised in a way that only a man nearing his eighties can do and get away with it; his language constantly halting as he continually modified his vocabulary in front of the children that were running to and fro, continually expressing their delight at the newness and the adventure that had been sprung upon them.
Shane had just finished helping move a heavy bed to the new home of Oscaar Senior when Ari walked up and pulled him aside. “It’s after sunset in Jehhet. We need to get going.”
Shane nodded and hollered for Shew then began following Ari towards the Senior D’roe.
Ari held out his hand to the tall elder and shook it briskly. “Well, Oscaar, I need to get back to Jehhet and see what we can do about getting your son Ren free of the control of the king. It looks like you are well into getting settled. Your son said we need to take proof. That proof is supposed to be his little brother,” Ari concluded holding out the note written by the captain.
Oscaar read the paper and then with a loud voice called for one of his sons. “Junior,” he bellowed and within a moment the man that Shane had referred to as ‘Top Grand’ hustled up to stand next to his father. “You are to go with these men and tell your brother that we are all safely out of Jehhet, that they have removed whatever magic the king had placed on Chy’nette and the entire family is well out of reach of the king. Do what they tell you until they can get you safely back. Also tell your brother that Chy’nette, your mother, and I, send our love.
~~~~~
Ari, Shane, Shew, and Oscaar Jr. ported to the far side of the Jiri River Bridge. Before the three others could stop him Junior started walking toward the lights of the bivouac on the other side intent on seeing his brother. By the time Shew, Ari and Shane had thrown up their invisibility and caught up with him. The Large man was subdued and weakened by the power of the wrist bands of two sentries that had been posted to watch the bridge. One of the guards was just about to attempt a second slap across the face of the subdued Oscaar when from behind him Shew placed a forceful kick high and in between the guard’s legs. The man seemed to deflate and collapse; rolling silently in agony until Shew calmly dispatched him. The other sentry turned to see the source of his partner’s demise reaching for his sword and finding an empty scabbard.
“Looking for this?” Ari said with a glint in his eye. With an audible swish the tip of the sentry’s sword now wielded by a very deadly
looking man in black, was now a shadows width away from piercing his throat. The second sentry never got the chance to answer. Shew walked behind him and dropped him with a single blow with a cudgel.
While Shane helped Junior to his feet Ari looked at Shew with a severe look and asked, “What the enfer did you do that for?”
Shew glared right back. “They had it coming.”
“Yeah, I’ll just hang back with you guys from now on,” Junior said perking up as Shane re-energized him. I forget there is a war on and that a lot of people are using magic these days” He shuddered as if shaking off a chill.
“Here, take this,” Shane said as he offered him a ring that grew to match his large finger. “Wear this on the right hand and the wristbands wont effect you anymore. It should even things out,” Shane paused looking up and up at the massive man, “more or less,”
Junior put the ring on with a pleased look on his face and slapped Shane on the back nearly knocking him over the side rail of the bridge. “Thanks Shane, I owe ya.” Then with a mischievous grin added, “I’m thinking I could take you in an arm wrestle now, eh Warball?”
Shane grasped the big man by the forearm and with a blast of his repel glyph shoved the big man nearly over the bridge like what he had done a moment earlier to Shane. At the last second Shane grabbed him by the belt and stopped him from going over the side and pulled him back. “I don’t use wristbands, so don’t bet on it,” he winked.
“Will you two stop messing around,” Ari hissed. Something’s not right.
The four huddled low and began scanning the dimly lit shelters of the bivouac area. Ari’s suspicion had been correct. Instead of the expected five hundred or so soldiers, there were closer to five thousand. “Shew you and Oscaar hold the bridge. Shew give the fisherman a spare utility ring and a comm. Show him how to use them. I’m thinking the king is wise to the fact that we are up to something involving the captain because I’m sure he has noticed the absence of the D’roe clan from the wharf.” Ari paused as he examined a small metal square that he retrieved from his pocket. “Guys, I have bad news and really bad news. As much as I saw it coming and hoped that it wouldn’t. The kid was found out by the Allyant spy. It appears that he was successful in keeping our puppet king occupied for most the day but the king evidently got tired of the lack of information that the kid had. The bad news is he took off the rings. The really bad news is the kid is dead or under the Allyant’s control and by now has what he needs to find the Arc.