“It wasn’t five-star, but it was quiet. Not much maiming, fighting and killing on site,” said Rael. “Tranquil actually. I expected you sooner.”
“I was…detained with another matter. I have a new task for you,” said Lucius. “You will need considerable power to carry this out, more than you currently possess. “
“I’m off the ascendant disposal unit?”
“For now, yes. This is more important,” said Lucius.
“Now I’m curious,” said Rael. “What could be more important than reforming the bridge and joining the planes?”
“Wheel took Maelstrom.”
Rael shook his head slowly in disbelief.
“That nothing Samadhi took Maelstrom away from you?” said Rael. “I find that hard to accept.”
“From my shadow; and yes, he did,” said Lucius. “Do not underestimate him. He has increased his energy signature at least tenfold and he knows an inversion glyph.”
Rael whistled under his breath. “That would clearly put him in the supreme badass category,” he said. “How do you want me to get Maelstrom back if he’s that powerful?”
“Prepare yourself,” said Lucius. “I will give you what you need.”
Lucius bowed his head and traced glyphs in the air. Black and red trails followed his fingers as they moved faster and faster. When he was done, he placed his hands on Rael. An explosion of light filled the space. Rael flew back several feet and landed on his back. Lucius walked over to where he lay and lifted him to his feet.
“You now possess the means to find him and return what is mine. Do so now.”
“So…much…power,” said Rael. “How did you do this?”
“Wheel did the one thing he accused me of,” said Lucius. “He underestimated me. I gave you a fraction of my power, which this shadow cannot hold. However, it can act as a conduit. Go now and get my weapon and bring it to me.”
“What do you mean, bring it to you?” asked Rael as his blood ran cold. He knew what the shadow meant. “Not to your shadow?”
“No. I will end this,” said Lucius. “You will come to me with Maelstrom and I will give you the release you have desired for so long. Then I will show my enemies true power.”
The words chilled him. It wasn’t the words themselves. He had heard them many times before. It was the certainty behind them. If he possessed a fraction of Lucius’s power—and the power that coursed through him now was incredible—the full measure of Lucius’s power was incomprehensible. For the second time in his life, he had the same simple and clear thought:
Lucius must die.
THIRTY
“PICK HER UP,” said a tall thin figure looking down at Raquel’s body. “We need to move fast, Snipe.”
“Ugh…she smells, Rico! Something bad in her blood,” said Snipe. The large form covered his face with one massive hand. “Her guns are too bright, Rico. Not like yours.”
If it weren’t for those guns, we never would have found her. What have you been doing, little rock? I have never seen gunslinger guns with that energy, thought Rico.
“Stop that,” said the thin figure as he smacked the hand away from Snipe’s face. “Do you know who this is, Snipe? This is Arthur Cross’s daughter. We have been watching her for a long time now.”
“Deadeyes don’t miss, Rico,” said Snipe. “She needs help?”
“No we don’t, and she does,” said the thin figure. “You know I hate it when you call me that. What’s my name?”
“Sorry, Rico,” said Snipe. “Can we clean her blood?”
Rico sighed in resignation. “Not here, back home. I thought we lost her, but those guns don’t lie,” said Rico. “Gunslingers can’t hide from family. Pick her up, Snipe, we need to go fast. This place feels like an explosion waiting to happen.”
Snipe, who stood a foot taller than Rico, picked up Raquel in his gigantic hands. Despite his size and bulk, he carried her gingerly as Rico activated a device on his belt and opened a portal.
“We need to get her to Franca, and she can clean her up, if it’s not too late,” said Rico. Last place I want to go, but this is way out of my league.
“Franca scares me, Rico. She has those eyes,” said Snipe. “Scary eyes.”
“Franca scares everyone, big guy,” said Rico, patting him on the shoulder. “But she knows the medicine and this is Arthur Cross’s little girl. We have no choice.”
They stepped into the portal and left the hub.
THIRTY-ONE
TETRA STEPPED THROUGH the portal and found himself in a desert. In the distance, shimmering in the desert heat, sat the South Watch.
“That was a short trip,” said a voice behind him. “I didn’t send them after you to apprehend you, but to warn you.”
Tetra whirled at the voice, ready to attack and faced the Keeper.
“What have you done?” he said. “I can’t feel the chi. Where am I?” he asked.
“You are tethered to this plane,” said the Keeper. “Any portal you open will only lead you here”—the Keeper gestured around him—“back here.”
“I will destroy you,” said Tetra, stepping into an attack stance.
The Keeper leaned on his staff and sighed.
“Destroying me, even if you could, would accomplish nothing,” said the Keeper. “I cannot undo the tether until the protocol has run its course. Once the Solus protocol has begun, I cannot stop or alter its progress. This plane has been sealed.”
“Lies. You fear your destruction,” said Tetra.
“In that case, please unleash your power,” said the Keeper. “I am ready.”
Tetra took a step forward and stopped.
“My power is diminished,” he said. “You have imprisoned us again to starve.”
“No, not to starve,” said the Keeper. “There is energy here available to you, just not the kind you are accustomed to. Do you not sense it?”
“There is energy here, but it is closed to me,” said Tetra. “How can this be? Energy is all the same.”
“I think it’s time I explained a few things to you about those who released you and why they did so,” said the Keeper. “In the meantime, I am certain Ravia would want to see you.”
“Ravia…yes, I would like to see her,” said Tetra. “She is unharmed?”
“Aside from scratches and bruises, she is fine,” said the Keeper. “She is learning the way to absorb energy in a different way, as will you.”
“And if I do not wish to learn this different way?”
“Then you will starve for as long as the protocol is active,” said the Keeper. “That is of course your choice.”
Tetra stood still for a moment and then opened a portal. The Keeper made no move to stop him. Tetra stepped through the portal only to reappear moments later in the same desert.
“Welcome back,” said the Keeper. “Are you ready to return to the Watch now or would you like to attempt again?”
“I needed to be certain,” said Tetra.
“I understand. Are you ready to go back?”
“For now, yes,” said Tetra as they walked in the desert.
THIRTY-TWO
SAMIR TURNED AROUND to find himself—nowhere. He stood on a featureless plane of black sand under a night sky full of stars. In every direction he looked, he saw the same thing: an empty horizon and star-filled sky. He tried to open another portal with no success. He began to speak the words of unmaking and nothing happened.
I was wrong, this place is worse. I’m trapped. This must be one of the null spaces Professor Yau discussed. A dead interstice. Makes sense if I used the words of unmaking for the portal. Stupid, should have thought of that!
Beside him, a portal opened and a young woman stepped through. She was of medium height with dark brown hair and vibrant eyes. Around her neck, she wore a chain attached to what appeared to be a large prism. She looked at him, searching his face, and then closed her eyes for about two minutes. She opened her eyes, looked at him again and made to turn around, back
to the portal.
“Wait!” yelled Samir. The young woman stopped and turned around, staying close to the portal.
“Yes?” she said. She looked at Samir with distrust. She angled her body away from him, ready to jump in the portal.
“Who are you? How did you find me?” he asked.
“Who are you?” she asked and paused. “You feel like her. I thought she was here but I’m not looking for you.”
“Of course not,” he said. The universe does not revolve around you, O great syllabist. She can’t be older than eighteen but she possesses such chi. I can sense her power from here.
“I apologize, my name is Samir,” he said. “May I inquire as to who you are looking for?”
She squinted at him, uncertainty on her face. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and let it out.
“My name is Nina,” she said. “I’m looking for Meja of the house of Aumera. I’ve been following, but she moves so fast. I’m always behind and now I can’t find her at all.”
The way she says ‘Meja of the house of Aumera’...that part is rehearsed.
“You can sense her even on different planes?”
Nina nodded. “Doesn’t matter where. I can find her, except now,” she said. “So I’m trying the in-betweens.”
A wavedancer? So young. I wonder how this is possible, thought Samir.
“You can’t sense her if she is in the in-betweens?”
“Not from outside, no,” she said. “Not like the other places. So I come in.”
“Why are you looking for her?” asked Samir. “Is she in trouble?”
“She can help me; he told me so,” she said. “Plus, I have to give her something.” Her eyes flicked down to the prism on her neck.
“Who told you?” said Samir slowly. He sensed she didn’t like his line of questioning and she was stepping closer to the portal as she spoke.
“He was my friend, took me out for ice cream when he talked with Grandpapa,” she answered. “Then he left me in a nice place with nice people, after Papa got sick and couldn’t take care of me.”
“Can you tell me what you have to give her?” asked Samir.
Again, with a quick look to the prism, she shook her head no.
“Sorry, that’s a secret only for her,” she said.
“Nina, how old are you?” said Samir.
“How old do I appear to you?” she said. “I grew up in a special place where time”—she cocked her head to one side, remembering—“fluxed? Is that right?”
She must have been on a plane with an altered flow of time. It still doesn’t explain her abilities.
Samir nodded. “I know Meja of the house of Aumera,” said Samir, with caution in his voice. He didn’t want to scare her away.
“Nice try. You’re stuck here and want to get out,” she said. “I know you are. Everyone in the black in-betweens is stuck. These places don’t work. Except for me.”
“Meja has green eyes and long black hair,” he started. “Her skin is a little darker than mine and she looks very serious all the time.”
Nina was nodding with his words and then caught herself before shaking her head. “Lucky guess,” she said without conviction.
“Meja is my friend and maybe that’s why you came in here and found me,” said Samir. “Maybe you sensed our connection?”
“Maybe,” said Nina.
“If you can take me out of here, I can take you to her,” said Samir.
After a moment of indecision, she nodded to herself, making up her mind about something.
“Okay, I can take you out, but if you are lying to me I can bring you back and I promise I will leave you here forever,” said Nina.
“I believe you, Nina,” he said. “Can you tell me the places where you followed her?”
Nina told him about all the places, their smells and tastes and how they made her feel. Samir thought a moment.
“The last place you felt her,” he asked. “What did it feel like?”
Nina’s brow furrowed in thought. She sat on the black sand a moment and gathered her thoughts.
“It was like a rubber wall,” she said. “I could open it and push, but it moved away. I could feel her, but it was very hard to get in, too hard. It hurt my head and then she was gone.”
“Can we try that place again?” asked Samir. Nina started to shake her head no. “This time I will help you and it won’t hurt your head.” He reached out and took her hands in his.
“Please?”
She nodded her head and released his hands. She spread out her arms as if feeling for a hidden wall. A few minutes later, she gripped the air in front of her and pulled her hands apart. A rift in the plane opened up. Through it, Samir could see the forest. The greens and browns were an explosion of color against the backdrop of black sand and dim starlight.
“Is that it?” he asked, dumbstruck.
Without glyphs or speech, she just ‘felt’ for it. What is this girl?
“Yes, but I can’t get through, watch,” she said as she pushed against the portal. It moved under the pressure of her hand, giving way and then springing back.
“I see,” he said, not seeing at all. “Let me try something.”
He began speaking the words of unmaking and made the gesture for her to push. At first, she pushed and the same spring effect occurred. He signaled her to push again. When she pushed this time, instead of springing back, she fell through. Samir followed before the portal closed and found himself in the green forest of the Mikai.
THIRTY-THREE
SYLK AND MARIKO returned to the area where Devin sat surrounded by five Mikai.
“Where is your companion?” asked Mariko. “You were instructed to remain here.”
“And here I am,” said Devin. “She, on the other hand, is not a big fan of sitting still and waiting.”
“And where did she go?” asked Mariko. She gave each word emphasis, looking at each of the Mikai surrounding the room as she spoke.
“Back to the hub, our home plane,” said Devin. “That was just over two hours ago.”
“How? From what I sensed she didn’t possess the means to open a portal unless—” said Sylk.
“Guilty,” said Devin. “I opened it for her, but she should have been back by now. I keyed it to stay open only two hours. Normally, I would be concerned, but this is Raquel. That being said, I should go look for her.”
“Why did she feel the need to go back there?” asked Mariko. “I told you to wait. I was specific about this, was I not?”
“Clearly you have not dealt with Raquel before,” said Devin. “She thought Monique knew more about Wheel than she let on and she was going to find out.”
“Do people fear this Raquel?” asked Mariko.
“Only the wise ones,” said Devin.
“Why hasn’t she returned?”
“It means she did what she wanted to do and left the hub or that Monique ended her,” said Devin. “Either way, I need to go investigate. I tried to open a portal after the two hours were up, but—”
“You can’t,” said Mariko. “The plane has been blocked. The elders, after learning about the inversion glyph, closed the plane. Moments ago someone forced their way into our plane and through our defenses.”
“I didn’t seem to have any trouble,” said Devin.
Mariko looked at him and waited.
“Because I was allowed to enter, wasn’t I?” he said.
“Yes, you were,” she said. “Whoever just entered our plane was not expected and possesses considerable ability to bypass our defenses.”
“Wait, that sounds like the Mikai are closing ranks,” said Devin. “What was the outcome of the meeting?”
Mariko turned away, upset.
“The clan heads agreed not to pursue this matter,” said Sylk. “They agreed it was not a Mikai concern.”
“I thought you were the leader of the clan?” said Devin looking at Mariko.
“I am the leader of my clan,” said Mariko. �
�The Mikai are made up of nine major clans and countless minor ones.”
“And all the major ones decided it was a bad idea to go after Wheel, who is quite possibly the greatest threat to our existence?” asked Devin. “Even after knowing about the inversion glyph?”
Sylk nodded. “The Mikai are set in their ways,” he said. “They don’t feel this is a threat to them or their way of life.”
“Not all of the clans feel this way,” said Mariko. “Our clan dissented. As did many of the minor ones, but they are not strong enough or large enough to sway the clan elders.”
“Only Master Zanshi agreed to look into the matter,” said Sylk. “Which means the other clans will use this as an opportunity to act against him, and you.”
“I will not abandon my father or my clan, Master Sylk,” said Mariko with an edge in her voice.
“It was not what I was implying, but as clan leader you can speak to him, convince him that this course of action can destroy the clan,” said Sylk.
“Have you met my father?” said Mariko with a grim smile. “Once he has made a decision he believes is right, it would be easier to stop the sun in its path than change his mind.”
Master Zanshi walked into the area and sat down. “Our clans are led by fools,” he said.
“Father—” began Mariko.
“No, Mariko,” he interrupted. “We will not be led by blind men living a fantasy. Our clan will act. Gather your leaders; we will be ready to move once the ritual is complete.”
“And if he fails?” asked Mariko.
“Then we will lose it all, daughter, but we will fight,” said Zanshi. “He has a guardian and your mother with him. They are not without their own abilities.”
“What happens to the guardian and your mother if he fails?” asked Devin. “That guardian being Meja, just to be clear, correct?”
“If the warrior fails, Shadowstrike will claim them all,” said Zanshi. “She is a vicious and twisted sword. She will come after Dante in the most unexpected ways imaginable.”
“What do you mean?” said Devin. “I thought the ritual was just a physical battle, and then the joining?”
“No,” said Zanshi. “Not just physical. She will attack his mind first and then the body.”
Warriors of the Way-Pentalogy Page 69